Chennai, March 17 (IANS) Actor Ryan Gosling, who plays the lead in directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s eagerly awaited sci-fi entertainer ‘Project Hail Mary’, has now disclosed that he got the manuscript of the film at the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, when productions across the world were shutting down, and theatres were going dark, creating deep uncertainty about the future of large-scale filmmaking.
Sources close to the actor said that in early 2020, author Andy Weir, best known for his bestselling novel ‘The Martian’, shared an early draft of his new book with Ryan Gosling. The request was straightforward but ambitious — Weir wanted Gosling not only to star in the film adaptation but also to come on board as a producer.
Gosling reportedly read the manuscript in one sitting and was immediately drawn to the story’s scale and the humanity of its central character.
Gosling recalls the moment vividly. Says the actor, “Here I was getting this opportunity to make the most epic theatrical experience of my life, and theatres were closed.” Yet he felt the story’s message resonated powerfully with what the world was going through.
Reflecting on the role, Gosling says, “It’s such an epic journey. And Ryland Grace is not stoic in any way. He’s not brave in any traditional sense and he doesn’t have any illusions about being a hero. But he keeps trying.”
Based on Weir’s bestselling novel, the film follows a lone astronaut who awakens aboard a mysterious spacecraft with no memory of who he is or the mission that brought him there — only to discover he may be humanity’s last hope to save Earth.
Bringing the ambitious sci-fi story to life is acclaimed filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who promise a thrilling blend of science, spectacle, and heartfelt storytelling. The film also features a stellar supporting cast, including Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub, bringing further depth to the high-stakes adventure.
Presented by Amazon MGM Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures International Releasing, Project Hail Mary is to release in India on March 26 in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
–IANS
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