Why Project Hail Mary Fans Will Love Brendan Fraser’s Next Sci-Fi Movie

Sci-fi is seeing a massive resurgence, and viewers are clearly craving stories that have both spectacle and emotion. Project Hail Mary is one cosmic adventure that hits these notes, and now Brendan Fraser‘s upcoming sci-fi movie, titled Starman, will do the same (via Deadline)

The movie follows a visionary technologist who is leading an ambitious mission to Mars. But when things spiral into chaos, he’s left stranded, millions of miles away from Earth. The premise immediately gives you flashbacks of the Ryan Gosling starrer, and people who loved Project Hail Mary will likely enjoy Starman too. 

Now, let’s look at other details about Fraser’s movie, followed by its similarities with the recent sci-fi blockbuster. 

Everything We Know About Brendan Fraser’s Starman 

Brendan Fraser will be collaborating with Emmy-winning filmmaker Josh Wakely for Starman. The director is going to create the film through his own original screenplay, and its production is set to begin this summer! Fraser will play Tom Adams, who leads an expedition to Mars, but unforeseen events transform his mission into an emotional survival thriller where every second matters.

The project boasts an impressive creative team, such as David S. Goyer, best known for writing Batman Begins, who will serve as an executive producer. Starman will be a Grace: A Storytelling Company production, and Fraser will be reuniting with a past collaborator, Eddie Vaisman of Sight Unseen, who also produced the actor’s last movie, titled Rental Family.

It will be financed by producers Tarek Sherif and Ryan Graves, and Anton (the company with Starman’s international distribution rights) will start offering the film to potential buyers and distributors at Marché du Film, held alongside the Cannes Film Festival. 

How Brendan Fraser’s Starman Resembles Project Hail Mary 

At their core, both Starman and Project Hail Mary revolve around being isolated in space and the psychological toll that comes with it. Ryan Gosling’s Ryland Grace in the movie had to rely on his intelligence, determination, and Rocky as he faced impossible odds, away from Earth. 

Here’s an overview of the movie:

Movie:	Project Hail Mary
Directed by:	Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Screenplay by:	Drew Goddard
Based on:	Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary
Distributed by:	Amazon MGM Studios Sony Pictures Releasing International
Release Date:	March 20, 2026
Rotten Tomatoes (as of May 7, 2026):	94% | 96%

Starman also mirrors the same formula, but we don’t know if Brendan Fraser’s character will also find a companion in space. And I believe that’s where the two features will diverge because having an alien help him out would make it way too similar.

So, it’s this choice that will likely help Starman carve out its own identity. But I like how both films seem to be interested in exaggerated fantasy concepts; instead, they are focused on human beings who are tested in all ways possible. 

Most importantly, it seems like Starman and Project Hail Mary are driven by hope because that’s what one needs in such scenarios. So, what are your thoughts about the resemblance? Do you like the idea of it, or does it seem too repetitive? Do let us know in the comments below.