Latest news with #TheMartian
Irish Independent
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
How Sci-Fi, blockchain, and a Wicklow author are redefining books
From the swagger of Star Wars to the philosophy of Star Trek, sci-fi has fired our imaginations for generations. In recent years, The Martian saw Matt Damon stranded on the Red Planet, surviving on potatoes and sheer grit. But while the future played out on our screens, something quieter was happening in the world of books. Most of us now read on Kindle or Audible, or other apps. It's easy, convenient, and great for travel. But we don't actually own those digital books. We just license them. Technically, Amazon could remove them from your library at any time, and there's no way to resell a book once you're finished. Enter Web3, a fancy name for the next version of the internet that uses blockchain (the same tech behind Bitcoin) to do something surprisingly human: give people back ownership. With books, that's exactly what new platforms like are doing. When you buy a book on you actually own it. You can read it at your leisure, then resell it in a digital second-hand marketplace. Even better, the author still gets paid when it's resold, with writers getting royalties on every sale, not just the first one. Local Arklow journalist Jillian Godsil is putting this new model into action in Daria's Delightful Dancing Emporium, a quirky, heart-warming sci-fi tale set in a Martian outpost where dance becomes resistance, memory, and magic. It's got Plutonians, Poitín, mystery barks, and a whole lot of soul. 'Web3 isn't just for coders and crypto bros - it's quietly rebuilding old ideas, like owning a book, like paying authors fairly, in a brand-new way,' Jillian said. The book is live now on Readers can purchase using ADA, a popular cryptocurrency, or just use a regular credit or debit card in USD. No crypto knowledge needed. And for the traditionalists, yes, it's available on Amazon too – but remember, that's a license, not ownership. You can't lend it, sell it, or guarantee it'll always be there. Thanks to authors like Jillian, you don't need a spaceship to join the adventure. Just a curious mind and maybe a rhythm or two.
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
Ryan Gosling and faceless alien named Rocky wow crowd at 'Project Hail Mary' Comic-Con panel
SAN DIEGO -- SAN DIEGO (AP) — Comic-Con got a lot of Ryan and a little bit of Rocky at a panel on 'Project: Hail Mary,' the forthcoming film that's equal parts space adventure, real-science deep-dive, broad comedy and relationship drama. 'What's up Hall H!' a giddy Ryan Gosling in a trucker hat and flannel shirt shouted to the crowd of more than 6,000 at Comic-Con's biggest venue. Amazon MGM Studios showed the opening five minutes and several other slightly unfinished scenes from the first third of the film, seven months before its planned release. (Spoilers for that section follow). It included an extended glimpse at Rocky, the stone-shaped and faceless alien who becomes Gosling's mission partner as they attempt to save the universe from ecological disaster. Phil Lord, who codirected the film with Chris Miller, said the relationship between the two beings stuck alone together in space represents the central theme. 'If the universe depended on it,' Miller said, 'can adult men make friends?' Rocky is already a cult favorite for readers of Andy Weir's novel, and is sure to be a future staple of Comic-Con cosplay. Asked where Rocky might rank among his great screen relationships, Gosling declined to answer, saying it's too soon to know. Weir, who was part of the panel, chimed in: 'From Emma Stone, to person of stone.' The film is adapted by screenwriter Drew Goddard, who also wrote the script for the 2015 Matt Damon movie 'The Martian,' based on Weir's first novel. Gosling said he got on board the ship immediately after reading 'Project Hail Mary' in manuscript form, and was only partly kidding when he called Weir, who was sitting next to him, 'the greatest sci-fi mind of our time.' 'I knew it would be brilliant, because it's Andy, but nothing could prepare me,' Gosling said. 'It took me places I'd never been, it showed me things I'd never seen, it was as heartbreaking as it was funny.' Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher and underachiever drafted for the mission. 'I connect to his reluctance," Gosling said. 'Aside from he fact that he has a doctorate in molecular biology he's quite an ordinary person. He reacts to a lot of things that I might or a lot of us might. He's terrified — appropriately — of the task at hand.' The opening five minutes show a gloppy, long-bearded, amnesiac Gosling as he awakes in a pod. He climbs out, confused. He finds other people in pods who are clearly dead. Then he finds a window and learns he's in space. He gives a mealymouthed scream of 'Where am ?!' When the lights came up in the room, Gosling said that he'd looked in the scene like a 'space caveman' in a 'placenta onesie.' The movie represents the return to directing, and return to space, of Lord and Miller for the first time since they were fired and replaced by Ron Howard by Disney and Lucasfilm from 2018's 'Solo.' Like, 'The Martian,' the movie goes heavy on the science — Weir, also a producer, said he spent hours going over every equation one very white board. But it takes the messy, kitchen-sink, everything-is-comedy approach Lord and Miller used in films like 'The Lego Movie.' 'This movie is not a Mac, it's a PC,' Lord said. 'It can be beautiful, it just can't be pretty."
eNCA
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- eNCA
'Project Hail Mary' sends Ryan Gosling into outer space
SAN DIEGO - Comic-Con attendees got their first glimpse at the new sci-fi space thriller "Project Hail Mary," starring Ryan Gosling, ahead of its arrival in US theatres in March 2026. Gosling was joined on a convention panel by directing duo Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, as well as screenwriter Drew Goddard and book author Andy Weir -- whose previous novel "The Martian" was also turned into an Oscar-nominated film starring Matt Damon. Based on Weir's 2021 book of the same title, "Project Hail Mary" follows astronaut Ryland Grace (Gosling), a science teacher waking up to learn he was recruited for a space mission to save Earth from an existential solar threat. Gosling described his character as "a scared guy who has to do something impossible." "I knew it would be brilliant, because it's Andy [Weir]," Gosling told the crowd. "It took me places I've never been. It showed me things I had never seen. It was as heartbreaking as it was funny and I was... not just blown away, but also overwhelmed." Weir, for his part, said it was "so cool" to see his book come to life and complimented Gosling for giving "many layers to this character I made up." The event also showcased various clips from the film, receiving a positive response from fans, who noted the bond formed between Gosling's character and an alien named Rocky.
Kuwait Times
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
‘Project Hail Mary' sends Ryan Gosling, and Comic-Con, into outer space
Comic-Con attendees got their first glimpse Saturday at the new sci-fi space thriller 'Project Hail Mary,' starring Ryan Gosling, ahead of its arrival in US theaters in March 2026. Gosling was joined on a convention panel by directing duo Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, as well as screenwriter Drew Goddard and book author Andy Weir - whose previous novel 'The Martian' was also turned into an Oscar-nominated film starring Matt Damon. Based on Weir's 2021 book of the same title, 'Project Hail Mary' follows astronaut Ryland Grace (Gosling), a science teacher waking up to learn he was recruited for a space mission to save Earth from an existential solar threat. Gosling described his character as 'a scared guy who has to do something impossible.' 'I knew it would be brilliant, because it's Andy [Weir],' Gosling told the crowd. 'It took me places I've never been. It showed me things I had never seen. It was as heartbreaking as it was funny and I was... not just blown away, but also overwhelmed.' Weir for his part said it was 'so cool' to see his book come to life and complimented Gosling for giving 'many layers to this character I made up.' Lord and Miller, the Oscar-winning duo behind the 'Spider-Verse' Spider-Man animated films, talked about the challenges of shooting a 'crazy ambitious' film which takes place inside a spaceship for the most part. 'We had to build an entire spaceship in two modes of gravity, and then we built this entire massive tunnel at scale,' Miller said. 'This is insane, to build a tunnel that was like 100 feet (30 meters) long, filled up an entire stage.' US actress Holly Hunter attends "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" panel in Hall H of the convention center during Comic Con International in San Diego, California. Ryan Gosling speaks onstage at Amazon MGM Studios "Project Hail Mary" Panel during 2025 Comic-Con International: San Diego at San Diego Convention Center. The event also showcased various clips from the film, receiving a positive response from fans, who noted the bond formed between Gosling's character and an alien named Rocky. 'The relationship between these two characters is the heart of the movie,' Miller said. 'I loved it,' attendee April Rodriguez, who also read the book, gushed about the film. 'I just never, like, envisioned it that way. So that was pretty cool.' Star Trek Comic-Con, which bring some 130,000 fans for the convention in San Diego, California, welcomed the Star Trek universe to the main stage earlier in the day Saturday to showcase its upcoming releases. Thousands of fans filled the hall to watch exclusive footage from the fourth season of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' before it premieres on Paramount+. One clip showed Captain Christopher Pike played by Anson Mount in an entire episode where the cast is depicted like puppets from Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Fans were also offered a first look of a new Star Trek series, dubbed 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' starring Holly Hunter. Hunter plays Nahla Ake, the academy's chancellor and captain of the USS Athena, who in a clip shown at Comic-Con welcomes a new class of cadets. 'It was really interesting to get the offer to be the captain, but then also to combine that with being the chancellor,' Hunter said. 'The captain is there to analyze in emergency situations, and then to delegate. And the chancellor is there to guide, to collaborate and to have tremendous empathy. 'It was just a wonderful combination of things,' she added. Comic-Con continues on Sunday for its final day of events. — AFP
The Advertiser
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Ryan Gosling and faceless alien wow crowd at Comic-Con
Comic-Con got a lot of Ryan and a little bit of Rocky at a panel on Project Hail Mary, the forthcoming film that's equal parts space adventure, real-science deep-dive, broad comedy and relationship drama. "What's up Hall H!" a giddy Ryan Gosling in a trucker hat and flannel shirt shouted to the crowd of more than 6000 at Comic-Con's biggest venue. Amazon MGM Studios showed the opening five minutes and several other slightly unfinished scenes from the first third of the film, seven months before its planned release. (Spoilers for that section follow). It included an extended glimpse at Rocky, the stone-shaped and faceless alien who becomes Gosling's mission partner as they attempt to save the universe from ecological disaster. Phil Lord, who co-directed the film with Chris Miller, said the relationship between the two beings stuck alone together in space represents the central theme. "If the universe depended on it," Miller said, "can adult men make friends?" Rocky is already a cult favourite for readers of Andy Weir's novel, and is sure to be a future staple of Comic-Con cosplay. Gosling said he got on board immediately after reading Project Hail Mary in manuscript form, and was only partly kidding when he called Weir, who was sitting next to him, "the greatest sci-fi mind of our time". "I knew it would be brilliant, because it's Andy, but nothing could prepare me," Gosling said. "It took me places I'd never been, it showed me things I'd never seen, it was as heartbreaking as it was funny." Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher and underachiever drafted for the mission. The opening five minutes show a gloppy, long-bearded, amnesiac Gosling as he awakes in a pod. He climbs out, confused. He finds other people in pods who are clearly dead. Then he finds a window and learns he's in space. He gives a mealy-mouthed scream of "Where am ?!" The movie represents the return to directing, and return to space, of Lord and Miller for the first time since they were fired and replaced by Ron Howard by Disney and Lucasfilm from 2018's Solo. Like The Martian, the movie goes heavy on the science but takes the messy, kitchen-sink, everything-is-comedy approach Lord and Miller used in films like The Lego Movie. "This movie is not a Mac, it's a PC," Lord said. "It can be beautiful, it just can't be pretty." Comic-Con got a lot of Ryan and a little bit of Rocky at a panel on Project Hail Mary, the forthcoming film that's equal parts space adventure, real-science deep-dive, broad comedy and relationship drama. "What's up Hall H!" a giddy Ryan Gosling in a trucker hat and flannel shirt shouted to the crowd of more than 6000 at Comic-Con's biggest venue. Amazon MGM Studios showed the opening five minutes and several other slightly unfinished scenes from the first third of the film, seven months before its planned release. (Spoilers for that section follow). It included an extended glimpse at Rocky, the stone-shaped and faceless alien who becomes Gosling's mission partner as they attempt to save the universe from ecological disaster. Phil Lord, who co-directed the film with Chris Miller, said the relationship between the two beings stuck alone together in space represents the central theme. "If the universe depended on it," Miller said, "can adult men make friends?" Rocky is already a cult favourite for readers of Andy Weir's novel, and is sure to be a future staple of Comic-Con cosplay. Gosling said he got on board immediately after reading Project Hail Mary in manuscript form, and was only partly kidding when he called Weir, who was sitting next to him, "the greatest sci-fi mind of our time". "I knew it would be brilliant, because it's Andy, but nothing could prepare me," Gosling said. "It took me places I'd never been, it showed me things I'd never seen, it was as heartbreaking as it was funny." Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher and underachiever drafted for the mission. The opening five minutes show a gloppy, long-bearded, amnesiac Gosling as he awakes in a pod. He climbs out, confused. He finds other people in pods who are clearly dead. Then he finds a window and learns he's in space. He gives a mealy-mouthed scream of "Where am ?!" The movie represents the return to directing, and return to space, of Lord and Miller for the first time since they were fired and replaced by Ron Howard by Disney and Lucasfilm from 2018's Solo. Like The Martian, the movie goes heavy on the science but takes the messy, kitchen-sink, everything-is-comedy approach Lord and Miller used in films like The Lego Movie. "This movie is not a Mac, it's a PC," Lord said. "It can be beautiful, it just can't be pretty." Comic-Con got a lot of Ryan and a little bit of Rocky at a panel on Project Hail Mary, the forthcoming film that's equal parts space adventure, real-science deep-dive, broad comedy and relationship drama. "What's up Hall H!" a giddy Ryan Gosling in a trucker hat and flannel shirt shouted to the crowd of more than 6000 at Comic-Con's biggest venue. Amazon MGM Studios showed the opening five minutes and several other slightly unfinished scenes from the first third of the film, seven months before its planned release. (Spoilers for that section follow). It included an extended glimpse at Rocky, the stone-shaped and faceless alien who becomes Gosling's mission partner as they attempt to save the universe from ecological disaster. Phil Lord, who co-directed the film with Chris Miller, said the relationship between the two beings stuck alone together in space represents the central theme. "If the universe depended on it," Miller said, "can adult men make friends?" Rocky is already a cult favourite for readers of Andy Weir's novel, and is sure to be a future staple of Comic-Con cosplay. Gosling said he got on board immediately after reading Project Hail Mary in manuscript form, and was only partly kidding when he called Weir, who was sitting next to him, "the greatest sci-fi mind of our time". "I knew it would be brilliant, because it's Andy, but nothing could prepare me," Gosling said. "It took me places I'd never been, it showed me things I'd never seen, it was as heartbreaking as it was funny." Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher and underachiever drafted for the mission. The opening five minutes show a gloppy, long-bearded, amnesiac Gosling as he awakes in a pod. He climbs out, confused. He finds other people in pods who are clearly dead. Then he finds a window and learns he's in space. He gives a mealy-mouthed scream of "Where am ?!" The movie represents the return to directing, and return to space, of Lord and Miller for the first time since they were fired and replaced by Ron Howard by Disney and Lucasfilm from 2018's Solo. Like The Martian, the movie goes heavy on the science but takes the messy, kitchen-sink, everything-is-comedy approach Lord and Miller used in films like The Lego Movie. "This movie is not a Mac, it's a PC," Lord said. "It can be beautiful, it just can't be pretty."
