Project Hail Mary Directors Reveal How Much of the Movie Is Practical Effects (More Than You Think)
CGI has become so advanced over the years that filmmakers can depict just about anything they can imagine on screen. Movies like James Cameron’s Avatar wouldn’t be possible without these evolutions in technology. Still, directors remain interested in doing as much practically as possible, even when they are making a sprawling sci-fi epic that is set in space. This month’s Project Hail Mary is an example of that approach in action. The film is tailor-made for the biggest screens and promises to be a visually stunning ride for audiences, but directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller made sure everything felt as grounded as possible.
In an interview with ComicBook to promote the upcoming release of Project Hail Mary (in theaters March 20th), Lord and Miller discussed the film’s impressive visual effects. “I think the singular achievement has to be Rocky,” said Lord. “Holistically, from his design that started before we even had a script to physically printing him out and painting him and having him move in ways that were expressive and to the CG artists and animators that took the baton … and kept being expressive and bring their own personality to it. It’s emblematic of what happens through the whole movie.”
Miller continued, “And what’s fun about the movie is there is no green screen in the movie whatsoever. Not a single green or blue screen was used. The whole ship was built as a set from the inside. We had a huge section of the exterior of the ship on the outside that we built. Rocky was really with us at all times. That’s what makes it feel real and makes it feel natural … and the way that [cinematographer] Greig’s [Fraser] team lit with a lot of practical lights allowed him to move the camera wherever and find these moments because we could see this thing that Rocky was doing and then move over to [Ryan Gosling’s character] Grace and see his reaction to what was really happening, and you weren’t just guessing and pointing out where Rocky might be some day. And that’s what makes it feel like it was captured in the moment.
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Practical Effects Should Make Project Hail Mary A Better Film
It’s important to keep in mind that even though Lord and Miller didn’t make use of blue and green screens, Project Hail Mary (obviously) features plenty of digital effects. Lord made sure to credit the CGI artists for the work they did in helping bring Rocky to life. Still, it’s impressive to hear that so much of Project Hail Mary is practical. It’s common for big-budget Hollywood productions to use green and blue screens essentially as set extensions, filling out parts of the scene environment later in post. This can be a great tool, but the downside is that the actual physical actions being filmed are taking place in a smaller space.
Lord and Miller’s practical approach will help Project Hail Mary feel even grander and more cinematic. Since all of the scenes taking place inside the ship were filmed on real sets, the camera can freely move around the full interior, meaning Lord and Miller aren’t as restricted when it comes to shot angles and camera moves. It’ll also help Project Hail Mary be a more immersive viewing experience. Audiences can tell when something is practical, and that groundedness goes a long way in getting them to buy in — especially when the film is dealing high-concept sci-fi elements.
Nowhere should Lord and Miller’s practical techniques benefit Project Hail Mary more than in the character of Rocky, who is arguably one of the most important elements of the entire film. As highlighted in the final Project Hail Mary trailer that released last month, the dynamic between Ryland Grace and Rocky serves as the story’s emotional core. While Project Hail Mary is about Ryland Grace attempting to save Earth, at its heart, the film is a buddy movie. Rocky needed to feel real in order for that aspect to resonate with audiences as intended. Having a practical Rocky on set also made Ryan Gosling’s job easier since there was actually something there he could see and act against throughout the entire production.
Project Hail Mary is shaping up to be one of 2026’s first true cinematic events. There’s a push in the marketing campaign to get people to see it in premium formats, and it’s easy to see why. This was a film designed with the biggest screens in mind. If the early Project Hail Mary reactions are any indication, it’s a remarkable achievement in both filmmaking and storytelling that represents Lord and Miller’s next evolution as craftsmen. Ideally, the directors will be able to harness the experience they gained here to inform their next anticipated sci-fi film, Artemis, which remains in development.
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