A New Project Hail Mary Story From Author Andy Weir Is Coming (But There's A Catch)
by Ryan Scott · /FilmThe good news is that "Project Hail Mary" fans will soon have another story to explore within author Andy Weir's beloved sci-fi universe. The catch? It's not another book, nor is it a sequel to the recently released movie. Rather, this new story will take the form of a mixed-reality video game that will be playable on VR headsets later in 2026. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of individual opinion.
Titled "Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars," the game hails from the folks at Maze Theory, who were also behind the 2019 VR game "Doctor Who: The Edge of Time" (as well as "Peaky Blinders: The King's Ransom"). So, they have experience expanding franchises in VR form. Most important of all is that Weir personally crafted the new story for the game.
As for what that story entails? The synopsis for the game reads as follows:
In "Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars," step into the role of Ryland Grace at a pivotal, untold moment in the Hail Mary mission. The ship's systems are failing. Deep space grows increasingly uncertain. Using mixed reality, the Hail Mary itself bleeds into the player's physical environment. They reach out to diagnose the problem, improvise the fix, and push the limits of what science and engineering can do under pressure. Humanity's last hope is in the player's hands.
While there are still plenty of fans wondering if a proper "Project Hail Mary" sequel will happen, this is certainly something to help fill the void in the meantime. It's sort of an in-between-quel that will reveal a part of Ryland Grace's mission we hadn't seen before. And while the method of delivery may not be everyone's cup of tea, it all sounds good on paper.
Journey Among the Stars is the first step in turning Project Hail Mary into a franchise
The above teaser for "Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars" sees Andy Weir, along with the "Project Hail Mary" movie's directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, reacting to footage from the game, and they seem pretty positive about it. There's also lots of footage of Rocky, who looks very much like the character fans have come to love from Lord and Miller's film.
"Since creating 'Project Hail Mary' a few years ago, fans have been waiting for more," Weir said in a brief announcement video. "This is the first step outside of what happens in the book and movie that you can experience in mixed reality."
Up to this point, this franchise hasn't missed, starting with the incredible response to Weir's original book. Meanwhile, the "Project Hail Mary" film has been billed as one of the best sci-fi movies ever by /Film's Ethan Anderton. Moreover, the film has been met with near-universal praise and is one of the biggest hits of the year thus far, rivaled only by "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie."
This VR game is the first true step in turning a singular hit into a larger franchise. "Project Hail Mary" is on its way to earning enough at the box office to justify a sequel. Whether or not Amazon can convince all involved, including star Ryan Gosling, to make such a thing is another question entirely. Movies are just one piece of the puzzle. Now? Ryland and Rocky are going to be in video game form too.
"Project Hail Mary: Journey Among The Stars" doesn't currently have a release date, but stay tuned.