Beyond the Stars: Predicting the Next Big Hit in Hard Sci-Fi Cinema

The film’s success mirrors that of the 2014 space epic “Interstellar,” directed by Christopher Nolan. Since its debut, “Interstellar” has amassed a devoted following, with its score becoming one of the most iconic of the 21st century. Both movies are not only essential viewing for sci-fi enthusiasts but also serve as inspiration for Hollywood executives pondering, “How can we replicate this success?”

Predictably, studios may attempt to produce more “hard” sci-fi films, hoping to replicate the box office magic of “Project Hail Mary” and “Interstellar.” Yet, this approach is often misguided. For those seeking a worthy spiritual successor to these hits, there’s a promising sci-fi project that stands out above another “Highlander” reboot.

“Interstellar” and “Project Hail Mary” are frequently mentioned together not only because they feature astronauts but due to their shared passion for science. These films are significant American blockbusters that shy away from relying solely on action. Rather than resorting to violence, their characters overcome challenges through collaboration, scientific exploration, and venturing into the unknown. It’s these shared themes that link the two films.

Given these qualities, the next big “hard” sci-fi success could be an adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel “Artemis.” Written by the author of “Project Hail Mary,” “Artemis” follows the story of Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara, a hustler living in the lunar colony of Artemis. Jazz embarks on a scheme to strike it rich, only to find herself embroiled in a plot with far-reaching implications for the colony’s future. With its compelling narrative and scientific intrigue, “Artemis” is a promising contender for box office glory.

“Interstellar” and especially “Project Hail Mary” are tremendous box office successes often thought of in the same breath for reasons beyond them both starring astronauts. They’re both projects unabashedly in love with science that are also major American blockbusters that aren’t concerned with endless streams of action. These are not motion pictures where characters solve their problems with lots of punches. Instead, teamwork, science, and venturing into the unknown is what saves the day. Those common elements among otherwise varied titles are why they’re often grouped together.

Considering those qualities, the next “hard” sci-fi film that could make it big at the box office might just be a film adaptation of the Andy Weir novel “Artemis.” Hailing from the “Project Hail Mary” author, “Artemis” chronicles a hustler named Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara living on the Moon colony Artemis. She secures a chance at getting rich with a new scheme that ends up having far more going on than it appears. What once seemed like a way to score some easy cash eventually gets Jazz stuck in the middle of a plot that will determine the very future of Artemis.

Beyond just being a sci-fi story largely taking place off Earth, “Artemis” also evokes “Interstellar” and “Project Hail Mary” in not focusing squarely on fistfights and gunfire. Weir’s text instead peels back multiple layers of deception. For those craving some more big-budget storytelling that isn’t concerned with explosions, “Artemis” might be their ticket. Its idiosyncratic qualities could also make it the next hard sci-fi title to blow everyone away at the box office like “Project Hail Mary” did.

So many films are set against the beauty of the cosmos. However, tons of those features concern themselves with super-powered individuals or “chosen one” characters far removed from the ordinary existences of most moviegoers. “Interstellar” and “Project Hail Mary” rectified this problem by transporting farmers and teachers, respectively, to imaginatively realized cosmic backdrops. This is one area where “Artemis” could really excel as a spiritual successor to those films. This title has a central backdrop, a city on the Moon, that’s incredibly unique in the history of cinema. Following everyday characters across that visually striking terrain alone could make this a must-see.

After all, how many motion pictures really concern themselves with the Moon, an entity so close and yet so far to our Earth? Beyond historical dramas like “First Man,” only occasional genre films like “Ad Astra” or “Moonfall” tell sagas involving this cosmic creation. It’s high time the Moon got more of a chance to shimmer in the cinematic spotlight. “Artemis” could fill that void while giving moviegoers the space-bound spectacle that “Interstellar” and “Project Hail Mary” delivered in abundance.

So long as any film adaptation of that 2017 text doesn’t forget how important relatable human characters were to those earlier hits, “Artemis” and its distinctive outer space domains could go far financially. “Interstellar” and “Project Hail Mary” have certainly proved there’s a demand out there for movies about normal folks traversing the cosmos.

Ryan Gosling’s stunning space adventure “Project Hail Mary” was the first film adaptation of a novel from author Andy Weir since October 2015’s “The Martian.” Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and just the patience to wait so long between Weir motion pictures could’ve made “Project Hail Mary” special. However, the plot of “Project Hail Mary” was different enough from “The Martian” to ensure that it didn’t feel like reheated leftovers. Whereas that earlier sci-fi title was largely a one-man show set on Mars, Gosling’s star vehicle flourished because it was a two-hander enterprise. This was a film about blossoming friendship between unlikely souls rather than a survival thriller about one isolated person.

It’s important when making new “hard” sci-fi titles that they don’t just repeat the same plots as their spiritual predecessors. They can share some aesthetic similarities, like an accessible tone or a love for science. However, the recipe for making more hits like “Project Hail Mary” isn’t just recreating that movie’s story ad nauseam. This is why “Artemis” is an optimal next choice for the hard sci-fi cinematic space. Its conspiratorial ambiance evokes “The Conversation” or “Three Days of the Condor” way more than either prior Weir novel adaptation.

Plus, the inherently larger cast of “Artemis” (since it takes place on a Moon colony) could further differentiate it from post-2013 cosmic titles. Balancing the familiar with the new is vital and something “Artemis” appears to have (conceptually) aced.

Counting its 2024 theatrical re-release that brought its domestic haul to $203 million, “Interstellar” ended up outgrossing bigger 2014 franchise fare like “Godzilla” and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” at the North American box office. As of this writing, “Project Hail Mary” is the second biggest movie of 2026 domestically and is gearing up to become the rare live-action non-sequel to crack $300+ million in North America. Some sci-fi box office bombs were just too ambitious for their own good. These two audacious titles, meanwhile, were exercises in printing money. Those massive numbers mean that Hollywood is on the lookout for the next cosmic feature that could follow in these towering financial footsteps.

“Artemis” has a lot of elements in play that could make it a big deal at the box office, including clear parallels to “Interstellar” and “Project Hail Mary.” One unique facet to this film, though, is that it has a woman protagonist. Movies that resonate strongly with ladies have driven the biggest box office hits of the 2020s so far, including “Barbie,” “Inside Out 2,” “The Housemaid,” and many more. Centering “Artemis” on a lady could mean this production follows that exciting box office trend. 

It’s impossible to tell if that would be enough to catapult a potential “Artemis” film adaptation above “Project Hail Mary” and “Interstellar” at the box office. However, centering women certainly speaks promisingly to its potential in that regard.

Part of the untold truth of “Interstellar” is that this project originated as a Steven Spielberg directorial effort in the mid-2000s. That iteration of the production became another one of the many Steven Spielberg movies we’ll never get to see. Years later, Christopher Nolan took over the project and brought it to theaters. It took eons for this title to materialize on the silver screen, but the lengthy gestation period was clearly worth it. An “Artemis” film adaptation has faced a similar hefty development process.

“Project Hail Mary” directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were first attached to this endeavor back in 2017. “Artemis” was set up at 20th Century Fox, which later became absorbed by Disney and transformed into 20th Century Studios. Presumably, those studio politics helped slow things down, but Lord and Miller have recently expressed enthusiasm about finally helming this production. This all speaks highly to why “Artemis” could be the heir to the “Interstellar” and “Project Hail Mary” throne. There’s already a film adaptation brewing and with some extremely valuable talent attached to boot.

That puts “Artemis” considerably further along in the production pipeline than other potential new hard sci-fi movie hits. If so many of the puzzle pieces are already in place, why not pull the trigger on an “Artemis” movie? After all, the 2014 box office smash “Interstellar” proved a slow and steady behind-the-scenes process doesn’t inherently doom a blockbuster.