How Project Hail Mary Author Andy Weir Feels About The Ryan Gosling Movie

Everyone and their mother appears to have an opinion about the upcoming "Project Hail Mary" film adaptation. Most of the first reactions to the movie have critics united in praise of the project as a sci-fi masterpiece. At the same time, other folks are raising an eyebrow at the film's massive budget and what that means for its box office prospects, even as phrases like "movie of the year" continue percolating across the internet. But what about Andy Weir, who wrote the original novel that the film is based on?

In the weeks leading up to the movie's release, Weir has been all positivity, posting on Instagram and singing the praises of "Project Hail Mary" distributor Amazon MGM Studios:

Nothing quite like seeing your book come to life on the big screen — a huge shout out to @amazonmgmstudios for being such an amazing partner on this interstellar adventure of a lifetime.

This tracks with previous comments the author has made, including one ScreenRant reported on from San Diego Comic-Con 2025. There, Weir had nothing but kind words to say about "Project Hail Mary" directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (the "Jump Street" films, "The LEGO Movie"):

"I've seen cuts of the film, and it's really good, guys. It's really good. These guys, they're amazing directors, everybody knows that. I couldn't be happier with how things turned out."

With pre-released screenings taking place and the movie mere weeks away at the time of writing, there's no doubt that Weir has also seen the final version of the film at this point. For sure, it's encouraging to hear that the creative mind behind Ryland Grace's heartwarming adventure to save humanity is happy with what he's seeing on the screen. But does that extend to the movie's leading man, Ryan Gosling?

Speaking of which, Andy Weir has, in fact, expressed his opinion of A-lister Ryan Gosling's ability to bring the Ryland Grace character to life on the silver screen. (Seeing as Weir previously weighed in on the Matt Damon-led movie adaptation of his novel "The Martian," the guy has some experience when it comes to forming an opinion of this nature.) In an interview with Maude Garrett back in 2025, Weir commented on Gosling being cast as Grace, admitting, "I had never imagined Ryland Grace as being just stunningly handsome."

His playful commentary has gone beyond looks, though. As Weir previously told Space.com, he has no doubt that Gosling is up to the task of capturing Grace's funnier side as well, stating:

"Ryan [Gosling] is funny. He's got a good natural understanding of comedy and timing. He was really engaged, and he'd want to talk to me every day about scenes and what's going through Grace's mind."

Weir is a producer on the "Project Hail Mary" movie adaptation and was on the film's set for its entire shoot (as noted in Space.com's article). So, knowing that the movie's lead actor both had access to and took advantage of that kind of resource is encouraging, and it only makes the glowing reactions to Gosling's performance that much easier to believe. Matching talent with creative inspiration is a recipe for success with any adaptation, and it looks like "Project Hail Mary" has tapped into that to full effect.

"Project Hail Mary" blasts into theaters on March 20, 2026.