Ryan Gosling set out to make a family-friendly film he could enjoy with his kids — and he’s confident his upcoming movie, “Project Hail Mary,” delivers.
“It was very important for me,” Gosling told The Christian Post of his desire to make a family-friendly film. “(My wife) Eva and I look for films that we can go to with our whole family, and we find it hard to find.”
“Obviously, this is the family business, making movies, but we want to go to the cinema too,” the actor continued. “And it’s hard to find something for all of us, especially if it’s not animated.”
Based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name, “Project Hail Mary” follows middle school science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no recollection of how he got there — or what he is expected to do.
As his memory gradually returns, Grace recalls that he was recruited for a last-ditch effort to save Earth from a mysterious cosmic substance dimming the sun and threatening global extinction.
With the weight of humanity on his shoulders, Grace faces a seemingly impossible mission — but an unexpected friendship provides a crucial dose of hope.
Gosling believes parents will find positive themes in the film — including friendship, cooperation, hope and courage — along with plenty of entertainment.
“There’s something thematically that you want to show your kids,” Gosling said. “And I think this was not just escapism.”
Why is ‘Project Hail Mary’ rated PG-13?
“Project Hail Mary” is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for some thematic material and suggestive references.
After seeing “Project Hail Mary,” I can confirm the film contains some thematic material and mild suggestive references.
The story contains mature themes of survival, hope and ethics, along with a high-stakes mission to save humanity, including brief discussions of global apocalypse, extinction and sacrifice.
Scientific and mathematic concepts are also discussed throughout the film — some of which are advanced, but most of which are simplified to be more accessible.
Is there any violence or scariness in ‘Project Hail Mary’?
“Project Hail Mary” contains brief, mild sci-fi violence and tense moments of peril, but no graphic gore.
The film contains suspenseful, high-stakes moments, such as spacewalks, a character being forcibly injected with a sedative and accidents such as a character hitting his face on a console (resulting in a mild injury) and brief images of two corpses.
There is also some thematic violence related to the survival of humanity, as well as brief, nongraphic discussions of suicide as a contingency plan.
Is there nudity or sexual content ‘Project Hail Mary’?
“Project Hail Mary” has no nudity or sexual content.
There are a few mildly suggestive references in the film, largely stemming from playful communication misunderstandings between Grace and the alien.
Is there any drinking or drugs in ‘Project Hail Mary’?
A character is briefly seen drinking vodka in “Project Hail Mary,” and the film contains no scenes with smoking or drug use.
Is there profanity in ‘Project Hail Mary’?
There’s almost no profanity in “Project Hail Mary,” limited to only a handful of mild curse words.
Critics are praising ‘Project Hail Mary’ as a family-friendly film
Early reviews of “Project Hail Mary” praise it as family film, likening it to classic “human-meets-alien” films such as “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
“‘Project Hail Mary’ is one of those old-school popcorn movies with big ideas, the kind of film that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas would have made back in the day and kids of all ages would have obsessed over and bought the toys,” writes USA Today.
According to Exclaim, the film “emerges as a cute PG-13 family film in a grandiose sci-fi setting — a buddy comedy with lens flares.”
“It’s a masterpiece of a family popcorn movie, with eye-popping hand-crafted production design and outstanding creature design and puppet work,” writes the San Francisco Chronicle. “They bring a Spielbergian sentiment and wonder to a film that’s both a throwback and forward-thinking.”
When does ‘Project Hail Mary’ come out?
“Project Hail Mary” premieres in theaters on Friday, March 20.