Andy Weir Novel Gets New Movie Tie-In Cover
The movie tie-in edition arrives today, following the second trailer’s release and ahead of the March release date
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Following the release of the second trailer for Project Hail Mary two weeks ago, Penguin Random House is releasing a movie tie-in cover version of the book as buzz for the adaptation nears stratospheric levels. The film, based on Andy Weir’s 2022 sci-fi novel of the same name, stars Ryan Gosling as a middle-school science teacher-turned-astronaut, and is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
The novel is currently in the top 10 on Amazon’s bestseller chart, the top 20 on Bookshop.org and Barnes & Noble, and the top three on the New York Times’ Paperback Trade Fiction chart. The movie tie-in version features Gosling on the cover, drifting through zero gravity. Weir told Rolling Stone that he is “beyond psyched for the film,” adding, “Book fans will not be disappointed by it.”
Project Hail Mary: A Novel (Paperback)
Original cover
Project Hail Mary (Movie Tie-In, Paperback)
Movie tie-in edition
Weir is best known as the author of The Martian, which was adapted into a Ridley Scott film starring Matt Damon in 2015. Weir, who’s known for his science-forward approach to sci-fi, served as producer and science consultant on Project Hail Mary. In an interview with Polygon, Weir explained, “Anytime there was text in the background on a computer monitor or whatever [directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller] wanted all that to be accurate. Things like the current velocity of the ship.” Weir also told the publication that he’s working on a new, standalone science fiction novel.
Like The Martian, Weir’s other best-seller with a film adaptation, Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi adventure, but it also has plenty of comedic elements. It centers on Ryland Grace (Gosling), a middle-school teacher tasked with using his doctorate in molecular biology to save the suddenly dying sun. The latest trailer sees Gosling’s Grace encountering — and befriending — “Rocky,” an alien lifeform similarly facing the threat of extinction.
Drew Goddard, who also adapted Weir’s The Martian for the screen, penned the screenplay for Project Hail Mary. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are best known for the Spider-Verse films and 21 Jump Street. Project Hail Mary will hit theaters on March 20, 2026.
