Andy Weir Says Project Hail Mary Had Multiple Cuts of Rocky’s Near-Death Scene to Make Him “suffer more”

With the absolute sensation that Project Hail Mary has become since its release, people seem to have become more attached to Ryan Gosling’s on-screen partner, Rocky, than to his character.

And for those who watched the film know just how emotional Rocky’s near-death scene was, which, according to original writer Andy Weir, was made even more gut-wrenching and impactful in the film through major cuts, VFX, and lighting. In an interview on the Critical Drinker After Hours YT channel, he said:

And the final result was something truly exceptional, where fans were on the verge of tears witnessing Grace’s alien partner trying to save his life at the cost of their own.

Project Hail Mary Directors Paired Rocky to Ryan Gosling’s Strengths

A still from Project Hail Mary | Credits: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Unlike many other films, where a non-humanoid character would be entirely developed with CGI, filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller decided to go the zero-green-screen route to give the film that much-needed sense of realism. And the result was actor James Ortiz, who was also the puppeteer of the Rocky puppet, gained so much praise and acknowledgement for his exceptional performance as Gosling’s alien partner in the film.

But the filmmaker also wanted Rocky to be made up of practical effects because Ryan Gosling’s strengths in collaborating with his co-stars and working on each other’s chemistry are his strong suit. And in an interview with BFI, Phil Lord talked about this in more detail, saying:

Throughout the film, the on-screen chemistry between Gosling’s character, Grace, and Rocky is what hooked the audience in, and kept them invested in the emotional build-up till the end.

Why Rocky Was the Main Star of Project Hail Mary

The reason why Rocky’s performance is being given more emphasis in Project Hail Mary is that his presence since his introduction in the film is what became the emotional glue that kept the entire narrative together till the end.

When the film is compared to the book by Andy Weir, the biggest difference is that Rocky has more screen time and more interactions with Grace outside of solving the Astrophage crisis. This not only gives it a solid rapport with the main character, but also helps him grow as a person outside of just researching the planet of Tau-Ceti and sending a cure to combat the crisis on Earth.

And with the spot-on comedic timing and dialogue, Rocky also acts as a comedic relief that feels extremely natural and free-flowing, something that viewers enjoyed very much. And last, but not least, the performance by James Ortiz as both the voice and the physical puppeteer of the character made people attached to Rocky emotionally, something that led to the perfect payoff in the end, leaving a deep impression on the audience.

Here’s an overview of Project Hail Mary.

What are your thoughts on Rocky? Tell us in the comments below.

Project Hail Mary is now screening in cinemas worldwide.