When Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary When first released, it became a 470-page novel of approximately 170 pages. Then the author decided it was time to explain what his story was really about. Oh sure. It was about a man named Ryland Grace waking up in space with amnesia and slowly discovering that the fate of the planet is in his hands. But, it’s also about Ryland meeting an alien.
Well, as you probably know, that book is being made into a movie starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. And, after teasing it in the first trailer, its latest trailer prominently features the alien that Ryland nicknames “Rocky.” According to Weir, who is also a producer on the film, there were discussions about withholding the reveal, but the studio ultimately decided against it.
“It’s really a marketing decision by Amazon MGM, but the idea was that no one would go to that theater and not know about Rocky,” Weir told Polygon. “It’s not a Darth Vader-like Luke’s father situation. It’s a core, central element of the plot that everyone will be talking about and anyone who’s read the book already knows about.”
Lord and Miller, who are returning to direct for the first time in more than a decade, agree. “You can’t tell this story without introducing Rocky, because the heart of the story is the relationship between him and Grace,” Miller said in a Reddit AMA. “As fans of the book, you know Rocky is the second lead in this movie. And what’s shown in the trailer is just a glimpse of what’s to come. Rocky is a very beautiful and ‘amazing’ character, and we were all very thoughtful about what to show and when to show it. You all know there’s more to this story and relationship than what’s shown in the trailer, and we’re excited for everyone to see where it goes!”
Plus, as Weir said in his interview, “All trailers are designed to put butts in seats, and we want butts in those seats. We want people to go, ‘Now I want to know what’s going on.'” And, by revealing that Gosling spends most of his screentime with an alien, you get a double dose of intrigue. Will this astronaut be able to save the world? And, also, how would he interact with a rock alien?
However, the answers to those questions are the real spoilers and will definitely be held in March, when Project Hail Mary Comes to theaters. Or, you know, the book has been available for over four years, so you can always check that out too. We would recommend it.
Project Hail Mary Opens March 20th, 2026 and we can’t wait.
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