Ken Goes Cosmic: Gosling Headlines Amazon's Most Ambitious Film Yet

Max Sterling, 4/3/2025While Ryan Gosling prepares to save humanity from cosmic extinction in "Project Hail Mary," two hapless travelers discovered that stuffing suitcases with cannabis doesn't quite qualify as duty-free shopping. Talk about contrasting journeys – one's reaching for the stars, while others are headed straight to the slammer.

At this year's CinemaCon, Amazon MGM Studios pulled back the curtain on their most ambitious project yet — "Project Hail Mary," based on Andy Weir's bestseller. Gosling, fresh off his pink-hued Barbie success, traded plastic fantastic for space fantastic, cracking wise to the assembled industry crowd about putting the "not in astronaut." The quip landed perfectly — much like certain suspicious suitcases at Birmingham International Airport, but we'll get to that.

The footage unveiled by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (yeah, the guys who turned LEGOs into box office gold) looks properly mind-bending. Picture this: Gosling as a reluctant middle school teacher suddenly thrust into humanity's last-gasp mission to stop the sun — and apparently every other star in the galaxy — from pulling a disappearing act. Sort of like if "Interstellar" had a baby with "Don't Look Up," minus the comet and plus a healthy dose of optimism.

Speaking of disappearing acts...

December brought an entirely different kind of space case to light when Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley discovered that international travel comes with strict baggage restrictions. The pair's alleged shopping expedition to New York (with a dash of Paris thrown in for good measure) came to an abrupt halt when Border Force officials found their luggage packed with something decidedly more herbal than duty-free perfume.

The creative packers had stuffed their suitcases with 73 heat-sealed packages of cannabis — worth about £162,000 combined. That's quite the shopping haul, though probably not what their travel insurance had in mind for "valuable items coverage."

Back in Hollywood's considerably more legal realm of fantasy, "Project Hail Mary" is shaping up to be Amazon MGM's crown jewel. The studio's throwing down the gauntlet with plans to release 15 theatrical films by 2027, suggesting they're not just dipping their toes in the theatrical waters — they're doing a full cannonball.

Drew Goddard's screenplay adaptation brings Sandra Hüller aboard alongside Gosling, plus what Lord describes as "the most lovable alien since E.T." (Though customs officials might argue they've seen some pretty creative alien encounters of their own lately).

"The effects aren't done," the creative team admitted sheepishly at CinemaCon. Funny enough, the same could be said about the ripple effects of certain international travelers' creative packing solutions. While Gosling joked that his mother was previously the sole preview audience member, some other mothers are probably wishing their daughters' adventures hadn't become quite so publicly documented.

Mark your calendars for March 20, 2026 — that's when "Project Hail Mary" hits theaters. The creators insist it's too massive for television, claiming they "tried to put it on a TV once, it doesn't fit." Coincidentally, that's probably what crossed the minds of our innovative travelers while attempting to tetris their "shopping" into standard luggage dimensions.

Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways. While Gosling prepares to save the stars, others are learning that some stellar ambitions are better left on the drawing board.

Talk about a study in contrasts. While Ryan Gosling prepares to save humanity from cosmic extinction, two hapless travelers recently learned that their New York "shopping spree" landed them in a rather different kind of spotlight.At this year's CinemaCon, Amazon MGM Studios pulled back the curtain on their most ambitious project yet — "Project Hail Mary," based on Andy Weir's bestseller. Gosling, fresh off his pink-hued Barbie success, traded plastic fantastic for space fantastic, cracking wise to the assembled industry crowd about putting the "not in astronaut." The quip landed perfectly — much like certain suspicious suitcases at Birmingham International Airport, but we'll get to that.The footage unveiled by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (yeah, the guys who turned LEGOs into box office gold) looks properly mind-bending. Picture this: Gosling as a reluctant middle school teacher suddenly thrust into humanity's last-gasp mission to stop the sun — and apparently every other star in the galaxy — from pulling a disappearing act. Sort of like if "Interstellar" had a baby with "Don't Look Up," minus the comet and plus a healthy dose of optimism.Speaking of disappearing acts...December brought an entirely different kind of space case to light when Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley discovered that international travel comes with strict baggage restrictions. The pair's alleged shopping expedition to New York (with a dash of Paris thrown in for good measure) came to an abrupt halt when Border Force officials found their luggage packed with something decidedly more herbal than duty-free perfume.The creative packers had stuffed their suitcases with 73 heat-sealed packages of cannabis — worth about £162,000 combined. That's quite the shopping haul, though probably not what their travel insurance had in mind for "valuable items coverage."Back in Hollywood's considerably more legal realm of fantasy, "Project Hail Mary" is shaping up to be Amazon MGM's crown jewel. The studio's throwing down the gauntlet with plans to release 15 theatrical films by 2027, suggesting they're not just dipping their toes in the theatrical waters — they're doing a full cannonball.Drew Goddard's screenplay adaptation brings Sandra Hüller aboard alongside Gosling, plus what Lord describes as "the most lovable alien since E.T." (Though customs officials might argue they've seen some pretty creative alien encounters of their own lately)."The effects aren't done," the creative team admitted sheepishly at CinemaCon. Funny enough, the same could be said about the ripple effects of certain international travelers' creative packing solutions. While Gosling joked that his mother was previously the sole preview audience member, some other mothers are probably wishing their daughters' adventures hadn't become quite so publicly documented.Mark your calendars for March 20, 2026 — that's when "Project Hail Mary" hits theaters. The creators insist it's too massive for television, claiming they "tried to put it on a TV once, it doesn't fit." Coincidentally, that's probably what crossed the minds of our innovative travelers while attempting to tetris their "shopping" into standard luggage dimensions.Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways. While Gosling prepares to save the stars, others are learning that some stellar ambitions are better left on the drawing board.