Real stars, real distances
The three destinations are actual stars. Proxima Centauri, the closest to the Sun, is about 4.2 light-years away. Tau Ceti — the system at the heart of the mission in Project Hail Mary — sits around 11.9 light-years out. And 40 Eridani, the star of Rocky's homeworld Erid, is roughly 16.3 light-years from us. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, so even light itself takes years to make these trips.
How long it really takes
At the speed of light, Tau Ceti is a 11.9-year journey and 40 Eridani about 16.3 years — and nothing with mass can actually reach light speed. The story's astrophage engine cruises at roughly 92% of light speed on average, which puts Tau Ceti near 13 years and Erid near 18. Compare that to a real spacecraft: a Voyager-class probe at about 61,000 km/h would need on the order of 200,000 years just to reach Tau Ceti. The gap between science fiction and today's rockets is staggering.
The Project Hail Mary movie: release date, cast and where to watch
The film adaptation of Andy Weir's novel reached cinemas on 20 March 2026, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a screenplay by Drew Goddard, and produced by Amazon MGM Studios. Ryan Gosling stars as Dr. Ryland Grace, the amnesiac science teacher who wakes alone aboard the ship, with Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt and James Ortiz as Rocky, the Eridian who communicates in musical tones. It opened to about $80.6 million in the US and Canada and roughly $141 million worldwide, Amazon MGM's biggest debut to date. If you're wondering where to watch Project Hail Mary: it began streaming on Prime Video on 3 July 2026, 105 days after its theatrical run, with 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD following on 11 August.
Is there a Project Hail Mary sequel?
Not for now. Andy Weir has said he has "bits and pieces" of ideas but that nothing has come together for a follow-up, and his next novel is a standalone science fiction story rather than a continuation. So there is no announced sequel to the book, and no second film has been confirmed either — the 2026 movie tells the complete story of the novel.
Not to be confused with Hail Mary (1985)
Search for "Hail Mary movie" and you'll also run into a completely unrelated film: Hail Mary (Je vous salue, Marie, 1985) by French director Jean-Luc Godard, a controversial art-house retelling of the nativity. It shares nothing but a name with Andy Weir's story — if you're after Ryan Gosling and an alien named Rocky, the film you want is Project Hail Mary (2026).
Why the travel times here are a simplification
These are classical estimates — distance divided by speed — and they deliberately ignore relativity. Near light speed, time dilation means the crew aboard would experience far less time than the years counted here, which is exactly why interstellar fiction leans on it. The tool is built for wonder and a sense of scale rather than mission planning, pairing real astronomy with an original ship and a fictional drive.
For fun and scale: real distances with a simplified, non-relativistic model. Film details as of July 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Project Hail Mary movie come out?
It was released in cinemas on 20 March 2026, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for Amazon MGM Studios.
Where can I watch Project Hail Mary?
It started streaming on Prime Video on 3 July 2026, 105 days after its theatrical release. 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD editions followed on 11 August 2026.
Who is in the Project Hail Mary cast?
Ryan Gosling plays Dr. Ryland Grace, Sandra Hüller plays Eva Stratt and James Ortiz plays Rocky the Eridian. Drew Goddard wrote the screenplay.
Is there a sequel to Project Hail Mary?
No sequel has been announced. Andy Weir has said his next novel is a standalone science fiction story, not a continuation.
Is Hail Mary (1985) the same movie?
No. Hail Mary (Je vous salue, Marie, 1985) is an unrelated art-house film by Jean-Luc Godard. Andy Weir's story is Project Hail Mary (2026).
How far are Tau Ceti and 40 Eridani?
Tau Ceti is about 11.9 light-years away and 40 Eridani (Rocky's star) about 16.3 light-years. Proxima Centauri, the nearest star, is about 4.2.
Are the travel times exact?
No. They're classical distance-over-speed estimates and ignore relativistic time dilation, so treat them as a fun sense of scale, not a precise mission time.