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

The unlikely roommates are teaming up to save their planets

Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir told Polygon that there was a lot of debate about whether the trailer for the adaptation of his 2021 should reveal that the film prominently features an alien astronaut. The creature, dubbed Rocky by American science teacher turned reluctant astronaut Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), made his first appearance at the end of the film’s teaser trailer, had more screen time in the follow-up shared in November, and got a voice in the final trailer for the film, which arrives in theaters on March 20.

First airing during the Super Bowl, the trailer for the film by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller lays out the stakes for Grace’s mission. The sun is dying, and if Grace can’t find a solution, all life on Earth will go extinct. Luckily, he’s not the only one working on this problem. Rocky, a small spider-like creature voiced by lead puppeteer James Ortiz (The Woodsman), is also trying to save his planet.

While Grace is initially terrified of the alien and his imposing spaceship, the two quickly bond through their common purpose. The trailer shows their first attempts at communication – imitating each other’s gestures and noises as they dance and laugh – and how they develop a shared vocabulary that lets Grace use software to find Rocky a voice. He settles on Ortiz's voice after trying a version with a French accent and one with a far more ominous tone.

The Martian, Weir’s bestselling debut novel, which Ridley Scott adapted into a feature film in 2015, is a story of isolation focused on an astronaut stranded on Mars. Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi buddy comedy, with Rocky moving onto Grace’s ship so they can work together to fix their suns. The new trailer focuses on that bond, as Grace admits his mission is likely a one-way trip, and Rocky vows not to let Grace die.

Project Hail Mary screenwriter Drew Goddard also wrote the film adaptation of The Martian, which was mostly faithful to Weir’s book, though not as dark or tense. Weir was on set during filming, serving as a science consultant to ensure everything was as accurate as possible.

“It was really kind of a dream come true for me,” he told Polygon. “I get to wander around these huge sets every day watching people make my book into a reality, and then it's punctuated with algebra problems, which I love.”

Project Hail Mary will hit cinemas on March 20.