Insights on Writing from Andy Weir, Author of Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir has had a solid track record with adaptations. His debut novel, The Martian, hit the big screen in 2015, raking in over $600 million at the box office. Now, Project Hail Mary has kicked off with a massive opening weekend, positioning it to be one of the year’s standout films. Despite this success, Weir prefers to keep the thought of adaptations out of his mind when he begins a new novel. “I try not to think about it at all,” he shares.

Weir explains that the two mediums are fundamentally different, a lesson he’s learned over the past decade, especially while working on Project Hail Mary, where he took on a producer role. “I was intimately involved in every aspect of the production,” he notes. “I was there for the shoot, involved in casting, selecting directors, and even post-production and editing. I got to give notes on everything. The main reason I’m a producer is due to my contract, but I mostly tried to let the real producers handle things.”

This experience provided him with a deeper understanding of filmmaking—unlike The Martian, where he says, “they just gave me money and told me to go away”—but it hasn’t altered his writing approach. He elaborated on this perspective:

> “When I’m writing a book — and this is advice I give to all authors — I don’t think about a movie adaptation. If you want to write a movie, write a screenplay. But if you want to write a book, write a book. Focus on the reader’s experience while they’re reading your book. Don’t limit yourself to what would make a good cinematic movie. Concentrate on what makes a good literary work. There are many things you can do in books that you can’t do in movies, and vice versa, so take advantage of the larger canvas and flexibility of the written word. Use all those tools instead of confining yourself to writing a novelization of a movie in your head.”

That said, Weir’s books have proven to translate well to the screen. Drew Goddard, who penned the scripts for both The Martian and Project Hail Mary, is well-equipped to discuss what makes them work. Initially, Goddard felt “scared” about adapting Project Hail Mary due to its ambitious narrative, but he believes those grand concepts are what make Weir’s stories so cinematic.

“He’s got these wonderful big, cinematic ideas,” Goddard remarks. “He has a fantastic sense of plot. For me, it’s the soul of his writing that really elevates it. It’s easy to overlook because his ideas are so grand and the hard science is so prominent, leading people to think that’s the key to his success. But I see deeper themes about humanity woven throughout. He might say he’s just trying to entertain, but I disagree. I see beautiful themes of human compassion and emotion in his work, and my job is to bring that essence to the screen.”

This understanding helped Goddard overcome his initial apprehension about adapting Project Hail Mary. “I knew we had to try because I love this book so much,” he reflects.