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Kara Hedash is the Senior Editor for Screen Rant's TV team, specializing in feature coverage for streaming releases and cable programming. Aside from overseeing a passionate team of editors and writers, Kara has years of experience in news coverage, exclusives, fan conventions, interviews, and media preview events.
Before joining Screen Rant in 2019, Kara was a regular contributor for Movie Pilot, with articles also published on various other entertainment sites, such as Reel Honey, Hidden Remote, Netflix Life, AMC Theatres (via AMC Scene), and more.
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The Martian is currently streaming on Paramount+, which is great timing, given that another notable sci-fi space movie is releasing in a few months. While it might not be the director's best movie set in space, thanks to 1979's Alien, The Martian should be considered one of Ridley Scott's best movies to date.
Released in 2015, the Matt Damon-led movie has emerged as a modern-day sci-fi masterpiece. It was also a hit at the box office, earning over $639 million worldwide. Over a decade since its release, The Martian remains a remarkable tale of survival, especially in a sci-fi setting.
The movie sees Damon's Mark Watney stuck alone on Mars when the rest of the crew on the space mission mistakenly thought he died. This week, it entered the top 10 Paramount+ movies, according to FlixPatrol. The resurgence in popularity is also a reminder to get ready for another space movie with several connections to The Martian.
The Martian's Popularity On Paramount+ Comes Two Months Before Project Hail Mary Arrives In Theaters
Before becoming a movie with Ridley Scott at the helm as director, Mark Watney's story as a botanist-turned-space pirate came in the form of Andy Weir's 2011 novel, also titled The Martian. More recently, Weir published another sci-fi book centered on a man stuck in space after embarking on a life-altering mission. The 2021 book is also the basis of the upcoming movie Project Hail Mary, set to release on March 20, 2026.
Project Hail Mary, which is one of the most anticipated movies of 2026, stars Ryan Gosling in the lead role of Ryland Grace, a teacher who gets recruited for a special space mission as humanity hangs in the balance. The upcoming film is also notably directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the duo heavily responsible for the Spider-Verse franchise.
Project Hail Mary Has A Lot In Common With The Martian
While Project Hail Mary isn't a sequel to The Martian, the two movies sure do have plenty of similarities. Aside from the fact that both movies are based on Andy Weir novels, Drew Goddard is a key figure in adapting both stories into movies, serving as the writer on both projects. Based on the success surrounding The Martian, Goddard's involvement is a very good sign for Project Hail Mary.
Like the case with The Martian, Project Hail Mary features a popular actor in the leading role, in addition to proven directors. Whereas The Martian might have an edge when it comes to the movie's supporting cast, there's no shortage of elite talent involved in Project Hail Mary.
Then there's the story of Project Hail Mary, which is billed as a space adventure, just like The Martian. Whereas Damon's character was a trained astronaut stuck on Mars after a botched mission, Gosling's Ryland is a former teacher who finds himself on a spacecraft on a mission he doesn't even remember agreeing to.
For those who still haven't checked out the 2015 sci-fi hit or can't wait for Gosling's upcoming movie, and need something similar to watch, The Martian will be available to stream on Paramount+ through January 2026.
Source: FlixPatrol
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