Ryan Gosling is a 6th grade teacher tasked with going into space and saving humanity in the first trailer for his upcoming Sci-Fi movie. The actor is no stranger to the genre, nor indeed going to space, with one of Gosling’s best movies being 2018’s First Man. His newest entry, however, looks like a very different take.
From directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Mary charts a story wherein a 6th grade science teacher, Ryland Grace (Gosling), is part of a team tasked with saving Earth’s future, which is at risk due to the sun and almost every other star dying out.
Based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir (author of The Martian), the first Project Hail Mary trailer sees Gosling’s character shocked to awaken from a coma in space, before piecing together the events that led him there. Check out the full trailer below:
What The Project Hail Mary Trailer Reveals About The Movie
Plot Details & Its Surprising Tone Are Highlighted
The Project Hail Mary trailer begins with Gosling’s Ryland in space, but it’s what happens on Earth that helps give us the crux of the movie’s plot. Grace, a teacher with a doctorate in molecular biology, is recruited by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) to be part of “Project Hail Mary,” a mission to save humanity by visiting the one star in the galaxy that isn’t dying out.
While Gosling’s character may insist he isn’t an astronaut (in fact, he puts the “not” in the word), he’s left with little choice but to board a spacecraft that will carry him the 11.9 light-years to Tau Ceti, the one uninfected star, in the hopes of discovering a solution.
Gosling’s comedic delivery pairs perfectly with Lord and Miller’s irreverent brand of humor, but that itself is matched with the grim reality of impending doom.
The movie’s trailer promises a blend of tones: Gosling’s comedic delivery pairs perfectly with Lord and Miller’s irreverent brand of humor, but that itself is matched with the grim reality of impending doom. Not dissimilar to The Martian, which had a winning combination of comedy, survival, and science, this looks like a great mix of genres and styles.
Perhaps most surprisingly, though, is the movie’s choice to give away what could be considered a spoiler towards the end with the reveal of Ryland’s close encounter. Presumably, the movie’s marketing may plan to lean harder on that particular element.
Our Take On Project Hail Mary’s Trailer
It Looks Like A Great Ryan Gosling Sci-Fi Movie
Admittedly, Project Hail Mary was an easy sell to me. Ryan Gosling has long been among my favorite actors, and this looks like another great showcase for him, both his comedic sensibilities and dramatic range (and, less expected, his fantastic beard). Similarly, it’s been far too long since we got a movie directed by Lord & Miller, who were among the most exciting cinematic voices of the 2010s.
While I haven’t (yet) read Project Hail Mary, I loved Weir’s The Martian, and Ridley Scott’s movie adaptation. This doesn’t look exactly the same, but if it can scale similar heights, then we should have another great Sci-Fi movie on our hands, and this is already high on my list of 2026’s most anticipated movies.
