Premiere - Project Hail Mary : Paris Premiere turns the Pathé Palace into a sci-fi fan zone with Ryan Gosling on the red carpet

By Mulder, Paris, Pathé Palace, 11 march 2026

The Paris premiere of Project Hail Mary took place on March 11, 2026, at the Pathé Palace, turning the famous cinema into a true fan-zone celebration for one of the most anticipated science-fiction films of the year. Our official photographer, Fanny, was on site to cover the red carpet and capture the electric atmosphere as fans gathered hours in advance to catch a glimpse of the film’s main guests. The evening was marked by the presence of lead actor and producer Ryan Gosling, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and producer Amy Pascal, all warmly welcomed by a crowd of enthusiastic spectators who clearly knew they were witnessing the launch of a major cinematic event. The Pathé Palace, recently renovated and now one of the most prestigious screening venues in Paris, proved to be a fitting location for a film that aims to combine blockbuster spectacle with ambitious science-fiction storytelling, and the energy around the fan zone showed just how strong the anticipation has been since the first trailer broke viewing records last year.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Drew Goddard, and based on the bestselling 2021 novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary is a 2026 American science-fiction adventure film that follows Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes up alone aboard a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or why he is there. As his memories slowly return, he realizes he is humanity’s last hope, sent on a desperate mission to the Tau Ceti system to stop a cosmic threat that could extinguish the Sun and wipe out life on Earth. The film stars Ryan Gosling, who also serves as producer, alongside Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub, and early reactions from press screenings have already highlighted its blend of emotional storytelling, scientific detail, and large-scale visual spectacle. The project has been closely watched since 2020, when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired the rights to adapt the novel for around $3 million, with Ryan Gosling attached from the beginning, before Phil Lord and Christopher Miller joined as directors and Drew Goddard, who previously adapted The Martian, came on board to write the screenplay. After Amazon acquired MGM in 2022, the film moved under Amazon MGM Studios, which confirmed a 2026 release window and pushed the production toward a large-scale theatrical rollout rather than a streaming-only release, a decision that now seems justified given the film’s strong early buzz.

Filming began on June 3, 2024, in the United Kingdom and wrapped on October 26, 2024, with major sequences shot at Shepperton Studios as well as on location in Portsmouth and at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in Cambridge, giving the film a mix of practical environments and digital effects. The cinematography was handled by Greig Fraser, known for his work on visually ambitious productions, while editing was done by Chris Dickens, and the score composed by Daniel Pemberton, who previously collaborated with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on the Spider-Verse films. One of the most talked-about aspects of the production has been the character Rocky, created using a combination of practical creature work designed by Neal Scanlan, on-set puppeteering performed by James Ortiz and his team, and digital animation by Framestore, illustrating the directors’ desire to combine classic filmmaking techniques with modern visual effects rather than relying entirely on CGI. The visual effects were produced by multiple major studios including Framestore, Industrial Light & Magic, Sony Pictures Imageworks, BUF, and Wylie Co., under the supervision of Paul Lambert and Mags Sarnowska, a collaboration that reflects the scale of the film’s interstellar setting.

Marketing for the film has been equally ambitious, with the first trailer released on June 30, 2025, reportedly becoming the most viewed trailer in its first week for a non-sequel and non-remake, reaching around 400 million views worldwide, a statistic that immediately positioned the film as one of the year’s biggest original science-fiction projects. Merchandise has also begun to appear ahead of release, including a Lego Icons model of the Hail Mary spacecraft released on March 1, 2026, a sign that the studio clearly expects the film to have a strong cultural impact beyond the box office. Industry projections currently estimate an opening weekend between $45 and $55 million domestically in the United States, and early critical reception has been very positive, with review aggregators showing strong scores and many critics praising the film’s balance between scientific realism, humor, and emotional character work, qualities that fans of Andy Weir’s writing have long associated with his stories.

The film premiered in London on March 9, 2026, before arriving in Paris for this special event at the Pathé Palace, and will be released on March 20, 2026, in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios, with international distribution handled by Sony Pictures. It will also be shown in IMAX, including select theaters in the 1.43:1 aspect ratio, confirming that the filmmakers designed the movie with the big screen in mind. Judging by the reaction of the crowd in Paris, where fans cheered loudly when Ryan Gosling, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller appeared on the red carpet, Project Hail Mary is already shaping up to be one of the rare modern science-fiction films capable of combining mainstream appeal with genuine enthusiasm from longtime genre fans, and the Paris premiere felt less like a routine promotional stop than the beginning of a launch that could turn this adaptation into one of the defining space adventures of the decade.

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Synopsis : 
Ryland Grace, a science teacher, wakes up alone aboard a spaceship, light years away from Earth, with no memory of his identity or why he is on board. Gradually, his memory returns, and he understands the stakes of his mission: to solve the mystery of the mysterious substance that is causing the Sun to die. To try to save humanity, he will have to draw on his scientific knowledge and unconventional ideas... But an unexpected friendship may help him not to face this mission alone.

Project Hail Mary
Directed by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Written by Drew Goddard
Based on Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Produced by Amy Pascal, Ryan Gosling, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Aditya Sood, Rachel O'Connor, Andy Weir
Starring  Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub
Cinematography : Greig Fraser
Edited by Chris Dickens
Music by Daniel Pemberton
Production companies : Pascal Pictures, General Admission, Lord Miller Productions
Distributed by : Amazon MGM Studios (United States), Sony Pictures Releasing France (France)
Release dates : March 9, 2026 (Empire Leicester Square), March 20, 2026 (United States)
Running time : 156 minutes

Photos red carpet : @fannyrlphotography