Following the Super Bowl trailer's buzz, the sci-fi film Project Hail Mary—starring Ryan Gosling as astronaut Ryland Grace and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller—has drawn mixed critical responses ahead of its March 20, 2026, theatrical debut. Adapted from Andy Weir's novel, some praise its epic scope while others call it derivative. Weir has also teased a potential sequel.
Early reviews for Project Hail Mary surfaced before its March 20 release, screened at AMC Lincoln Square in New York on February 26, 2026. Variety dubbed it a "lavishly scaled feel-good environmental outer-space thriller" but critiqued its 156-minute runtime as "way too long" and "baggy and incredibly derivative," comparing it to Interstellar meets E.T. The review praised Gosling's charisma but noted the screenplay softened his neurotic edge. In contrast, The Hollywood Reporter hailed it as a "thrilling sci-fi epic," with buzz around Gosling's reluctant hero in a survival tale.
Author Andy Weir, in an exclusive interview days before release, discussed sequel possibilities and his next sci-fi project, building anticipation as the Amazon MGM Studios production nears theaters.
