How Project Hail Mary Author Andy Weir Feels About Ray Porter's Audiobook Narration
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"Project Hail Mary," when all's said and done, may go down as the movie of the year. Not only is it a massive commercial hit, but in terms of sheer quality, it's one of the best sci-fi movies of 2026. There's even already some way-too-early Oscar buzz going on. For Andy Weir, the author behind the book that inspired what is now a massive hit movie, it's one heck of a moment.
The book itself was a big hit, in no small part thanks to the acclaimed audiobook, narrated by Ray Porter. DC fans will know Porter as the voice of Darkseid in Zack Snyder's "Justice League," which was originally going to be a trilogy. Porter would have been a bigger part of the sequels, but they never came to pass. But Porter spends a lot of his time narrating audiobooks, including Weir's 2021 novel.
The story centers on science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), who wakes up on a spaceship light-years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he realizes he must solve the mystery of a substance causing the sun to die out.
So, what does Weir think of Porter's work on the audiobook? Did Porter manage to accurately convey what the author had in mind? During a Reddit AMA in 2021, a fan asked Weir about Porter's work on the audiobook. Weir made it clear that he had nothing to do with the casting decision, but he was a fan of how it turned out:
"That was Audible's call. And boy did they pick a winner. Ray nailed it."
Ray Porter is a voice actor extraordinaire
Ray Porter has a very distinctive voice, and that has made him something of a go-to guy for audiobooks. He's narrated dozens of them, including "The Terminal List," which became a conspiracy thriller series on Prime Video starring Chris Pratt. He's a voice actor extraordinaire who has also done quite a bit of work in video games and movies, in addition to his audiobook narrations.
Andy Weir wasn't the only one to praise Porter's work on the book, either. In an interview clip Porter shared on Instagram, Ryan Gosling had nothing but very kind words to say about the Audiobook. Here's what he had to say:
"Ray Porter's performance is a hard act to follow, and honestly I'm glad that I didn't hear it first because it would have made this whole thing even more daunting. It took all of us, the whole team, to do what he did on his own, but I think fans should know that we love the book as much as they do, and we stayed true to it, and with Andy alongside us, we've worked very hard to deliver that same epic and emotional experience."
"Such kindness. I am humbled and grateful. See the movie! It is amaze!" Porter said in the caption he provided with the post.
Interestingly, Porter is credited on IMDB as "Rejected Rocky Voice" in the movie. In the end, James Ortiz voiced Rocky in the "Project Hail Mary" movie, as he was one of the on-set puppeteers who helped bring the alien to life. But, evidently, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller tried to incorporate the guy who helped make the audiobook what it was.