The Big Picture

‘Project Hail Mary’ Will Amaze! Amaze! Amaze! With Phil Lord and Chris Miller

March 20, 2026

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  • The 99th Academy Awards ratings were down 9% year-over-year, which the hosts attribute partly to the late March date and the general decline of linear television viewership. 
  • The trailer for the upcoming *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* suggests a continuation of Peter Parker's story as a teenager, featuring villains like the Punisher (John Bernthal) and Scorpion (Michael Mando), but the overall production quality seemed underwhelming to the hosts. 
  • The hosts highly praised *Project Hail Mary* for its successful blend of practical effects, sincere emotion, and accessible science, particularly highlighting the masterful characterization of the alien, Rocky, and Ryan Gosling's charming performance. 
  • The production of *Project Hail Mary* intentionally mirrored the novel's theme of overcoming impossible odds by creating complex practical obstacles, such as building sets that had to be reassembled for different gravity orientations and using a five-person puppeteering team (the "Rocketeers") to operate the alien co-star, Rocky. 
  • Director duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller prioritize making movies that are 51% optimistic and affirming, which led them to embrace the challenge of making audiences emotionally connect with the faceless, whale-song-speaking alien, Rocky, by leveraging humanity's natural tendency to project personality onto non-human entities. 
  • The film's score by Daniel Pemberton was designed to feel affirming and warm, avoiding typical sci-fi distress cues, and notably incorporated the sound of a leaky faucet as a signature musical theme. 

Segments

Oscar Ratings Analysis
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(00:01:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The 99th Academy Awards viewership dropped 9% year-over-year to 17.86 million viewers, marking the lowest broadcast since 2022.
  • Summary: The Oscar ratings declined 9% from the previous year, totaling 17.86 million viewers. Hosts suggested the late March date contributed to the drop by moving past typical awards season habits. The decline reflects a broader trend away from linear television viewership outside of major sporting events like football.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer
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(00:07:52)
  • Key Takeaway: The new Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer confirms Peter Parker is still a teenager, Zendaya’s character (MJ) doesn’t remember him post-mind wipe, and John Bernthal returns as The Punisher.
  • Summary: The trailer for the July 31st release shows Peter Parker dealing with a mind wipe affecting those around him, including MJ and Ned. John Bernthal appears as The Punisher, an anti-hero, and Michael Mando plays Scorpion, whose trailer design was deemed too ‘mecha’ by the hosts. Tom Holland will be nearly 30 when the film releases, raising questions about the character’s age progression.
Netflix Theatrical Strategy Rumors
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(00:20:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Netflix executives hinted at potential theatrical releases for major films like Quentin Tarantino’s next project, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, possibly in partnership with Sony.
  • Summary: Reports suggest Netflix is considering theatrical distribution, especially after researching the Warner Brothers acquisition. Dan Lynn, a producer with theatrical experience, dropped clues about a potential August release for The Adventures of Cliff Booth. The hosts believe Netflix should release major titles like Knives Out theatrically to maximize impact, noting Tarantino’s preference for cinema.
Scorsese’s New Film First Look
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(00:26:37)
  • Key Takeaway: A first look still photo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence from Martin Scorsese’s new film, What Happens at Night, was released, suggesting a 2027 release timeline.
  • Summary: The single promotional still shows DiCaprio and Lawrence in a snowy setting, reminiscent of the long promotional cycle for Killers of the Flower Moon. The film is currently shooting in Prague, and the hosts are eager to see Scorsese secure a second Oscar at the 100th Academy Awards in 2028. The distribution partner for this new film remains unannounced.
Project Hail Mary Initial Review
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(00:32:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Project Hail Mary is a highly anticipated film that excels in its first hour and a half, largely due to the successful, emotionally resonant, and physically realized alien character, Rocky.
  • Summary: The film, based on Andy Weir’s novel, features Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, who wakes up with amnesia on a mission to save Earth from space algae. The hosts found the practical effects and the relationship between Grace and the alien Rocky to be deeply charming, comparing the emotional investment to that inspired by E.T.. The movie is noted for its beautiful, craft-focused production design, contrasting with typical digital effects.
Project Hail Mary Structure and Pacing
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(00:38:01)
  • Key Takeaway: While the film is emotionally effective, its epic scope and dual structure (flashbacks and present mission) cause it to feel overstuffed and too long, particularly in the third act.
  • Summary: The movie’s structure, which mirrors the novel’s real-time memory recall, feels like a traditional flashback, contributing to a lengthy runtime. The final 25 minutes are described as ‘baggy’ because the narrative seems to check off necessary plot beats redundantly. This pacing issue is compared to The Martian, suggesting a tendency in Andy Weir adaptations to overcomplicate the final mission sequences.
Science Accessibility and Craftsmanship
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(00:41:32)
  • Key Takeaway: The science in Project Hail Mary is praised for being specific yet intellectually accessible, utilizing physical explanations like dioramas rather than overwhelming the audience with complex concepts like Interstellar.
  • Summary: The film successfully communicates scientific concepts, often using middle-school-level explanations and physical models, making the science legible. The decision to use a physical puppet for Rocky allowed for essential physical comedy and chemistry with Gosling, which would have been lost with pure CGI. This commitment to tangible craft extends to the ship designs, which felt new compared to decades of space cinema.
Score Quality and Composer Daniel Pemberton
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(00:55:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Daniel Pemberton’s scores for Spider-Verse and Project Hail Mary demonstrate his versatility as a composer, successfully meeting the high comedic and material level of the films.
  • Summary: Comedies often lack soundtracks that match the quality of the material, but Daniel Pemberton’s work excels in this area. Pemberton, who previously worked with Lord and Miller on Spider-Verse, is noted for his variable style across many films. His score for Project Hail Mary was particularly impressive to the speakers.
Lord Miller’s Directing History and Solo
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(00:56:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The directorial experience on Solo: A Star Wars Story resulted in a ’nothing burger’ due to clashing sensibilities between Lord Miller and replacement director Ron Howard, suggesting their original vision for Solo would have been distinct.
  • Summary: It has been a long time since Lord and Miller directed a feature film, partially due to their experience on Solo, where they were replaced by Ron Howard. The resulting film suffered from a clash between two different filmmakers’ sensibilities, possibly stemming from a tonal disagreement with writer Lawrence Kasdan. The speakers expressed interest in seeing Lord and Miller’s intended version of Solo.
Audience Reception and Amazon’s Theatrical Ambitions
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(01:08:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Project Hail Mary is positioned as a major, big-tent original story for Amazon, which is attempting to establish itself as a studio releasing 12 films theatrically per year.
  • Summary: The film is considered a very big and expensive swing from Amazon, which has had a mixed history with movie distribution. The speakers believe the market needs a studio willing to release 12 films theatrically annually. Based on the success of Andy Weir’s previous film, The Martian, Project Hail Mary has the potential to be a massive success, possibly even surpassing its predecessor.
Oscar Potential and Early Release Date
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(01:00:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite its early release date, Project Hail Mary possesses the necessary scale and emotional depth to be a strong contender for Best Picture nominations, following precedents set by films like Gravity and Arrival.
  • Summary: The film is viewed as a potential year-long awards conversation starter, similar to Sinners or Top Gun: Maverick. The speakers believe it is an Oscars movie due to its big scale and emotional core, even though it contains significant comedy. Precedent exists for early-year releases like this to secure Best Picture nominations.
Ryan Gosling’s Performance and Star Power
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(01:01:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Ryan Gosling expertly balances the film’s comedy and emotional weight, delivering many crying scenes while simultaneously acknowledging and playing into his status as a movie star during key moments.
  • Summary: Gosling cries frequently in the film, showcasing emotional depth alongside the comedy. The speakers highlight a specific scene involving Sandra Hüller’s karaoke performance where Gosling’s close-up framing caters directly to the audience expecting his movie star charisma. He successfully manages both the dramatic requirements and the physical comedy elements.
Rocky’s Central Role and Pacing
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(01:03:15)
  • Key Takeaway: The alien character, Rocky, is essential to the film’s charm, appearing roughly 45 minutes into the runtime and anchoring a significant portion of the middle act before the plot returns to Earth.
  • Summary: The film is described as a real crowd-pleaser, partly due to the physical comedy and the character of Rocky. While the trailer revealed Rocky too early for some, the character doesn’t appear until about 45 minutes in. The segment featuring Grace and Rocky lasts for a substantial duration before the narrative shifts back to Earth.
Oscar Craft Categories Potential
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(01:04:23)
  • Key Takeaway: The film is expected to perform well in below-the-line Oscar categories, particularly production design, visual effects, and score, with puppeteering work potentially falling under Visual Effects.
  • Summary: The movie is likely to receive nominations for production design, visual effects, and score. The complex puppeteering work for Rocky is expected to be recognized, likely within the Visual Effects category. The overall aesthetic is compared favorably to films like Mad Max: Fury Road in terms of technical recognition.
Sci-Fi Competition and Release Strategy
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(01:05:16)
  • Key Takeaway: The release of Dune Part 3 in 2026 presents unusual competition for Project Hail Mary in the Best Picture race, as it is rare for two massive science fiction films to be nominated in the same year.
  • Summary: The film’s success is measured against The Martian’s $630 million worldwide gross, which would signify a huge win. The upcoming Dune Part 3 creates a potential conflict for Best Picture nominations, as two major sci-fi films rarely compete for the top prize. The speakers recall Avatar and District 9 as potential past examples of competing sci-fi nominees.
Lord and Miller: Source Material Acquisition
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(00:09:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Ryan Gosling and Amy Pascal sent Phil Lord and Chris Miller the manuscript for Project Hail Mary before publication, leveraging their prior successful producing relationship with author Andy Weir on The Martian.
  • Summary: Ryan Gosling and Amy Pascal initiated the project by sending the unpublished manuscript to Lord and Miller. Their producing partner, Adithya Suhasini, who discovered The Martian as an e-book, strongly recommended the novel as their next directing project. Lord and Miller read the book in one night and immediately agreed to move forward.
Practical Filmmaking and Overcoming Obstacles
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(01:13:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The physical challenges of production—including zero microgravity choreography, building sets that required horizontal and vertical reassembly, and the complexity of filming through glass separating the leads—were embraced as a way to experience the story’s themes firsthand.
  • Summary: The practical difficulties, such as managing zero-G movement with wires and ensuring the puppeteers could operate Rocky without blocking light, were seen as exciting problems to solve. The ship’s set had to be built vertically and then disassembled and reassembled horizontally to accommodate the changing gravity orientation during the story. This complex process mirrored the novel’s theme of solving impossible problems.
Balancing Science and Entertainment
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(01:17:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The filmmakers prioritized making the science cinematic and entertaining, using extensive test screenings to simplify complex scientific passages into digestible, engaging visuals rather than lectures.
  • Summary: The goal was to keep all the science real as established by Andy Weir, but present it in a fun and entertaining way since the film lacks the book’s internal monologue. They screened the movie about 11 times to identify points of confusion or boredom, honing the scientific exposition into ‘ingenuity porn’ that keeps the audience invested in the character’s success.
Achieving a Unique Visual Space Aesthetic
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(01:20:41)
  • Key Takeaway: The visual style of the space sequences deliberately avoided the ‘slick’ or ‘shiny’ look of many sci-fi films, opting instead for a tactile, messy, and imperfect aesthetic influenced by cinematographer Greg Fraser’s ‘imperfectionist’ approach.
  • Summary: Lord and Miller described the ship as a ‘PC’ rather than a ‘Mac,’ emphasizing its messy, exposed guts. They aimed for a look that felt ‘discovered’ and intimate, utilizing Fraser’s tendency to find imperfect shots, often using a handheld camera during ‘Greg Vibes passes.’ This approach, combined with practical sets and the real Rocky puppet, made the space feel more relatable and less formalist.
Directing Dynamics and Creative Friction
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(01:27:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The Lord/Miller directing dynamic relies on side-by-side monitoring with nonverbal communication, allowing the person most preoccupied with a specific moment to take the lead, while embracing the full spectrum of both individuals’ ideas rather than just their overlap.
  • Summary: The directors typically watch monitors side-by-side, communicating nonverbally or having one person address the actor to avoid contradictory notes. They prioritize capturing the full range of both their individual creative interests, ensuring the final product is broader than just the subset of ideas they agree on. In writing, they sometimes divide scenes based on who has the clearer initial idea before swapping and refining.
The Pressure of Undeniable Greatness
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(01:39:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The creative team feels pressure because original, non-franchise films must achieve ‘undeniable greatness’—the level that compels audiences to immediately bring their friends—to succeed against major studio tentpoles.
  • Summary: The necessity of making a film that people feel compelled to recommend immediately is the high bar for original content. This pressure drives the crew to put heart and soul into discovering special moments on set. The speakers cite classics like E.T. and Little Shop of Horrors as examples of movies that reached this necessary level of greatness.
Last Great Things Seen
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(01:41:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Phil Lord and Chris Miller recently appreciated the technical beauty of the Oscar-nominated animated short Papillon and the masterful cinematography of Bart Layton’s documentary 101.
  • Summary: Lord and Miller watched the Oscar animated shorts, specifically noting Papillon for its beautiful painting technique and storytelling, which interested Lord’s daughter. Chris Miller praised Bart Layton’s masterful filmmaking in 101, particularly how he turned the mundane subject of the 101 freeway into poetry for the IMAX theater.