Episode Summary: PROJECT HAIL MARY | Book Vs Movie

Podcast: I'll Read What She's Reading
Hosts: Reggie, Mikayla, Kennedy
Date: April 1, 2026

Overview

In this lively episode, Reggie, Mikayla, and Kennedy dive deep into Andy Weir’s blockbuster novel Project Hail Mary and its highly anticipated movie adaptation. The trio breakdown their own ratings of the book and film, differences between the mediums, what worked (and what didn’t), reactions from their listeners, and the pop-culture impact of everything from Ryan Gosling’s performance to Harry Styles’ unexpected influence. The discussion feels like insider book club banter—full of heartfelt reactions, a few nitpicks, and lots of laughs—perfect for fans of either format looking to process the adaptation (or just bask in more Rocky content).

Ratings & First Impressions

Book Ratings

• Mikayla: 4 stars.

  “The only reason I didn’t rate it 5 stars is because the science elements were really hard for me to follow at times.” (01:03)

• Kennedy: 3.5 stars, read 2+ years ago.

  “Equations just, I fear, went right over my head.” (01:54)

• Reggie: 4 stars. Followed by data from listener poll:

  “74% of you rated the book five stars and 23% rated it four stars... that’s pretty dang good.” (03:59)

General Thoughts

• The book’s hard science segments were challenging but, ultimately, most enjoyed the plot and characters.
• All three hosts agreed it’s beneficial not to reread the book right before seeing the adaptation to avoid harsh comparisons and maximize enjoyment (03:28).

Sci-Fi Accessibility & Audience Reaction

• The hosts underscore the true sci-fi nature of Project Hail Mary, noting that non-fans of hard science fiction might struggle.

• The central relationship (“bromance”) between Ryland and Rocky is highlighted as broadly appealing:

  “There’s maybe not romance, but there’s a bromance. So I feel like genuinely, this is a book you could honestly probably recommend to 85% of people and they would enjoy it. As long as they make it to when Rocky gets there.” (07:09)

• The “one man saves the world” structure is praised for its emotional core:

  “The heart of the story is what people really like about it.” (06:27)

Movie Trailer Discourse

• Mixed opinions about the amount of Rocky shown in trailers:

  “I feel like there was a lot of discourse around…people saying, getting upset about the trailer because it showed too much Rocky...” (07:39)

• Author Andy Weir’s own comments lessen controversy over spoilers:

  “I mean, I’m sure everybody who’s listened to this has seen the interview with Andy Ware where he says it’s not a spoiler. So, I mean, it’s hard to debate when the author himself is like, it's okay to include it.” (09:06)

• General agreement: Trailers show too much, but the marketing likely broadened audience appeal (10:25).

Movie Ratings & Reactions

Movie Ratings

• All Hosts: 5 stars

  “And I knew. I’m not saying the book is better than the movie. Okay. Or the movie’s better than the book. I’m not saying either one is better than the other. I think there’s strong suits to both mediums in this specific case.” (12:42)

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Focus is on the Ryland/Rocky dynamic, not the hard science:

  “The heart of the story is Rocky and Ryland’s relationship.” (12:59)

• Praise for “just right” depiction of Ryland’s memory loss through visual cues, despite some wishing for more explicit storytelling:

  “Watching it a second time, I’m going to disagree... they show that a ton of times... I think they did it enough, in my opinion, showing that he couldn’t remember things through... like, he’s writing on the whiteboard, trying to figure out things about himself.” (13:06)

Points of Debate & Minor Critiques

• Some wanted more science in the film, especially amongst friends/family members of the hosts.

• Scene with Ryland’s karaoke (“Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles) sparked debate:

  “The only thing I disliked is I wish ‘Sign of the Times’ by Harry Styles... like, his actual version was in it.” (14:17, Kennedy) “A callback to that would have been cool, especially after the karaoke scene.” (15:04, Reggie)

• Memory loss aspect was less clear to non-readers:

  “I did have to explain that to a bunch of people. They... did that go. Did it go back and forth?... when you were going back, that was when he was remembering things.” (18:01, Kennedy)

• Minor nitpick: Rocky came across more childlike in the film than in the book, though this was ultimately seen as adding humor and emotional weight (24:11, Reggie).

Differences: Book vs Movie

Major Cuts and Adaptation Changes

• Omissions: The whole Antarctica subplot, the “coma gene” (how Ryland survived), details about Strat’s backstory and court case (25:33–27:20).

  “The movie was already so long. So once again, going back to the heart of the story, it’s Rocky and Ryland.” (27:20, Mikayla)

• Merging of side characters, especially turning two astronauts into one character, Carl (28:11–28:34).
• Rocky’s intelligence and how the language barrier is portrayed—simplified for humor/ease in film.
• Physical portrayal of Rocky’s ship differed from how some imagined it, but the practical effects were widely praised (22:59–23:15).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The Martian is the world trying to save one man, and Project Hail Mary is one man trying to save the world.” (06:15, Reggie quoting a Maude interview)
• “I left the movie and... it just consumed my thoughts for the next like three days.” (31:14, Mikayla)
• On the emotional ending:

  “At the end when Rocky’s like, he’s saying the scientists are ready to ship you home. And he’s like, can I think about it? And he’s like, yes, take a lot of time... just him teaching the little kids. I was like—I was done for.” (33:03, Kennedy)

• “My favorite thing was when someone asked Andy, where did you ever picture Rylan Grace being as beautiful as Ryan Gosling? We said, absolutely not.” (40:00, Mikayla)

Adaptation Craft & Behind-the-Scenes Tidbits

• Widespread admiration for the use of practical effects, minimal CGI, and even a puppet for Rocky rather than full CGI (30:53, Mikayla).
• Gosling’s charisma and preparation, his producing role, and personal touches (glass-wearing per his daughter’s advice, dancing with a mop while lonely on set—turned into a scene) (41:04–42:23).
• The actor voicing Rocky was the puppeteer, not the planned voice actor—a spontaneous creative decision that paid off (42:03, Reggie).

Fan Feedback & Fancasting

• Ryan Gosling was “perfect” for Ryland. Suggestions like Eddie Redmayne and Jason Segel were mentioned but not seriously endorsed by the hosts (38:01–40:00).

  “His charisma... I genuinely do not know if I would have enjoyed the movie as much if it was anybody else but him.” (38:18, Mikayla)

• Listeners overwhelmingly happy with casting and adaptation choices.

Miscellaneous & Meta Discussion

• General disinterest in a sequel:

  “It’s perfect. Like, why try to do anything more with something?” (35:38, Kennedy)

• Hope that the film’s success leads to more book-to-film adaptations with care and practical effects (34:13, Mikayla; 43:27, Reggie).
• Shoutout to Andy Weir’s Artemis—curiosity about a potential future adaptation, though expectations are tempered (37:21).
• On differences in emotional impact:

  “Is the book in your top 10 books of all time? ... Is the movie in your top 10 movies of all time? ... it is in mine.” (32:12–32:29)

• “Jazz hands all around.” (43:45, Reggie)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Book Ratings & Initial Discussion: 00:35–05:01
• Sci-Fi Accessibility, Audience Feedback: 05:01–07:36
• Book-to-Movie Transition & Trailer Talk: 07:36–11:11
• Movie Reactions, Ratings, and Critiques: 12:38–29:05
• Major Differences and Adaptation Choices: 25:33–29:23
• Emotional Ending & Final Impressions: 31:14–33:59
• Sequel Debate & Future Adaptations: 34:44–37:55
• Casting & Fan Theories: 38:01–40:57
• Behind-the-Scenes & Fun Facts: 40:57–43:27

Conclusion

The I'll Read What She's Reading crew celebrate Project Hail Mary as a rare, nearly perfect book-to-film adaptation that honors the heart and spirit of its source material—creating something resonant and crowd-pleasing for both the sci-fi initiated and the casual moviegoer. Their advice? Don’t reread the book before the movie, let the marketing do its thing (even if you avoid the trailers), and be grateful when passion and craftsmanship win out in adaptations. And yes, Ryan Gosling was absolutely the right call.

“If every book adaptation could just be done that well… the bar is very high.” (43:27, Reggie)