Movies March 02, 2026
Ryan Gosling Reveals His Daughter’s ‘Great Note’ for ‘Project Hail Mary’ (Exclusive)
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Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller are dishing on their new sci-fi adventure “Project Hail Mary,” based on the Andy Weir novel.
“Extra’s” Terri Seymour spoke with the two at L.A.’s Griffith Observatory about the movie, which has Ryan playing a science teacher sent on a mission to space to save humanity.
As for what attracted him to the project, Ryan shared, “Well, you go to another galaxy, you make an alien best friend, you save the world. So, there’s that. But that’s just, you know, come for that, but stay for the hopeful message, I think, at the end of the day, which is that, you know, Andy presents you this opportunity to not maybe fear the future but just see it as something that, you know, needs to be figured out.”
He went on, “It’s not escapist. It’s a sort of a reminder of what we’re capable of as human beings. And I think that’s what we’re all so moved by when we read the book, and it’s just been beautiful to see people see the film… It’s way more emotional than I think you expect.”
In the movie, Sandra plays Eva, the leader of the international task force behind the mission to save the world.
Sandra noted of her character, "She’s just working in silence and with a clear goal in front of her. She’s using all her contacts, I think, and her patience and her expertise and she doesn’t have any need for showing her power in any form. And I think that makes her really special because the entire world has given her all the power to do anything she needs to do to get this done.”
Ryan has described his character as putting the "not" in astronaut. How would Ryan fare in space?
He admitted, “I wouldn’t go.” Ryan said he isn’t tempted at all, insisting, “Not even a little bit. I like to be here.”
Sandra shared her take, saying, “If I would have learned how to do these things, if I had an education, of course, I would love to go to space, but not for leisure.”
According to Ryan, this was one of the hardest movies he’s ever done.
He elaborated, “Everything about this was a challenge… That’s the story. I mean, everything in the story is hard for these characters, you know. They’re trying to figure out how to save the world, and they’re doing it through experimentation and through science and through trial and error.
“And so, as we were trying to make this insane movie with a practical puppet as an alien who comes with his own glam squad and he’s very high maintenance and everything…" Ryan joked, "Oh, my God, he’s so much work, but he’s worth it... He’s the best alien friend you’re ever going to have. And this experience is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Critics have been calling “Project Hail Mary” the first great blockbuster of 2026.
Sandra reacted, “It feels unreal, to be honest. I am very happy that this works so well and that we had such a great time making it and that we have experienced this time together, and I hope that a lot of people are going to see it and have this experience in the biggest movie theater possible because the beauty, I mean, it’s not only entertaining, moving, funny, and everything but it’s also breathtakingly beautiful.”
The critics Ryan cares the most about are his kids.
He said, “They’re not critical. They’re just honest and they just they're just, they have incredible taste and they’re just the funniest, smartest people I know... It matters to me what they think. And normally, when they give their opinion... even with the start of the character, I was playing with looks for the character and my daughter walked by. I had some glasses on. She goes, ‘You look smarter in glasses.’ And I was like, ‘Then I will, I need to look smart in this, so I'll wear glasses’… It was a great note.”
"Project Hail Mary" is in theaters March 20.
