Filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller recently spoke candidly about the editing process on Ryan Gosling's blockbuster "Project Hail Mary". During a casual chat on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, they shared that an early cut of the sci-fi film — based on Andy Weir's book of the same name — ran to nearly four hours, an experience they found both eye-opening and embarrassing.
According to Miller, while the film’s first official test screening eventually went well, the creative team relies heavily on informal previews with trusted peers throughout the process. These early screenings often include friends, family members, writers, and fellow filmmakers, offering a safe environment for honest feedback. At one such stage, the film was still extremely long. Even after trimming the initial assembly to under four hours, Lord and Miller presented a three-hour-and-45-minute version to a group of director friends.
The reaction was swift and unanimous. As Lord explained, the feedback they received was simple: the film needed to be significantly shorter. While the directors initially believed many scenes were engaging and charming, audience reactions told a different story. Moments that worked on paper or in isolation did not always resonate when viewed as part of the larger narrative.
This realisation proved crucial. Lord noted that understanding which elements failed to land made it easier to make decisive cuts. The filmmakers were able to reduce the runtime to around three hours relatively quickly. From there, the process became more gradual and meticulous, with Miller describing how they “slowly, slowly” worked the film down further.
Ultimately, the final theatrical cut settled at approximately two and a half hours, a length that they felt balanced storytelling depth with audience engagement.
The film stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a science teacher and former molecular biologist tasked with helping save Earth from extinction. The story follows his unexpected journey into space, where he encounters an alien companion named Rocky.
The film opened to largely positive reviews and performed strongly at the box office, earning $80.5 million domestically in its opening weekend. It marked the biggest debut of the year at the time, later surpassing the $100 million milestone.
