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There's one movie that's been really rocking the box office this month: Project Hail Mary. The film has currently grossed over $400 million in just under a month and has received a lot of praise from audiences and critics alike.
At a time when it's getting harder and harder to get people into theaters, we have to wonder: what is so special about Project Hail Mary?
Project Hail Mary is based on the book by the same name from best-selling author Andy Weir. Weir's first book, The Martian was initially published for free on his website, but after lots of urging from fans, he decided to publish and sell it for 99 cents on Amazon Kindle.
The quick success of the book led to its adaptation into a film in 2015. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut left behind alone on Mars, The Martian touches on similar themes of isolation and hope as Project Hail Mary.
Though the two films differ in their tone and the conclusions they draw from said themes, both follow very similar main characters: astronauts stuck in space. However, Project Hail Mary is certainly more lighthearted in its overall tone and in its main character, Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling).
They also both seem to fall neatly into each of their respective directors' portfolios. Like Alien (also directed by Ridley Scott), The Martian feels very realistic and somewhat dark, while still maintaining hope. Project Hail Mary, on the other hand, is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller; it fits well alongside their other works like The Lego Movie and the Spiderverse films in that they remain silly but not unserious.
Where The Martian focuses on the collective goodwill of Watney's rescuers, Project Hail Mary focuses on Grace's relationship to an extraterrestrial he calls Rocky (James Ortiz).
Interestingly, fans of the book Project Hail Mary say that the film puts more emphasis on Grace and Rocky's relationship. In the book, much of the plot centers on the mystery of "Who is Rocky?". This departure from the book, in my opinion, is what really sells the film.
Rocky is both interesting as a character and as a "movie alien". Aliens in movies tend to fall into one of three categories:
1) The Evil Overlords: These guys come from advanced civilizations and want to kill everyone. Think Independence Day.
2) The Playpal: These guys make great companions, generally don't speak a human language, and are very lovable. Think E.T. in E.T. or the Ewoks in Star Wars.
3) The UFO: These guys are foreign and almost unknowable. They usually use their extreme intelligence to help humans. Think Interstellar.
Rocky is sort of a mix of 2 and 3. He's caring and loyal while also being very different from humans. But he's more than that. He's a person with feelings. He has a partner. His species has its own culture and language and history that is completely different from anything that humans are familiar with. And yet Grace and Rocky are able to build a meaningful friendship. They are able to connect over the fact that they are both scientists who just want to go home. And that connection is what makes Project Hail Mary so beautiful.
Before we wrap this up, I'd like to give a few other, less poetic, reasons I think Project Hail Mary is doing so well.
1) We're seeing a mini boom in sci-fi/space films. Earlier this year, we saw Iron Lung break the box office in January and Disclosure Day looks promising.
2) 2026 has been a tumultuous year filled with war and violence. In times like this, people need a feel good film to remind them that they have the power to make the world a better place. Project Hail Mary uses its story, stunning cinematography, and color grading to strike audience members with awe.
3) The Artemis II launch has probably gotten people more interested in space travel.
4) Word of mouth sold this movie. I haven't met anyone who dislikes it. Take it from someone who saw it on a whim after her class got cancelled. This movie is the best thing I've seen all year.
