Brandon Sanderson Makes the Case for Reading the Project Hail Mary Book Even If You've Seen the Movie Already
Since revealing his new relationship with Hollywood, Brandon Sanderson's weekly podcast has become increasingly focused on movie and book adaptations. This week, he and his co-host Dan Wells dove into the topic of the Project Hail Mary movie, and Sanderson makes a compelling case for reading Andy Weir's book.
"They left out a lot of the science, the try fails, the figuring out how everything works," Sanderson said. He went on to explain that the moment he finds out he's on a spaceship is quite a bit longer in the books compared to the movie, describing the experience as if "you're figuring it out with him, like what is this? What is going on?"
Sanderson still had nothing but positive things to say about the film, saying he thinks "they did a fantastic job." IGN's review of the film reflects his same sentiment, which landed it on our list of the top-reviewed movies of 2026 so far.
As someone who read the book before watching the movie, I definitely agree with Sanderson on this topic. Movies are never going to be able to provide the same level of depth you're going to get from the novel. Andy Weir is great about taking you on a fun journey of details, but a film can't truly show all of that. When you're dealing with a limited runtime, all you can do is enough to make the science feel believable as a plot device. In the books, you get to really dig deep into what the character is experiencing in every scene.
For those who haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. It's one of those books that really puts the science in science-fiction in the best way possible. It's also one of my favorite audiobooks. Narrator Ray Porter has an incredibly soothing voice and there are some excellent background sounds that really sell the audio experience. It's an easy transition coming from the movie if you're not used to reading books.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and 10 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to books and the latest LEGO sets.