Ryan Gosling isn’t just thinking about the future–he’s thinking about his kid’s future.
While promoting Project Hail Mary, the actor opened up on the New Heights Podcast about how fatherhood quietly reshaped the way he sees the world – and the stories he wants to tell.
“Being a dad, having two young kids, and I feel like everything is designed to scare them,” Ryan said. “I was so grateful just as a father to get to make a story for my kids—maybe, not to be too lofty—for their generation, that reminds you of what we’re capable of as human beings.”
It’s not just another space movie for him–it’s personal.
Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, the film leans into optimism at a time when, let’s be honest, that’s in short supply. But Gosling insists it’s not blind positivity.
“It doesn’t pretend that there’s not gonna be problems,” he explained, “but that we can solve them.”
The mindset is exactly what pulled him in.
“He believes in people,” Ryan said of Weir. “He believes in what we’re capable of… all the great innovations in human history started as impossible ideas.”
And maybe that’s the hook: a blockbuster that doesn’t just entertain – it reassures.
“I was really lucky to make this movie,” Gosling added. “It was an incredible book before it was a film.”
In other words, yes – it’s sci fi. But for Gosling, it’s also a message to the next generation: things might look messy, but humans? We’ve got a pretty good track record of figuring it out.
