Posted in: Amazon MGM Studios, Movies | Tagged: Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary Directors On Using Practical Effects

Project Hail Mary directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller discuss the extensive practical effects that were used in the film.

Project Hail Mary is shaping up to be one of the bigger movies of 2026. The early reviews are already calling it absolutely incredible, and all of the footage has been getting very positive reactions from book and non-book readers alike, which is a feat that's practically impossible to pull off most of the time. The film is still a few weeks away, but the cast and crew have been doing the junket rounds and sharing some behind-the-scenes stuff. This is a film that is, primarily, shot in one location around the ship. Something that can make science fiction movies feel less immersive is when the ships look too slick, too polished, because they are shot in places like the Volume. However, much of the film is shot practically, including the little alien friend that Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) eventually makes, Rocky, according to directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in a new interview with ComicBook.com.

"I think the singular achievement has to be Rocky," said Lord. "Holistically, from his design that started before we even had a script to physically printing him out and painting him and having him move in ways that were expressive and to the CG artists and animators that took the baton … and kept being expressive and bring their own personality to it. It's emblematic of what happens through the whole movie."

The directors went on to confirm that the ship we are seeing in Project Hail Mary is the one they built from the ground up. Miller continued, "And what's fun about the movie is there is no green screen in the movie whatsoever. Not a single green or blue screen was used. The whole ship was built as a set from the inside. We had a huge section of the exterior of the ship on the outside that we built. Rocky was really with us at all times. That's what makes it feel real and makes it feel natural … and the way that [cinematographer] Greig's [Fraser] team lit with a lot of practical lights allowed him to move the camera wherever and find these moments because we could see this thing that Rocky was doing and then move over to Grace and see his reaction to what was really happening, and you weren't just guessing and pointing out where Rocky might be some day. And that's what makes it feel like it was captured in the moment."

Amazon MGM Studios hasn't had a big hit yet with its push into exhibition, so they really need Project Hail Mary to do well. Early predictions say the film could open at $45 – $50 million, but a bunch of positive reviews could really help drive audiences to check this one out. It's also a film that could do extremely well with the benefit of word of mouth. People see the film, they tell people it's very good, it's good enough, they might even want to see it again and take a friend, rinse and repeat. That kind of formula is what studios dream of and what Amazon MGM desperately needs this movie to be.

Project Hail Mary: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

Summary: Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub. It will be released in theaters on March 20, 2026

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