‘Project Hail Mary’ hits theaters tomorrow — read the book for free now
· New York PostIt’s a tale as old as time… as soon as a hot new movie adaptation hits theaters, the book that inspired it surges in popularity — which can be a challenge if you’re a “read it before you see it” kind of person.
Hitting theaters on March 20, “Project Hail Mary,” the latest film from Oscar-winning “Spider-verse” visionaries Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is inspired by Andy Weir’s novel of the same name. Weir is, of course, the author of another sci-fi novel-turned-blockbuster, “The Martian.”
The book and its film adaptation follow 6th-grade science teacher Ryland Grace (played by Ryan Gosling in the movie), who wakes up on a spaceship in orbit with no recollection of how he got there. As pieces of his memory return, he must figure out why he’s there, what his mission was, and most importantly, how to complete it before the sun dies out.
The Post’s Johnny Oleksinski called the big-budget sci-fi flick “so much fun” and “hugely entertaining,” noting it’s full of “heart, sci-fi thrills, funny jokes and stupendous special effects.”
Naturally, a film with as much advance praise as “Project Hail Mary” has is going to make interest in the source material rise.
So much so that if you’re a New York Public Library or Brooklyn Public Library cardholder, you’ll be waiting up to 21 weeks to get your hands on a digital copy via the Libby app. With those wait times, it’ll be impossible to read the book before the film’s theatrical run wraps up (and trust us, you’re not going to want to wait to watch this one on streaming — see it on the biggest screen you can find).
That’s why we want to let you in on a money-saving secret.
Audible is currently the only place where you can acquire the audiobook of “Project Hail Mary,” and it’s also free (if you’re new to Audible, that is).
All you have to do to listen to “Project Hail Mary” for a total price of zero dollars is subscribe to one of Audible’s plans, both of which come with a one-month free trial for new users. The Premium Plus plan includes one audiobook of your choice per month that is yours to keep forever, even if you cancel, while the new Standard plan also lets you choose one book per month, but you lose it when you unsubscribe.
Whichever one you choose will come with “Project Hail Mary” as an option for your free book.
‘Project Hail Mary’ by Andy Weir
The audiobook of “Project Hail Mary” is narrated by Ray Porter and has a run time of 16 hours and 10 minutes.
‘Project Hail Mary’ movie release date
As noted above, the “Project Hail Mary” movie hits theaters on March 20.
Cast of ‘Project Hail Mary’ movie:
If you want to picture the characters in your head as you read, here’s who you’ll see starring in “Project Hail Mary” on the big screen.
- Ryan Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace, an astronaut on a mission to save humanity
- Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt, Ryland’s superior and the head of the Hail Mary project
- James Ortiz is the voice and lead puppeteer of Rocky, an alien Ryland encounters on his journey.
- Lionel Boyce as Officer Carl, a security guard
- Ken Leung as Yáo Li-Jie, one of the crew members of the Hail Mary
- Milana Vayntrub as Olesya Ilyukhina, one of the crewmembers of the Hail Mary
- Priya Kansara as the voice of Mary, the Hail Mary ship
- Liz Kingsman as Annie Shapiro, a backup crew member of the Hail Mary
- Orion Lee as Xi
- Aaron Neil as Narender
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
Looking for a headline-worthy haul? Keep shopping Post Wanted.