1261: ‘Project Hail Mary’ brings a new kind of alien to the big screen

from Science Friday · host Science Friday

Science fiction nerds, rejoice: the long-awaited adaptation of “Project Hail Mary” is in theaters now. Host Flora Lichtman chats with book author Andy Weir and astrobiologist Mike Wong about the film’s aliens, and how they buck the trend of what extraterrestrials usually look like on screen.Guest:Andy Weir is the author of “Project Hail Mary” and “The Martian.”Dr. Mike Wong is an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at Carnegie Science in Washington, D.C.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 20, 2026

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Move over, Ryan Gosling: Rocky the alien is the breakout star of the big-budget movie adaptation of "Project Hail Mary."

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1261: ‘Project Hail Mary’ brings a new kind of alien to the big screen

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