PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   Arguably, the massive success of Project Hail Mary stems from its presence across multiple media formats. Right now, when we discuss the story, the film is the main focus—but Andy Weir’s 2021 novel laid the groundwork, and the outstanding audiobook narrated by Ray Porter won over a whole different group of fans. In a way, the film is just another thread in the tapestry—the tale of Ryland Grace and Rocky saving the stars is larger than even the biggest movie in the world right now. But what if there’s even more? While there’s talk of a Project Hail Mary sequel, another new take on the core story is heading to a different medium.

Hayakawa Publishing is releasing a manga adaptation of Project Hail Mary, illustrated by artist Hajime Go. Kazuko Onoda—who translated the original novel into Japanese for Hayakawa in 2021—will handle the Japanese translation and manga adaptation of the text.

Notably, the translated paperback was released in two volumes, and the upcoming manga might follow suit. The announcement was shared on X (formerly Twitter) alongside a manga image: Ryland Grace in the tunnel connecting the Hail Mary and Blip-A, just before his first meeting with Rocky.

Beyond looking great, what unique elements could the manga bring that the novel, film, and audiobook don’t? If it’s two volumes, the Project Hail Mary manga could visually restore scenes cut from the movie. For instance, the book describes extreme Earth-based efforts to halt global cooling—including nuking Antarctica. It also delves deeper into Rocky’s journey from the planet Erid and Grace’s life on Earth before joining the Hail Mary.

Sources say the first rough cut of the Project Hail Mary film was over four hours long, forcing directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord to make major cuts for a tighter narrative. But a two-volume manga wouldn’t face the same constraints. We might see more of Erid (via flashbacks), additional astrophage farming scenes on Earth, and all of Grace’s EVAs on the Hail Mary’s hull. The film streamlines many epic space sequences—which works—but fans of the complete story know several cool space moments were left out.

Lastly, the manga could bring back the prominence of the self-guiding “Beetles”—crafts carrying Grace’s data to Earth to cure the sun’s astrophage plague. The movie briefly mentions these crafts (named John, Paul, George, and Ringo) but skips their connection to the Beatles or the scene where Grace uses one to propel his ship.

Will the manga adapt all your favorite Project Hail Mary scenes that didn’t make it into the film? It’s too soon to say, but one thing’s clear: If all the art matches the preview image, readers of any language will want to pick this up the second it’s available.

Project Hail Mary is in theaters now. There is not yet a release date for the Project Hail Mary manga.