All articles tagged with #phil lord
Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller asked Neil deGrasse Tyson to critique the science in Project Hail Mary; after attending a premiere, Tyson reportedly said they got the science right and passed the Tyson test. The piece notes Tyson's history of critiquing sci‑fi and mentions Brian Cox's input, while the movie opened with about $11 million domestically.
Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller discuss making Project Hail Mary with Ryan Gosling, detailing how they blend earnest emotion with crowd-pleasing humor, the practical-puppet Rocky, the karaoke scene with Sandra Hüller, and their collaboration with Andy Weir to keep the science accurate, while drawing on lessons from Solo and their Spider-Verse work as they push into Beyond the Spider-Verse and other projects.
Bilge Ebiri says Project Hail Mary is a flashy, entertaining sci‑fi adventure led by Ryan Gosling, but it's often undercut by a heavy, sometimes groan‑worthy injection of humor; the film follows Dr. Ryland Grace on a one‑way mission to stop star‑eating Astrophage from dooming Earth, blending suspenseful stakes with the directors' comedic flair. While it’s a watchable, ambitious ride, the humor can pull focus from the sci‑fi drama.
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller discuss their long-awaited return to directing with Project Hail Mary, the Andy Weir adaptation starring Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace and Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt, featuring a puppet-driven alien Rocky. They push back on the idea of an anthemic “eff-you” film, explaining why they fell in love with the book and how they balance big space spectacle with intimate character moments. The design of Rocky—centered on movement and puppeteering—highlights their collaborative approach, alongside their ongoing Spider-Verse producing. The movie opens in theaters (including IMAX) on March 20, 2026, and, at press time, the project was drawing strong early buzz (about 95% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Phil Lord and Chris Miller discuss directing Ryan Gosling in Amazon MGM Studios’ Project Hail Mary, highlighting their return to live‑action with a big‑budget space epic. They describe a hybrid production—about half puppet (Rocky) and half CGI—with fully built sets, no greenscreen, and Unreal Engine virtual prep, plus on‑set cameos and a karaoke moment cleared in 36 hours. They frame originality as Hollywood’s safeguard amid AI debates, recount lessons from Spider-Verse, and outline future projects like Artemis and more Spider‑Verse installments.
Early press screenings of Project Hail Mary have sparked overwhelmingly positive social-media reactions ahead of its March 20 release, with praise for Ryan Gosling’s lead performance and the film’s blend of hard sci‑fi storytelling, humor, and heart, as an adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel. Official critics’ reviews are embargoed until closer to release.
Early press reactions to the Ryan Gosling-led adaptation of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary are overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the film’s humor, heart, and visual spectacle, with praise for Gosling’s performance and the Rocky alien character. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and based on Weir’s novel, the movie hits theaters on March 20 and is already generating strong hype for its ambitious, crowd-pleasing science-fiction energy.
Early critics call Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary a dazzling, humanity-centered space odyssey led by Ryan Gosling, with striking cinematography by Greig Fraser and strong Oscar buzz as it premieres ahead of its March 20 release.
Daniel Kaluuya's character, Spider-Punk, was almost cut from the upcoming film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." However, after meeting Kaluuya, the writer-producers decided to keep the character due to his personality and the actor's suitability for the role. Spider-Punk joins a lineup of various Spider-People in the sequel, which also includes other fan-favorite characters from the first film. The release date for the movie is currently undetermined due to ongoing union strikes.
Producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller discuss their new film "Strays," which follows the journey of a border terrier seeking revenge on his abusive owner. The film explores the perspective of dogs in a crass and humorous way, while also delving into themes of self-respect and toxic relationships. The filmmakers aim to give voice to the innocent and childlike aspects of humans projected onto animals, particularly dogs. Despite the raunchiness, the film maintains a heartfelt story and emotional honesty. The producers suggest that "Strays" could be paired with revenge narratives like "Taken" or "Kill Bill," or even sentimental films like "Stand By Me" and "Breaking Away."
Over 100 artists reportedly quit working on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse due to overwork and burnout caused by a crunch culture atmosphere at Sony Pictures Animation. The delays allegedly later forced the artists to work 11 hour days for seven days a week in order to make up the lost time. The allegations have raised concerns about the upcoming Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and whether the movie can be completed in time for its March 29, 2024 release date. Similar practices have been reported at DC Studios regarding The Flash movie.
Animators who worked on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse claim that the film's production was unsustainable, erratic, and largely the result of producer Phil Lord frequently overriding the directors in order to make endless last-minute changes. The animators were allegedly pushed to work more than 11 hours a day, seven days a week, leading to around 100 of their colleagues leaving before the film was fully finished. Sony Pictures Imageworks CEO and the film's producer defended the production process, but did not deny that the sequel will not hit its intended premiere date.
Four crew members of the upcoming animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse have spoken out anonymously about the unsustainable working conditions behind the movie's production. They describe a relentless kind of revisionism that compelled approximately 100 artists to flee the movie before its completion. The crew members attribute the franticness to Phil Lord's management style, in particular, his seeming inability to conceptualize 3-D animation during the early planning stages and his preference to edit fully rendered work instead. Sony executives dispute these claims about Lord's management style, describing feature animation as a generally "iterative process."
14-year-old Preston Mutanga recreated the trailer for "Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse" using Legos and caught the attention of producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Impressed by his skills, they invited him to help create a scene for the new "Spider-verse" movie. Preston's involvement in the movie is now public knowledge, and he has been praised by the filmmakers and others.
Phil Lord, the writer and producer of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, revealed a cut post-credits scene featuring The Spot trying to order a drink at a Spider-Man villain bar but going unnoticed. The scene was cut because it was "hard to beat where we left off." The film follows Miles Morales as he reunites with Gwen Stacy and encounters a team of Spider-People from different universes to protect their existence.