Project Hail Mary's Super Bowl trailer teases sci-fi buddy comedy

The final trailer for Project Hail Mary premiered during the Super Bowl and frames the film as a sci-fi buddy comedy. It centers on Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) and an alien crewmate nicknamed Rocky, a small spider-like creature brought to life on-screen and voiced by lead puppeteer James Ortiz.

Author Andy Weir said there was a lot of debate over whether the trailer should reveal the alien so prominently. The trailer makes the stakes clear: the sun is dying, and if Grace can’t find a solution, all life on Earth will go extinct. Rocky is likewise trying to save his planet, and the two quickly bond as they work together—imitating each other’s gestures and noises, developing a shared vocabulary, and using software to give Rocky a voice.

Grace tries versions with a French accent and a far more ominous tone before settling on Ortiz’s performance. The film, from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, leans into cooperation rather than isolation.

hail mary, super bowl, trailer, sci-fi, buddy comedy, ryan gosling, ryland grace, rocky, james ortiz, andy weir