Project Hail Mary

A science-fiction film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, adapted from Andy Weir’s novel about an astronaut sent to investigate a threat to the Sun.

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Project Hail Mary (novel): Andy Weir’s science-fiction novel follows astronaut Ryland Grace on a mission to investigate why stars are dimming. The film adapts this novel, carrying its story from page to screen.
Ryland Grace: A middle-school science teacher and astronaut who investigates the dimming of the Sun in Project Hail Mary. Grace is the film’s protagonist and the person charged with solving its stellar mystery.
Astrobiology: The study of life’s origins, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe. The film’s central mystery depends on questions about life beyond Earth.
Film adaptation: A motion picture that reworks a story or other source material from another medium. Project Hail Mary translates a novel’s inner narration and scientific explanations into audiovisual storytelling.
The Martian (film): A 2015 science-fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and adapted from Andy Weir’s novel. It is another screen adaptation of Weir’s work centered on survival through engineering.
Andy Weir: An American science-fiction author known for novels including The Martian and Project Hail Mary. Weir wrote the novel that supplied the film’s story and scientific premise.
Astrophage: A fictional microorganism in Project Hail Mary that consumes stellar energy and spreads between stars. This organism causes the solar crisis that sends Grace into space.
Stellar evolution: The physical changes stars undergo as they form, burn fuel, and eventually die. Understanding stellar behavior frames the danger posed to the Sun and other stars.
Screenplay: A written work that specifies a film’s dialogue, action, and scene structure. The screenplay reorganizes the novel’s events for dramatic presentation on screen.
The Martian (novel): Andy Weir’s science-fiction novel about astronaut Mark Watney’s struggle to survive on Mars. Its technical problem-solving and survival focus offer a close literary comparison.