The last time Drew Goddard adapted an Andy Weir book into a movie, he was nominated for an Oscar. In addition, the movie “The Martian”, written by Goddard, was a huge hit. But when he received a call to write Project Hail Mary, Weir’s best-selling novel about a science teacher on a mission to save humanity with the help of crab-like aliens, he hesitated.
“The Martian was such a magical experience, and there’s something about going back to the well,” Goddard said. “You would worry that you were just copying the previous movies. But I read this book and loved it. It was much more difficult to adapt because the scope was much larger. And it had a deep, emotional story about humans and aliens that I couldn’t resist.”
Goddard is in a Manhattan hotel room, three days removed from the world premiere of “Project Hail Mary.” The $200 million sci-fi blockbuster stars Ryan Gosling and was directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the team behind “21 Jump Street” and “Into the Spider-Verse” animated series. Critics have widely embraced the space epic, praising its humor and heart, and the film is expected to dominate this weekend’s box office. But Goddard, one of Hollywood’s most sought-after filmmakers and screenwriters, doesn’t check box office numbers.
“I’ve been working on this movie for six years. Even with the pandemic and the strikes, it took a really long time,” Goddard says. “It’s great that people are finally getting to know this movie, but seeing the box office results is like checking out old graduation photos. It seems like a long time ago. I’m just grateful to have been able to make it.”
Mr. Goddard is busy with many other things. His crime series High Potential for ABC was recently selected for a third season, and he is an executive producer on Netflix’s Pagans, a supernatural drama from Say Nothing creator Joshua Zetumer. He then starred in The Matrix, taking over writing and directing duties from the Wachowskis in the reboot of the iconic sci-fi series.
Why were you drawn to “Project Hail Mary”?
Andy really wanted to do something different with this alien. He doesn’t speak our language. He doesn’t even have a face. He has no expressive features. He cannot exist in the same atmosphere. It sounds good when you read it, but then how do you adapt it? It scared me to death and that’s where I want to live.
Besides creating believable alien characters, what other challenges did you face when adapting Project Hail Mary?
Most of the story takes place from the protagonist’s perspective, and Ryan’s character is initially unaware of what is happening. He is trying to figure out why he is in space. And for half the movie, he has no one to talk to. So how can you do that in a movie?Let’s be honest, most scenes in movies are people talking. Ryan wanted to be true to what the character was going through. In an early draft, I used part of the old crutch that Matt Damon used in “The Martian” speaking to the camera. Because scientists document their research. But Ryan rightly pointed out that his character is a high school teacher in space. He’s not going to spend time documenting everything. He’s just trying to survive. The moment he said that, I knew he was right.
This is based on an existing text, but were there any films you looked to for inspiration?
It was all rooted in Andy. But if you look back, you can see James Cameron’s influence on the structure. From my point of view, there’s no one better at structure in big event movies. When you watch something like “Titanic,” we meet two kids, fall in love, root for them, and the ship hits an iceberg. If you watch “The Abyss,” there’s a couple who are trying to put their marriage back together after this amazing thing happens. Both of these films are stories about two people dealing with big emotional things in the midst of very complex situations.
That’s interesting because I feel like James Cameron’s writing is pretty beaten down.
That’s true, but it’s not fair. “The Terminator” is a very moving movie. It’s not just about robots showing up to kill people. It’s about this woman and how she deals with this mess.
How did Christopher Miller and Phil Lord’s approach differ from that of The Martian director Ridley Scott?
They couldn’t be more different. Ridley’s approach is very formal. He storyboards himself, so he knows every shot of the movie six weeks later. Phil and Chris come from animation backgrounds. Animation is an iterative process of constantly trying things out. Neither approach is wrong. You just have to do what’s right for the movie. The main character of “Project Hail Mary” is a fish out of water. It should feel rough around the edges, even if it’s a little sloppy. We don’t want to think he’s the perfect astronaut. A character named Rocky also appears. I don’t know of anyone else who could have accomplished the logistics of bringing that rock crab back to life. In their animation, Phil and Chris manage to find humanity within these crazy characters. That’s what this movie wanted.
Do Phil and Chris encourage a lot of improvisation?
oh yeah. They are masters of improvisation, and I have never met anyone better at improvising than Ryan.
The project was greenlit before MGM was sold to Amazon. Were you worried that you wouldn’t be able to survive the merger?
absolutely. The sad truth is that there have been many times in my career where projects I’ve done at a studio have been acquired by other studios. It is often not made. But Amazon liked what we were doing.
What movies have you worked on that have been canceled?
The blockbuster Spider-Man movie about the Sinister Six has been canceled due to Sony hacking. My office was on the property and I could see the FBI swarming and helicopters flying over the studio. I was sad about that, but there was literally nothing I could have done to change the course of events. I think it was better than not liking the script.
You were selected to write and direct “The Matrix 5.” What do you think about it?
I can’t say too much because it’s still in the writing stage. You need to give yourself space to find your best story. I think approach is the way you approach anything. It’s about whether I love it or not. And I love what Lana and Lilly Wachowski have done in these movies. I feel like they mean a lot to me and are a huge influence on my creative voice. I take this responsibility very seriously. I feel the weight of wanting to do what’s right for the fans, wanting to do what’s right for the creators, and wanting to do what’s right for myself as fans.
Will Keanu Reeves and the original cast return?
I can’t talk about that.
Why do you think the fourth “Matrix” didn’t resonate as strongly at the box office?
I don’t know. It certainly touched my heart. I was very moved when I saw that movie. It may be the most emotional of the four. I know it was during the coronavirus pandemic, but it was at a time when Warner Bros. was streaming everything.
What is your writing process?
Having to repeatedly generate 60 pages in 8 days honed a very chaotic process from my TV training. The way you do that is by focusing really hard on the story. I’m not one of those people who goes through 18 drafts to find a story. I do 50 drafts of my outline, and when I get to the writing stage, I put everything away and handwrite all my scripts. It all goes back to college, when a writing teacher said to me, “If you’re working on a computer, try handwriting. Unleashing your creativity is tricking your brain into thinking you’re not working.” I took that to heart. When I write, I sit outside. I try to make it feel playful.
What movie have you seen recently that really impressed you with its script?
There are many, but I have to say “weapons”. Zack Creger’s script is excellent. After about an hour of playing Weapons, I found myself unable to even blink for fear of looking away from the screen. I didn’t know what was going to happen. It was very thrilling. And I felt the same about “Sinners” and “Sentimental Value.”
I heard President Obama recently say that aliens exist and I thought, what great marketing for “Project Hail Mary”?
I probably should have, but I didn’t. I grew up in New Mexico, so I’m familiar with alien legends. Most of all, I was excited that he would mention it. I thought that might mean that I could obtain new information. Andy Weir takes this seriously. He comes from a reality-based approach to science fiction. He wonders what a first contact situation would be like if it happened. This is his answer.
