Space movies like Project Hail Mary do not come around often and the box office proved it. The biggest opening day for an original film in years. Sold out on the first weekend before some people could get tickets. So here is the list of what holds up while you wait for your seat.

The Martian is the obvious starting point because Andy Weir wrote both books. It won a Golden Globe for Best Comedy, which Ridley Scott accepted with visible confusion, and it still holds up as the feel-good benchmark for the genre. Interstellar is for when you want something bigger and stranger and you have two and a half hours and somewhere to sit. Matthew McConaughey, a dying Earth, a wormhole, and children who age while their father does not. Ad Astra is the underrated one. Brad Pitt, Neptune, a car chase on the moon with laser pistols, and one of Donald Sutherland’s final roles. Visually jaw-dropping and largely overlooked.

John Carter of Mars is the wildcard. One of the biggest box office flops in history. Also, according to the texts, a genuine sci-fi gem.

Topics: space movies like Project Hail Mary, The Martian, Interstellar, Ad Astra Brad Pitt, John Carter of Mars

Originally aired on2026-03-27