Official Trailer: ‘Project Hail Mary’ (2026)

Video Credit: Amazon/MGM Studios

Plot Synopsis

‘Project Hail Mary’ Featurette: “Global First Look” • Video Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher and former molecular biologist, wakes up alone on a spacecraft, suffering from retrograde amnesia. He slowly piece together that he is the sole survivor of a three-person crew, light-years from Earth.

Sandra Hüller stars as Eva Stratt and Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in ‘Project Hail Mary’ • Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios

The mission, Project Hail Mary, was initiated after scientists discovered the Sun was dimming due to a microorganism, Astrophage, which breeds via solar energy and Venus's carbon dioxide. This dimming, marked by the Petrova line, threatened to plunge Earth into a catastrophic global cooling within 30 years. Government agent Eva Stratt recruited Grace to study Astrophage, hoping he could find a way to defeat it.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in ‘Project Hail Mary’ • Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios

Grace discovered Astrophage is impenetrable to electromagnetic radiation and, while volatile, an effective fuel source. He learned that Astrophage had infected all nearby stars except Tau Ceti, which became the target of the Hail Mary suicide mission. The crew was tasked with reaching Tau Ceti to discover its resistance and send findings back via probes, as humanity only had enough Astrophage fuel for a one-way trip.

Grace reluctantly joined the mission after a training mishap killed the original scientist and backup. Despite his refusal, Stratt drugged and forcibly launched him, unwilling to lose the only chance to save Earth.

Approaching Tau Ceti, Grace encounters an alien spacecraft. The pilot, a rock-like, five-legged alien from 40 Eridani, is named "Rocky" by Grace. Rocky, also the sole survivor of a mission to stop the Astrophage, communicates using music-like tones, which Grace deciphers with a machine translation system. Rocky, a mechanic, enters Grace's ship in a pressurized, solid xenon ("xenonite") ball, as neither can survive in the other's atmosphere.

Following Tau Ceti's Petrova line, Grace and Rocky discover that Tau Ceti e, which they name "Adrian," harbors an organism that preys on Astrophage, preventing the star's destruction. Rocky offers Grace enough Astrophage for a return trip, extending his own journey home by six years.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace and Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt in ‘Project Hail Mary’ • Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace and Lionel Boyce as Carl in ‘Project Hail Mary’ • Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios

While collecting this organism ("Taumoeba") from Adrian's atmosphere, a fuel leak renders Grace unconscious. Rocky breaks out of his spacesuit, saves the ship, and is severely injured, entering hibernation to recover. Grace uses this time to successfully breed the Taumoeba.

Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir on the set of ‘Project Hail Mary’ • Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios

Rocky revives, and the two friends part ways. During his trip back to Earth, Grace discovers that the Taumoeba has evolved to pass through the xenonite containers and is consuming his Astrophage fuel. He fixes the problem on his ship but realizes that Rocky's entire spacecraft is made of xenonite, meaning his friend’s ship is doomed to run out of fuel. Faced with the choice of saving Rocky and his homeworld or returning to Earth, Grace chooses to save his friend, sending his Taumoeba and research to Earth via the probes.

(L to R) Milana Vayntrub stars as Olesya Ilyukhina and Ken Leung as Yao in ‘Project Hail Mary’ • Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on the set of ‘Project Hail Mary’ • Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios

The probes deliver the necessary information to humanity to kill the Astrophage. Years later, Grace lives in a biodome on Rocky's planet, built by the Eridanis, teaching science to Rocky's species' children. He is informed that Hail Mary is ready for his return, a prospect he contemplates as he begins another day of teaching.