How to watch Project Hail Mary in New Zealand
Ryan Gosling plays his second first man in a new sci-fi adventure.
Ryan Gosling is off to outer space to save the human race, and that’s the end of the comparisons to Star Blazers for this new sci-fi thriller from the author of The Martian. Man, remember Star Blazers? That ruled so hard.
How to watch Project Hail Mary in New Zealand
Project Hail Mary is screening exclusively in New Zealand cinemas from March 19, 2026.
What is Project Hail Mary about?
Aliens!
Well, at least one.
Based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary sees Ryan Gosling take flight as a reluctant astronaut. He’s Ryland Grace, a scientist sent off to the Tau Ceti system to try and solve a rather pressing problem: the sun is dimming, presaging a humanity-killing ice age in about 30 years.
Why’s he going to Tau Ceti? Look, it’s complicated, but rooted in hard science, as is Andy Weir’s wont. But he does meet an alien there, the only survivor of a similar mission from another civilisation, whom he dubs “Rocky.” The two must work together, and so what we have here is a first contact story. And it comes to us from the absolute A Team that is screenwriter Drew Goddard and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
The cast of Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling is Dr. Ryland Grace; Sandra Hüller is Eva Stratt, Ryland’s boss; James Ortiz is Rocky, presumably a mocap situation; with Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Liz Kingsman, Orion Lee and others in support.
Project Hail Mary trailer
Why we’re excited about Project Hail Mary
Great book, excellent creative team, hard sci-fi, a bit of “Champagne Supernova.” Tick tick tick tick: there’s a lot to like here. Plus it’s a big budget science fiction film that isn’t a franchise expansion or a remake, so that’s a nice change of pace.
