The 10 Best Pop-Culture References in Project Hail Mary, Ranked

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With Project Hail Mary enjoying a strong box office run, the heartfelt dynamic between Ryland Grace and his alien companion Rocky has turned it into a genuine pop culture phenomenon. To put its impact into perspective, during a recent Artemis II exchange, in response to Commander Reid Wiseman’s description of the view outside his spaceship, the members of mission control chimed in with, “Amaze! Amaze! Amaze”, a clear nod to Rocky’s memorable line.

While it’s safe to say the adaptation of Andy Weir’s beloved novel will continue to stand the test of time, similar to other great sci-fi stories of the last century, the movie itself is no stranger to paying homage to classics. From an unexpected Meryl Streep cameo to direct nods to Star Trek, the movie will have fans pointing to the screen in Rick Dalton fashion on repeat viewings.

Title	Project Hail Mary (2026)
Director	Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Cast	Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung
Tomatometer \| Popcornmeter	94% \| 96% (as of April 8, 2026)

Here’s an overview of some of the best pop culture references and easter eggs that viewers might’ve missed out on!

10 I’m Glad He’s Growing on Me, Not in Me

For a story set in space, where the protagonist finds himself trapped with an alien life form on the ship, a nod to Alien feels only natural, and Project Hail Mary delivers it, cheekily.

As Rocky begins to grow on both Rocky himself and the audience, Grace quips that he’s glad Rocky is growing on him, not inside him. While humorous in classic Andy Weir fashion, it also serves as a reference to Aliens, where a facehugger’s embryo fatally grows inside its host before bursting out

9 I’m a scientist, not Buck Roger

It’s pretty evident that Andy Weir is a huge Star Trek fan, and despite his distaste for the modern handling of the IP, his novel featured a bunch of references to it.

Project Hail Mary, on that front, doesn’t miss out, as it comprises a plethora of callbacks to the IP, including the franchise’s “I’m a (X), no (Y)” trope from Dr. Leonard McCoy. Grace uses a variation of it on multiple occasions, most notably when confronting a potential alien threat, “I’m a scientist, not Buck Rogers”.

8 I’ll have what she’s having

Project Hail Mary, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

When asked about their preferred way to die on the suicide mission, Ilyukhina says she’d choose lethal injection with heroin. Yao then chimes in with, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

It’s a direct nod to Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally and the iconic Katz’s deli, where Sally loudly moans to give a convincing demonstration of a fake orgasm to prove. In response, an older diner, played by Reiner’s own mother, Estelle Reiner, delivers the now-famous line.

7 Shields up!

Continuing with the Star Trek references, when Grace first encounters Rocky’s ship, he instinctively commands the Hail Mary to raise its defenses, saying, “Shields up,” fearing a potential attack.

For the unversed, “Shields up” is a familiar command within the Star Trek universe, which has been a staple across generations, from The Original Series to its more modern entries. The phrase in question signals that danger is imminent, making it a fitting line in the context of Project Hail Mary.

6 A Brief Voice Cameo from Meryl Streep

While Grace cycles through different voice options for Rocky, including ones reminiscent of Sony’s Venom and even Ian McKellen, the one that leaves the strongest impression is Meryl Streep.

Interestingly, this wasn’t a mimic or imitation but Meryl Streep herself. According to Andy Weir, who was against the prospect of using AI for Streep’s voice, The Devil Wears Prada 2 star agreed to lend her voice for the brief cameo in the movie without hesitation when approached.

5 A Homage to Superman II

Star Trek isn’t the only major sci-fi behemoth that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller pay homage to, as the movie also features a deliberate callback to Christopher Reeve‘s Superman II.

The scene in question mirrors the Phantom Zone sequence from the classic Superman II, which sees Zod and his followers being trapped in a 2D mirror-like plane. Grace mimics that moment by using one of the clear xenonite glasses while assembling Rocky’s dome inside the ship.

4 Adrian!

The name Rocky itself is a clear homage to Sylvester Stallone‘s revered Rocky series, and the sci-fi hit from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller isn’t shy about leaning into that connection.

When Grace is trying to come up with a human name for Rocky’s mate, he reasonably picks the name, Adrian. Played by Talia Shire, Adrian was Rocky Balboa’s wife and one of the major cornerstones of the entire franchise, appearing in almost every mainline entry except the sixth movie.

3 The Beatles Homage

To say that Andy Weir is a huge The Beatles fan would be an understatement, as the novel isn’t subtle with its references to the Fab Four, with Weir even going as far as to dedicate the novel to them.

On that front, the adaptation once again hits it out of the park when it comes to saying true to the movie’s spirit. And among the several nods, the most prominent one that stands out the most comes through the probes, which Grace names John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

2 Rocky’s Home Star System is a Nod to Spock

Among the many Star Trek nods, some of which are easy to miss on a first viewing, this one is hard to overlook if you’re a huge fan of the IP whose contribution to sci-fi remains unmatched.

In the movie, it’s revealed that Rocky comes from the 40 Eridani system. That should ring a bell for longtime Star Trek fans, as 40 Eridani A is also associated with Vulcan, the homeworld of Spock. It’s not exactly subtle, but that’s what makes it such an effective and satisfying reference.

1 The Iconic Five-Note motif from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Like Star Trek, the influence of Steven Spielberg on sci-fi is undeniable, so it’s no surprise that Project Hail Mary, a movie that is no stranger to pop-culture references, pays homage to one of the greats.

The Ryan Gosling-led movie references Spielberg’s first alien movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. During Grace’s first contact with Rocky, he taps on the xenonite surface and hums John Williams’s iconic five-note motif from the movie, echoing its famous musical form of communication.

Rank	Pop-Culture Reference/Easter Eggs
1	The five-note motif from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
2	Nod to Spock’s home star system
3	The Beatles homage
4	Rocky’s wife, Adrian
5	Nod to Superman II‘s Phantom Zone scene
6	Meryl Streep’s brief cameo
7	A callback to one iconic Star Trek line
8	A nod to When Harry Met Sally
9	Another subtle Star Trek reference
10	Subtle nod to Aliens

Although pop-culture references have a tendency to feel overwhelming, especially when they have nothing to do with the movie, Project Hail Mary, on the flip side, nails this balance. A big chunk of the humor also stems from Rocky being oblivious to all the references, including his own name, and these pop-culture nods help ground Grace, making him more relatable.

Has Andy Weir been critical of modern Star Trek?

In a recent podcast appearance, Andy Weir expressed his distaste for the modern treatment of the Star Trek franchise, claiming that most of the recent releases were sh–. However, he later backtracked and apologized in an open letter to Star Trek producer Alex Kurtzman, stating that his comments had been taken out of context.

What happened to Andy Weir’s Star Trek plans?

Andy Weir revealed that he had pitched a Star Trek TV show to Paramount executives, including Alex Kurtzman. But Paramount was apparently not interested in greenlighting his idea.

Will Project Hail Mary surpass The Martian?

While it’s still too early to predict the film’s final box-office total, its strong trajectory and box office legs suggests it could reach or surpass $700 million, effectively exceeding The Martian’s $630 million gross.

Share your thoughts on the movie below!

Project Hail Mary is currently playing in theaters.

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