India, April 13 -- It is generally advisable to lower expectations when a beloved book is adapted into a big-budget feature film. There's only so much of a dense, deeply internal reading experience that can survive the transition into a medium driven by visuals and dialogue. And when the book in question runs to 500 pages, with crucial details on nearly every page, that advice feels less like caution and more like inevitability.

Andy Weir is no stranger to this territory. The Martian (2015) proved that his brand of problem-solving, science-forward storytelling can translate effectively to the screen without losing its sense of urgency or humour. Project Hail Mary (2026) arrives with similar expectations - and perhaps even greater pressur...