TEHRAN- The Arasbaran Cultural Center in Tehran is scheduled to review the 2026 American science fiction film “Project Hail Mary” on Wednesday evening. 

Film critic Kourosh Jahed is set to attend a screening of the film followed by a review session.

Co-directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film is based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir.

Starring Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, and Lionel Boyce, “Project Hail Mary” is about the desperate struggle for survival and the unexpected bond of friendship between two sentient beings from different worlds. Set in a future where Earth faces an existential threat, the story follows Ryland Grace, a former molecular biologist and middle school teacher who awakens from a chemically induced coma aboard the interstellar spacecraft Hail Mary. Suffering from amnesia, Grace gradually discovers he is the sole survivor of a mission to the Tau Ceti system, located nearly twelve light-years from home.

Through a series of fragmented memories, the gravity of his mission is revealed. Scientists had discovered the "Petrova line," an infrared phenomenon caused by a solar-consuming organism called "astrophage." This parasite was dimming the Sun at a rate that would trigger a global ice age within thirty years, effectively ending human civilization. Recruited by the ruthless but determined Eva Stratt, Grace was tasked with finding a solution. The Hail Mary was designed as a "long-shot" suicide mission; the ship possessed only enough fuel for a one-way journey, meaning any discovered cure would have to be transmitted back to Earth via automated probes.

While orbiting Tau Ceti, Grace’s solitude is interrupted by the arrival of an alien vessel. He meets "Rocky," a five-legged, rock-like being from the planet Erid. Despite the vast biological differences—Rocky communicates through musical tones and "sees" via echolocation—the two forge a profound alliance. Using a makeshift translation system, they discover they are kindred spirits: both are engineers and the last survivors of their respective missions to save their home stars from the same astrophage infection.

As they collaborate, they discover a microbial predator on a nearby planet, which Grace names "Adrian," capable of consuming the astrophage. However, the victory is marred by tragedy. During a perilous attempt to harvest the predator, a mechanical failure leaves Grace unconscious and Rocky severely injured. In the process of recovery, Grace uncovers a dark truth about his own journey: he hadn't volunteered for the mission; he had been drugged and forced aboard by Stratt, who believed he was the only one capable of ensuring the mission's success.

The climax of their journey arrives when they prepare to return to their respective worlds. Grace realizes that the predator, which he calls "taumoeba," has evolved to eat through the very material—xenonite—that makes up Rocky’s ship. If Rocky proceeds, the taumoeba will consume his fuel, stranding him in space and dooming the planet Erid.

In a final, selfless act of sacrifice, Grace chooses to abandon his own dream of returning to Earth. He uses his remaining fuel to divert his course and rescue Rocky, ensuring the Eridians are saved. He sends his research and the taumoeba samples back to Earth via the probes, providing humanity with the key to survival. While Earth is saved by Stratt’s team, Grace finds a new home on Erid, living in a specially designed biodome, forever remembered as the man who sacrificed his world to save two.

SAB/