Why Project Hail Mary Changes The Book's Perfect Ending (In A Good Way) [Exclusive]

Amaze, amaze, amaze! This article contains major spoilers for "Project Hail Mary."

2026 is still young, but we might already have a contender on our hands for one of the best movies of the year ... if not one of the best sci-fi movies ever in "Project Hail Mary." In many ways, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were always the right choice to helm this adventure story set in deep space. The original novel by "The Martian" author Andy Weir features a certain offbeat sense of humor, a refreshingly hopeful and optimistic tone, and, of course, an endearing central duo between astronaut Ryland Grace (played by Ryan Gosling in the adaptation) and his extraterrestrial friend Rocky (voiced by James Ortiz). Considering their prior success in turning other IP plays into genuine crowd-pleasers, Lord and Miller's involvement likely had readers breathing a sigh of relief.

That, as it turns out, was for good reason. While the film version of "Project Hail Mary" could hardly feel like a more faithful translation of its source material, writer Drew Goddard ultimately took a few liberties. One such occasion occurs towards the end of the story, surprisingly enough. After teaming up with Rocky to save the day (along with, you know, an entire solar system or two), Ryland winds up making himself at home on Erid, Rocky's planet. This is almost the exact same ending as the book — but with one subtle difference.

In both Weir's novel and the film, it's made clear that Ryland has the option to return to Earth. In the book, it's strongly implied that he has little desire to go back. In the movie, though, it's left somewhat more ambiguous. When interviewed by /Film, Lord and Miller explained why they felt this was just a little more "powerful."

For a movie like "Project Hail Mary," there's no more important moment than the final note that leaves audiences on a high as they're walking out of the theater. When we catch up with Ryland on Erid, enjoying the comforts of an entire terrarium designed to resemble one of Earth's beaches, the epilogue plays out like a pitch-perfect button to his journey. Not only does this bring our human protagonist back to his roots as a teacher, this time for a classroom of excitable Eridian children, but it also emphasizes his deep-seated friendship with Rocky.

According to Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who recently spoke to /Film's Ethan Anderton, that was their intention behind giving Ryland the option to go back home if he chooses to ... but without confirming it one way or another. As Lord explained, "The thought process there is that it's more powerful if it's a choice. Right? So, yes, if he's marooned there, that's one thing. If he has the chance to go back and he would rather stay, that tells you everything about that relationship." Miller further described how this informed Ryland and Rocky's final walk along the beach:

"So, that's why we built this much larger terrarium for him to be in, and it had to be on the beach because we had set up this sort of beach theme with a 'Don't go crazy' room and some of his fantasies about Earth and the fog. And we wanted it to feel like, 'Oh, I'm getting something that feels like I could be here forever if I wanted to be and I get to be sitting on the beach next to my best friend.'"

Fans of Andy Weir's original novel might've feared that a film adaptation would leave out this stirring final sequence on Erid, which feels somewhat bittersweet since Ryland shows minimal interest in spending time with humans ever again. But, for their part, the trio of Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Drew Goddard never once wavered on this point. Lord said as much to /Film, revealing that this was always the plan:

"Yes, yes. We were all aligned with Drew Goddard that we were going to hold the line on this ending."

In order to nail the right tone for the last scene, the filmmakers looked to the book and carefully adjusted from there. According to Miller, "I think we tried to keep the spirit of that scene [from the novel], but we also thought there was something ... we wanted to make sure that it felt really hopeful." Cue that adorable ending sequence as Ryland strolls into his new classroom, begins his lesson, and is met by the squeals and musical notes of all those Eridian kids — "the Muppet babies," as Miller called them. There's something comforting about seeing Ryland settle into a familiar routine on another planet entirely, doing what he clearly loves to do (when he isn't saving the world, at least). That's worth fisting your bump over, if you ask us.

Or, as Lord succinctly put it, "Who wouldn't want to end your movie with, like, 50 little Muppets?"

"Project Hail Mary" is now playing in theaters.