Weir Wanted Two Scenes Cut From Hail Mary

The Project Hail Mary author said he pushed to remove a karaoke scene and a spacewalk sequence from the film.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Science Fiction

Sparse sci-fi poster illustration in navy and silver, showing a pale ringed planet, a thin orbital arc, and a small drifting satellite form in open space. — Andy Weir said he pushed to cut a karaoke scene featuring Eva Stratt singing 'Sign of the Times' and a spacewalk sequence from the Project Hail Mary film adaptation. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Andy Weir, author of the novel Project Hail Mary, said he wanted two scenes cut from the film adaptation. He named a karaoke scene featuring Eva Stratt singing 'Sign of the Times' and a sequence in which Grace takes a spacewalk surrounded by the Petrova Line.

Why it matters

The film's initial runtime was nearly four hours, which did not fly with test audiences, making trims necessary before release. Weir's comments offer a rare look at the author's role in reshaping his own story for the screen.

The initial cut ran nearly 4 hours, a length that did not fly with test audiences. It is not stated how much runtime the final version removed.

The players

Andy Weir

Andy Weir is the author of the novel Project Hail Mary and of The Martian, both of which have been adapted into major films.

Eva Stratt

Eva Stratt is a character in Project Hail Mary whose karaoke scene performing 'Sign of the Times' was targeted for removal.

The details

In an interview with /Film, Weir said he wanted to cut the karaoke scene and the spacewalk scene, which were proposed for removal to reduce the film's length. Weir also said he disliked the cover art for The Martian, which later won awards.

• Interview with /Film published November 8, 2026

Franchise Context

Weir's earlier novel The Martian was adapted into a film that later saw its cover art win awards, and Weir has now publicly weighed in on cuts to the Project Hail Mary adaptation. His comments mark a continuation of his involvement in translating his space-science novels to the screen.

Viewers will encounter whatever version of the film is released, which may differ from the nearly four-hour cut Weir reviewed. Release details beyond this interview are not stated in the source.

The takeaway

Adaptations often shift considerably between a novel and its screen version, and author input can shape which scenes survive. Readers interested in the source material can compare the book with the film once it is available.