Ryan Gosling's 'Hail Mary' is about making theatre-going films

"In this stage of my life, if I'm going to make films, I want it to be a film that is worth going to the theatre to see," the Canadian actor told journalists in Paris.

The comment was made as part of a globetrotting publicity tour for his latest move, "Project Hail Mary" -- but it could be read as part of the debate over the future of cinema.

The film is a sci-fi adventure about an astronaut who awakes on a spaceship with a mission to save the Earth from a sun-dimming phenomenon. Soon, he realises he is not alone in his quest, but has to work as a team with an alien he names Rocky.

Back on our real planet Earth, Hollywood is experiencing its own gloom, as industry layoffs accelerate, productions shift away from California, and streaming platforms eat into box office revenues.

The heroes it sends out to restore the shine are A-listers like Gosling, who proved more than up to the task in "Barbie", "Blade Runner 2049" and "La La Land".

But the 45-year-old has also been in a few less-than-stellar films, such as 2024's loss-maker "The Fall Guy" and 2022's Netflix thriller "The Gray Man", which got big viewer numbers but a poor critical reception.

"Project Hail Mary", which Gosling co-produced under a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios, has him carrying most of the story solo in front of the camera -- along with the VFX alien Rocky, of course.

The movie is an adaptation of a novel by Andy Weir, who wrote "The Martian", about another solo astronaut overcoming hardships. That became a 2015 film starring Matt Damon.
Comedy chops
Gosling plays a not-especially-brave science teacher who has to rely on his knowhow as he pieces together his memory, and builds an alliance with Rocky.

"I felt appropriately intimidated by the challenge," Gosling said ahead of the movie's worldwide release in the coming days.

"I was really moved by Andy's point of view, or this lens that he looks at the world through, which is, he gives you this opportunity to pivot away from fear, and to maybe approach fear with curiosity, and to say maybe the future isn't something to be afraid of, but just to be figured out."

The actor added that the movie -- a dramatic comedy -- "felt like something I really wanted to make for my kids, and hopefully for their generation".

Gosling also reflected on his three-decade trajectory in Hollywood, which has seen him rise to the top tier of actors -- and, as displayed in "Barbie", show off his long-hidden comedy chops.

"It took me a while to realise that I could do things the way I wanted to," he said.

He started out in dramatic roles in serious independent films in which there "was really the unspoken rule that nothing funny can happen". Now, however, he feels the door has opened to roles offering wider range.

Christopher Miller, who directed "Project Hail Mary" with longtime collaborator Phil Lord, said Gosling aptly married drama and comedy in the film.

"Few people can pull it off also, can make you laugh and cry at the same scene and moment... it's hard to think of other people who could have done what Ryan did in this movie and do it in a way that feels authentic and true," he said.