Netra Nalubolu

Project Hail Mary recently had its film debut, many fans have started to compare it to its original novel.

As we travel through the stars, a warning is in order: spoilers for Project Hail Mary.

“Project Hail Mary” is a 2021 science fiction novel by Andy Weir. The story follows the journey of a science teacher turned astronaut, Ryland Grace, waking up on a spaceship with no memories of who he is and how he got there. Piecing the memories that come back, he realises that he was sent on a mission to save Earth from extinction as a star-eating “algae” named astrophage that’s infecting our sun. 

As he goes further into his memories and unlocks the mystery of how to defeat Astrophage, he meets Rocky. An alien engineer from the planet Erid [40 Eridani A] who is also desperate to save his own star. Together, they form an unlikely friendship that becomes the soul of the story. 

Weir is infamous for his science fiction. He wrote the 2011 novel “The Martian,” which was adapted for the screen in 2015, directed by Ridley Scott, who also directed Alien (1979). He also wrote the 2017 sci-fi mystery/thriller “Artemis.” Weir, surprisingly, did not graduate from his computer science program at UCSD, although he did work as a programmer for several years before beginning to write. His work is often praised for its scientific accuracy. 

His accuracy is one of the best things about the book. While the science and math in the book are complex in their own right, Andy Weir makes them more comprehensible and easier to digest. From talking about rocket science to the elemental components that make up Eridians, Weir makes it simpler and easier to understand. Weir had even done the equations for the rocket science themself and the time relativity within the book. 

One of the most heartwarming things in the novel is Grace and Rocky’s friendship, which helps show that we are never as alone as we may feel. Maybe there aren’t friendly alien buddies out there, but even here on Earth, we can befriend people who are entirely different from us and form lifelong bonds. 

Now, onto the movie adaptation. While a lot of book-to-movie adaptations are a gamble, “Project Hail Mary” was adapted astronomically well (pun intended).

Trust us and the box of tissues that we went through.

“Project Hail Mary” was released last Friday, March 20, for its world premiere. It was directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who are well known for movies such as “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” “The Lego Movie,” and the “Spider-Verse” franchise. Similar to the film adaptation of “The Martian,” “Project Hail Mary” was screenwritten by Drew Goddard. The movie stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, and James Ortiz.

Ryan Gosling’s performance as Grace anchors the film emotionally. He moves between humor, frustration, and vulnerability, amazingly well. Gosling plays a man who, while saving humanity, has still comedic timing and emotional restraint, making him relatable and compelling as fans and critics praise his sincere performance.

One of the many impressive things about “Project Hail Mary” is the visuals- no greenscreen (or bluescreen) was used. The entire set was shot practically.

Before the movie’s release, Adam Savage released videos where he visited the set and got a closer look at practical effects. The cockpit of the ship, the “Hail Mary,” is entirely practical, and it’s visually stunning. Every single screen, every single button, every single switch, is all functional. The buttons were molded, and the graphics on each screen were handmade and rendered as accurately as possible (down to the ship’s velocity at a given moment).

Not only that, but the whole cockpit had to be broken up into small sections that could be removed so it could be filmed from any angle. This set is gorgeous. It simply wouldn’t be as good if it were CGI. 

In the same vein, Rocky was mostly practical effects. James Ortiz, the lead puppeteer and voice for Rocky, was often a scene partner for Gosling during rehearsal, but Rocky would be present during filming. The only place where Rocky is CGI is when he is rolling around in his little space suit (a xenonite hamster ball). When Rocky could not be directly puppeteered, an animatronic was used that responded directly to the puppeteer’s actions with a different Rocky offstage. 

The film’s promotion was genuinely heart-warming and playful. The trailer captured the movie’s tone of heartfelt sci-fi and humor. They marketed merchandise like Rocky plush toys, popcorn buckets shaped like Grace’s helmet, free posters, and creative livestream events like “Rocky Sleep, You Watch” to build a strong sense of community among fans.

While that was the movie itself, how does it contrast with the book?

While the plot doesn’t contrast much, the narrative details of the book are different; they simplify the complex science into a montage of Dr. Grace, skipping past side characters and conversations. I think it was a nice decision. It doesn’t overcomplicate the two and a half hours already given to the movie, and it helps watchers who haven’t read the book at all enjoy it for themselves, and gives readers who have read the book a different experience.

Whether you’re reading the carefully crafted novel or watching the film’s stunning visuals, Project Hail Mary stands as a rare fusion of science and storytelling. It’s a reminder that even in a universe where the stars are dying, and darkness consumes our worlds. With friendship and a little bit of math, we can still light the way.