Drew Goddard on ‘Project Hail Mary’, ‘The Matrix 5’ & Adapting Andy Weir | Variety

The last time Drew Goddard adapted an Andy Weir novel, the result was an Oscar nomination and the blockbuster hit, “The Martian.” So, when the opportunity arose to tackle Weir’s “Project Hail Mary,” Goddard initially hesitated. The prospect of revisiting that creative well, he admits, was daunting.

“‘The Martian’ was such a magical experience, but there’s something about going back to the well,” Goddard said. “You worry you’re just trying to do an imitation of a previous movie. But then I read the book and loved it. It was much more challenging to adapt, as the scope was much bigger. And it’s got this deep, emotional story about a human and an alien that I couldn’t resist.”

Now, with “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, poised to dominate the box office this weekend, Goddard is reflecting on a six-year journey – one complicated by a global pandemic and the Hollywood strikes. Despite the film’s anticipated success, Goddard isn’t fixated on the numbers.

“I’ve been working on this film for six years — we had COVID and the strikes — so it took a really long time,” Goddard says. “It’s enjoyable to have people finally discovering it, but looking at the box office results is like checking out your old graduation photos. It seems so long ago. I’m just grateful that we got to make it.”

Goddard’s schedule is far from empty. He’s currently overseeing “High Potential,” a crime series he created for ABC, which recently received a third season renewal. He’s also an executive producer on Netflix’s upcoming supernatural drama, “Pagans,” from “Say Nothing” creator Joshua Zetumer. But perhaps his most ambitious undertaking lies ahead: taking the helm of “The Matrix 5,” writing and directing a reboot of the iconic sci-fi franchise previously guided by the Wachowskis.

The core appeal of “Project Hail Mary,” Goddard explains, stemmed from Weir’s unique approach to alien life. “Andy really wanted to do something different with this alien. He doesn’t speak our language. He doesn’t even have a face. He doesn’t have expressive features. He can’t exist in the same atmosphere. That sounds quality when you read it, but then you go, how are we going to dramatize this? It scared me to death, and that’s where I like to live.”

Adapting the novel presented significant hurdles beyond the alien’s unconventional nature. A substantial portion of the story unfolds from the protagonist’s perspective, with Ryan Gosling’s character initially disoriented and struggling to understand his circumstances. “So much of the story takes place from the protagonist’s point of view and Ryan’s character doesn’t know what’s happening initially. He’s trying to figure out why he’s in space. And for half of the movie, he doesn’t have anyone to talk to. So how do you make that work for a movie? Let’s be honest, most scenes in movies are people talking.”

Gosling, Goddard notes, was instrumental in refining the script. Early drafts included a device reminiscent of “The Martian,” where the protagonist directly addresses the camera to document his findings. “Ryan rightfully pointed out that his character is a high school teacher who finds himself in space. He’s not going to take the time to document everything. He’s just trying to survive. As soon as he said it, I knew he was right.”

While rooted in Weir’s vision, Goddard drew inspiration from the structural mastery of James Cameron. “It was all rooted in Andy. When I appear back, however, I see James Cameron’s influence on structure. If you look at big event movies, there’s nobody better at structure. If you look at something like “Titanic,” we meet two kids, they fall in love, we root for them, the ship hits the iceberg, right? If you look at “The Abyss,” there’s a couple trying to put their marriage back together when the encounter this fantastic thing. Both these movies are about two individuals dealing with these big emotional things in the middle of wildly complicated situations.”

Goddard defends Cameron’s often-criticized writing, arguing that his films possess a profound emotional core. “It does, but unfairly. If you look at “The Terminator,” it’s a profoundly emotional film. It’s not just about a robot who shows up to kill people. It’s about this woman and how she deals with this chaos.”

The collaborative dynamic with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller differed significantly from his experience with Ridley Scott on “The Martian.” “They couldn’t be more different. Ridley is very formal in his approach. He storyboards himself, so he knows every shot of the movie six weeks out. Phil and Chris come from animation, which is more of an iterative process where they’re constantly trying and trying things. Neither approach is wrong. You just have to do what’s right for the movie. In “Project Hail Mary” the main character is a fish out of water. You need it to feel rough around the edges, even a little sloppy. We don’t aim for to feel like he’s a perfect astronaut. And then there’s the character of Rocky. I don’t know anyone else who could have realized the logistics of making that rock crab come to life. In their animation, Phil and Chris thrive in finding the humanity inside of these crazy characters. That’s what this film required.”

Lord and Miller’s direction also fostered a spirit of improvisation. “Oh yeah. They are improvisation masters, and I’ve never seen anyone better at it than Ryan.”

The project’s journey was complicated by the acquisition of MGM by Amazon, raising concerns about its future. “Absolutely. The sad truth is that over the course of my career, I’ve had projects at studios that have been bought by other studios so many times. Often they don’t get made. But Amazon loved what we were doing.”

Goddard acknowledges that not all his projects reach fruition, recalling a scrapped Spider-Man film about the Sinister Six that fell victim to the Sony hack. “My office was right on the lot, and I saw the FBI swarm in and the helicopters fly over the studio. I was sad about it, but there was literally nothing I could do to change the course of events. I suppose it was better than if they hadn’t liked the script.”

Turning to “The Matrix 5,” Goddard remains tight-lipped, emphasizing the need for creative space. “I can’t say too much, because we’re still in the stage of writing it. I need to give myself space to find the best story. I think the approach will be the way I approach anything, which is, do I love it? And I love what Lana and Lilly Wachowski did with those movies. They imply so much to me and I feel like they’ve had a profound impact on my creative voice. I take this responsibility very seriously. I feel the weight of wanting to do right by the fans, wanting to do right by the creators and wanting to do right for myself as a fan.”

He declines to comment on the potential return of Keanu Reeves and the original cast. When asked about the reception of “The Matrix Resurrections,” Goddard offers a measured response. “I don’t know. It certainly resonated with me. When I watched the movie, I was deeply moved. It may be the most emotional of the of the four. I know it got caught up in the COVID times and it was when Warner Bros. Was putting everything on streaming.”

Goddard’s writing process, honed during his television days, is characterized by a “chaotic” approach. “I’ve sort of honed a very chaotic process, which came from my TV training, because we would have to generate 60 pages in eight days over and over. The way you would do This proves you focus really intently on the story. I’m not a person that wants to do 18 drafts to find the story. I’ll do 50 drafts of outlines, then when it’s time to write, I put all that away and handwrite every script. That goes back to college where a writing teacher said, “If you work on your computer, try handwriting, because unleashing your creativity is about tricking your brain to think you’re not working.” I took that to heart. I sit outside when I write. I try to make it feel playful.”

Recently, Goddard has been particularly impressed by Zach Cregger’s “Weapons.” “There’s so many, but I’d have to say “Weapons.” Zach Cregger’s script is extraordinary. There was a point in “Weapons,” like an hour in, where I realized I couldn’t even blink because I was afraid to look away from the screen. I didn’t know what was about to happen. It was thrilling. And I felt the same way about “Sinners” and “Sentimental Value.”

Finally, when asked about former President Obama’s recent comments regarding the existence of aliens, and whether it felt like opportune marketing for “Project Hail Mary,” Goddard offered a wry observation. “I probably should have, but I didn’t. I grew up in New Mexico, so I’m well versed in alien lore. Mostly, I was excited about him mentioning it because I thought it might mean we’re gonna get new information. Andy Weir takes this seriously. He comes from a reality-based approach to science fiction. He’s thinking, if a first contact situation were to happen, what would it look like? This is his answer.”