Why Lord and Miller Adapted ‘Project Hail Mary’ Before Andy Weir’s Second Book

'Project Hail Mary' directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were previously attached to direct 'Artemis,' which came after Weir's 'The Martian.' Anyone who enjoyed The Martian, a blend of action, science, and drama, probably had a similar thought: “I want more of that.” Thankfully, in the years since The Martian, author Andy Weir has delivered. First, in 2017, he published Artemis, about a daring heist on the moon. Then in 2021, he published Project Hail Mary, which is getting a movie adaptation on March 20. All three have a similar tone and balance of genres. And, like The Martian, both Artemis and Project Hail Mary sold their movie rights before the books hit shelves. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors of Project Hail Mary, were actually attached to adapt Artemis years before Project Hail Mary even came into existence. “We already had a great relationship with Andy and our producing partner Aditya Sood, who was the guy who discovered The Martian as an e-book and produced that movie,” Chris Miller told io9. “And so when Ryan [Gosling] got the rights to this movie and called us up, we were like, ‘Absolutely, yes, 100%.’ It’s like all of our favorite people working together, so it was a no-brainer for us.” But Artemis hit shelves four years before Project Hail Mary, so what was the holdup? “We’re still developing [Artemis]. It’s a tricky one from an execution standpoint because of the one-sixth gravity on the Moon and how to execute that in a way that’s practical,” Miller said. “But we think we figured it out,” Lord added. Lord and Miller on the set of Project Hail Mary. – MGM You read that right. Lord and Miller want to bring Weir’s lunar space heist starring a scrappy smuggler named Jazz to life, but to do it right, they believe it has to truly feel like the characters are on the moon. That would mean the actors would have to practically, on set, gently move as if they were in one-sixth gravity. It’s a feat, the duo confirms, that has been much more difficult to figure out than Rocky, the talking rock creature in Project Hail Mary. “Crazily, yes [that’s true],” Miller said. “Artemis has bounced around a bit and gone from one place to another. So we’re never really sure where that’s gonna land,” Weir told io9 when asked about the adaptation. “[But] it’s on [Lord and Miller’s] list of priorities. I would love to see how they do it, because they’ve got some ideas for it that are really, really interesting… They’re just very imaginative people.” Drew Goddard, who adapted not just Project Hail Mary but also The Martian, also thinks the duo are perfectly paired to Weir’s material. “I can say with confidence that there is nobody who could have directed Project Hail Mary better,” Goddard told io9. “We would have been in so much trouble had Chris and Phil not agreed to do this, because nobody could bring Rocky to life the way Chris and Phil did. They have been at the forefront of the most important animated movies in the last decade, right? And it took them to make this look effortless. To make a rock look effortless, and I assure you, nobody else could have done it.” Author Andy Weir – MGM It’s unclear if Lord and Miller will get around to making Artemis or if someone else will do it at all. But another person who believes in them is star Ryan Gosling. Gosling was the first major player attached to Project Hail Mary and stuck with the project in all its various forms for almost six years. “I read it when it was a manuscript before it was out, so I got to have this really private experience of it without knowing anything,” Gosling told io9. “But I was obviously so moved that I’ve dedicated almost six years to making it. I think it’s that special. It’s just such a unique, special piece of work.” And, thanks to Lord, Miller, and the team, Gosling thinks the film that’s coming to theaters lives up to that vision he had in his head all those years ago. “We have the best team you could ever have,” he said. “I mean, from cinematographer to special effects to directors to the producing team [and] writer. It’s really the dream team. And it took that. It required that to make, to honor what was in the book. But I feel really proud of it, and I think we did it.” But will Lord and Miller be able to do it again with Artemis? Nothing is definitive, but it would be a shame to figure out how to have actors move like they’re on the moon and not use that, right? Project Hail Mary is in theaters on March 20. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.