Hail Mary Project (PHM) is now out in theaters around the world – and, whether or not you’ve already watched Ryan Gosling’s new sci-fi film, you might want to know how it ends. I don’t know why you would if you haven’t seen it, but hey, I’m not your father.
Either way, I suspect you have some big questions about the ending to one of this year’s most exciting new films. Be careful though: full spoilers immediately follow for PHM. If you don’t want to know anything about its ending, bookmark this page for later, read my Hail Mary Project review, go see it, then come back to this article.
Do Ryland Grace and/or Rocky die in Project Hail Mary?
No, PHM’s beloved protagonists live to fight another day – but, hoo boy, did they pull it off.
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After an unspecified amount of time researching Astrophage – it’s the micro-organism that feeds on electromagnetic radiation and slowly kills all but one of the stars in the galaxy – Grace and Rocky have a big breakthrough. They confirm that the only celestial body apparently immune to Astrophage – a star called Tau Ceti – certainly is not affected by them.
The reason? A planet orbiting Tau Ceti, which the couple nicknames “Adrian” in honor of Rocky’s significant other (you know, because of Rocky and Adrian in the world). Rocky movies? Never mind…), is home to another microscopic organism that feeds on Astrophage.
Although Tau Ceti has a Petrova line – it is the infrared line inhabited by the Astrophage that exists between a planet and its nearest star – the bacteria that exist on Adrian, which Grace names “Taumoeba”, feast on the Astrophage, which prevents them from feeding on Tau Ceti’s radiation.
So, Grace and Rocky come up with a plan: descend into Adrian’s atmosphere, retrieve a sample of Taumoeba, raise them in Grace’s spaceship laboratory, and take the samples back to their respective solar systems to heal the stars.
It sounds simple, but it’s not. Everything goes according to plan until a breach in the fuel bay of Grace’s spaceship causes it to violently spin out of control. Long story short: the centrifugal action of the careening spaceship knocks Grace unconscious.
Rocky is on the same ship, albeit in a protective ball – he and Grace can’t survive in the atmosphere of each other’s ship – so he escapes from said capsule to save Grace… but it comes at a price. The ship’s atmosphere seriously harms Rocky, and when a nearly recovered Grace wakes up a few days later, neither he nor the audience knows Rocky’s fate.
Frantically searching for her adorable alien best friend, Grace finds Rocky seriously injured and immobile. Grace watches over her buddy and continues to raise enough Taumoeba for the couple in hopes that Rocky will wake up soon.
Luckily, we’re all spared the death of our new favorite alien. Finally, to the delight of all who see PHMRocky recovers from his injuries, and in a very emotional scene, he and Grace kiss, albeit with one of the protective walls of Rocky’s pod between them.
Why doesn’t Ryland Grace return to Earth in the Hail Mary Project?
Grace explains to Rocky what he did and, after a heartbreaking goodbye, the duo go their separate ways – but it’s not the last time they cross paths.
Returning to Earth using the Astrophage-derived fuel Rocky gave her, Grace quickly realizes that the Taumoeba have evolved. Worse yet, they have adapted to eating out of the containers Grace stored them in. These containers are made of xenonite, the alien substance that Rocky’s ship is made of, so the Taumoeba will consume not only the Astrophage-derived fuel when Rocky returns, but also the ship itself.
Grace therefore has a decision to make: return to Earth knowing that she left Rocky to die, or find her friend in the vastness of space and help him return to his home world, Erid.
Without surprising anyone, Grace chooses the latter solution. Returning the Taumoeba to Earth aboard the space probes with which her ship was equipped, Grace sets off in search of Rocky. Sure enough, Grace finds her spider-like alien buddy, explains the situation, and promises to bring Rocky home safe and sound.
In the final minutes of the Amazon film, we learn that the probes have returned to Earth – now plagued by frigid conditions due to the Sun’s slow decline – with the Taumoeba intact. There, Eva Stratt, who hired Ryland Grace in the first place, has recovered the probes and is preparing to unleash the Taumoeba on the Astrophage, saving our star.
Meanwhile, on Erid, we watch Grace wake up in a biodome – forged from xenonite and parts of her spaceship – and is greeted by Rocky at her front door. After the two take a stroll along one of Erid’s beaches and discuss whether it is time for Grace to return to Earth, he makes the decision to stay before leaving to teach science to a group of Erid’s schoolchildren.
Is there a mid-credits or post-credits scene in Project Hail Mary?
No, there’s no end credits scene to stick with. As I always say, you should attend the closing of a film to appreciate everyone who worked on it. But then again, I’m not one of your parents, so you are.
Will there be a Hail Mary 2 project?
No. Hail Mary Project is a near-perfect adaptation of the book of the same name by science fiction author Andy Weir. This novel is a standalone story which, to date, has no sequel. In short: unless Weir writes a follow-up book (and I don’t know why he would), there will be no Hail Mary Project 2.
That’s not to say that there aren’t more books written by Weir that have received, or will receive, the big-screen narrative treatment.
For one, The Martianthe 2016 science fiction film starring Matt Damon, was the first of Weir’s three major literary works to be reimagined on the big screen. Obviously, this was followed by that of 2026. Hail Mary Project.
The only book that remains to be adapted is therefore Artemispublished in 2017. Hail Mary Project Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have already expressed interest in making a film adaptation of this novel (according to The Hollywood Reporter). In the same article, the duo claims that there is already a “delicious” script ready to be shot when the time comes.
For his part, Weir told Den of Geek that he would like to see Jenna Ortega play his main character, Jazz, but it’s unclear if his wish will come true. Weir says a studio would have to spend a ton of money on him, Lord and Miller to realize their vision of Artemis. Don’t hold your breath, then it will be done soon.
For more PHM cover, find out how many times Rocky was designed before his final look was achieved for Hail Mary Project. After that, take stock of Hail Mary Project Favorite sci-fi films from filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, one of which is a John Carpenter film you’ve probably never heard of.
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