Weir Says He Tried to Cut Two Scenes From Project Hail Mary
The author wanted the astrophage space-walk shot and Eva Stratt's karaoke moment removed; the directors kept the karaoke.
Andy Weir said he argued for cutting two scenes from the film adaptation of his novel Project Hail Mary, including the moment Ryan Gosling's Ryland Grace floats surrounded by glowing astrophage during a space walk. The author described the pushback in an interview reported by slashfilm.com.
Weir said he wanted the astrophage sequence removed because it does not advance the plot, and because Grace would not be able to see infrared. He made the same argument about a karaoke scene featuring Sandra Hüller's character Eva Stratt, the head of the Petrova Taskforce — but the directors refused to drop it.
The final cut of the film runs 2 hours and 36 minutes, according to Weir, who said an earlier version came in at four hours.
An in-camera effect
The astrophage space-walk shot was mostly captured in camera using real infrared lights, as shown in a video posted by an IMAX Instagram account.
Project Hail Mary, adapted from Weir's 2021 novel, was a box office success in 2026.
Quick answers
What scenes did Andy Weir want cut from Project Hail Mary?
He argued for removing the astrophage space-walk sequence and the karaoke scene featuring Sandra Hüller's character Eva Stratt; the directors refused to cut the karaoke scene.
How long is Project Hail Mary?
Weir said the final cut runs 2 hours and 36 minutes, down from a four-hour first cut.