It would appear that Ryan Gosling is ready to go back to space. However, this time, his mission is of the solo variety, in the film “The Hail Mary,” as he’s set to play another lonely astronaut in a film based on a novel by the writer of “The Martian.”
According to Deadline, MGM is in talks to spend millions on the rights for the upcoming film adaptation of author Andy Weir’s new novel, “The Hail Mary.” And what’s sure to excite quite a few cinephiles is the fact that Ryan Gosling is aboard to star in the film, as well as produce with Ken Kao.
The film tells the story of an astronaut that is on a one-man mission to save the planet. As you might expect, “The Hail Mary” is said to be very similar in tone and execution to Weir’s previous novel, “The Martian,” which was made into a feature film by Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon as the lonely astronaut.
As mentioned, this isn’t the first time that Gosling starred in a space drama. Recently, he appeared in the film, “First Man,” from director Damien Chazelle. That film was a box office hit and award-winning drama that told the incredible true story of Neil Armstrong and the journey he went on to become the first man to walk on the moon. Given “The Martian” and Weir’s penchant for telling popcorn-esque blockbuster stories, we’re going to assume that “The Hail Mary” is a very different beast than Chazelle’s hard-hitting drama.
READ MORE: Ryan Gosling Prepping Next Directorial Effort & Has Already Been Approached By Netflix
Weir’s other novel, “Artemis,” is also in development, and has been for years, with Phil Lord and Chris Miller attached.
Obviously, MGM and Gosling are still in the early stages of development, but with the studio’s willingness to write a big check for the rights to the film, we can assume that “The Hail Mary” is likely a project on the fast track.