Andy Weir just handed fans a clear status report on his next novel and, in the process, settled the question of whether a Project Hail Mary sequel is in the works. The sci-fi author’s answers covered his current manuscript, a rumor he wants dead, and the future of his 2021 bestseller.
Don’t expect a sequel to Project Hail Mary just yet
A Project Hail Mary sequel stays off the table for the same reason it historically has: Weir only returns to that world if he lands on an idea he is happy with. The original novel follows Ryland Grace, a teacher who wakes on a starship with no memory and gradually learns why he is aboard and what happened to his crew.
The book’s film adaptation, led by Ryan Gosling, pulled in $684 million at the box office and scored 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Separately, Weir executive-produced Exoplanet, an Audible original audiobook by Benjamin Percy with Anthony Mackie, Ariana DeBose, and John Leguizamo in the cast. It launches exclusively on Audible on November 5.
For now, Andy Weir’s next release will stand on its own. He told ScreenRant that the book he is drafting is “another standalone novel, not a sequel to anything, and that’s coming along well.” The manuscript has cleared 95,000 words, and Weir says he has entered the third act and is closing in on the conclusion. Finishing the draft, however, does not mean the book ships soon. Weir sends the completed first draft to his editor, collects notes, and then begins revisions. He joked that the feedback sends him into three days of “crying and questioning whether or not I should really be an author” before he starts fixing things. That cycle of edits, he estimates, puts the release about a year away.
So for now, the Project Hail Mary sequel is not happening soon.
