Ryan Gosling appeared at San Diego Comic-Con to promote his upcoming sci-fi comedy Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir’s 2021 novel. The film, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and set for release on March 20, 2026.
Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher-turned-astronaut, who is sent 11.9 light-years from Earth to investigate why stars — including the sun — are dying, threatening life on Earth. The film’s tone mixes comedy with emotional depth. “It took me places I’ve never been, it showed me things I had never seen,” said Gosling. “It was as heartbreaking as it was funny.”
During a panel moderated by Josh Horowitz, Gosling was joined by Lord, Miller, screenwriter Drew Goddard, and author Andy Weir. The crowd was shown the film’s opening five minutes, featuring Grace waking from cryosleep in a “placenta onesie,” which Gosling joked could become a future Comic-Con costume.
The trailer, released on June 30, teases a story filled with ambition, humor, and high stakes. Grace’s mission is sparked by Sandra Hüller’s character, who convinces him to join the desperate space mission. Along the journey, Grace encounters an alien — a key plot element from the book.
Gosling, who is also a producer on the film, called it “an insanely ambitious story… massive in scope,” adding, “This is why we go to the movies.” Known for Barbie and The Fall Guy, and having played astronaut Neil Armstrong in First Man, Gosling returns to space in a very different role — that of a reluctant, funny, and very human hero.
The film also stars Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub, and Ken Leung. (ANI)