'Project Hail Mary Soars Past 'The Martian' as One of the Century's Highest-Rated Sci-Fi Movies Ever

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Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary

Published Mar 10, 2026, 10:55 AM EDT

Adam Blevins began working in the entertainment industry in 2022 as a Staff Writer for Agents of Fandom, where he progressed to Senior Editor and interviewed talent from Marvel Studios, House of the Dragon, and Planet of the Apes. He joined Collider as a News Author in April 2024, was promoted to a Senior position in December 2024, and has written over 3,000 articles for the site, including exclusives relating to Avengers: Doomsday, The Penguin, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and more. He primarily writes about the latest box office numbers and the hottest movies and TV shows on streaming, while also covering superhero and sci-fi news. He has completed a set visit for The Chosen and even has several months of experience writing Gaming Features at ScreenRant. You can find him on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack.

2026 is shaping up to be an incredible year for sci-fi fans, who will be treated to Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three on the same day later this year. However, the film shaping up to be the best sci-fi feature of the year will be released much sooner. Ryan Gosling will star opposite Sandra Hüller in Project Hail Mary, which is based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir. Weir is also famous for writing The Martian, which was adapted into the famous 2015 Matt Damon-led sci-fi movie directed by Ridley Scott. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, famed for their work on the Spider-Verse films, are directing.

Project Hail Mary tells the story of Ryland Grace (Gosling), a former scientist turned school teacher who finds himself at the center of a mission to save Earth from a sun-consuming space algae known as Astrophage. Ryland initially thinks his job is to help prepare a crew of astronauts to travel to another solar system and solve the problem, but things are turned on their head when he ends up in space alone, light-years away from Earth. He isn’t alone for long, though, when he meets an intelligent alien from another planet named Rocky.

Fans and critics began sharing early reactions a few weeks ago to Project Hail Mary, and the film was already being called one of the great sci-fi masterpieces of all time. This morning, the review embargo for Project Hail Mary was officially lifted, and the film is holding strong at a 95% from critics on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes from 65 reviews. This is even higher than the 92% held by The Martian, and enough to make it one of the highest-rated sci-fi movies of the century.

What’s Next for Ryan Gosling After ‘Project Hail Mary’?

After Gosling stars in Project Hail Mary, which is being positioned as one of the best sci-fi movies of the year, he will return to the genre for a new Star Wars movie. Gosling has been tapped to star in the lead role in Starfighter, a new original Star Wars movie from Shawn Levy, the director of Deadpool & Wolverine. Plot details about the film are being kept under wraps for now, but it’s confirmed to also star Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Amy Adams.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Project Hail Mary ahead of its global launch on March 20.