Project Hail Mary: Gosling Befriends a Mop on Set as Record-Breaking Hit Opens Worldwide
Project Hail Mary is currently ruling the globe at the box office, and the behind-the-scenes story behind the star’s morale boosts is proving just as memorable. The shoot reportedly proved taxing for Ryan Gosling, prompting an unusual source of companionship: a mop.
The film kicked off with a thunderous debut, pulling in over $140 million worldwide. It’s the strongest opening of 2026 to date and ranks among the biggest starts for a non-franchise title in recent memory.
Our review gave Project Hail Mary a full five stars, lauding how it combines the spirit of The Martian with the scale of Interstellar to deliver a spaceborne adventure anchored by Gosling’s standout performance.
Beyond the review, we’ve shared practical tips on when to step out for a bathroom break during the viewing, plus a breakdown of a major Hollywood trope the story hinges on. For fans, there’s also a Project Hail Mary ending explainer that unpacks that emotional finale. And yes, the mop anecdote is very much part of the lore.
Gosling’s on-set friendship with a mop became a talking point on the Project Hail Mary set. The actor described how director duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller were open to creative experimentation, encouraging him to pursue an unconventional scene partner.
“There was a stretch where I’d been working for months with no one but the space around me,” Gosling explained. “So I asked to make a friend out of a mop and to shoot the day with this mop companion.” The directors jumped on the idea, gathering materials to craft a mop friend named Moppy Ringwald, and Gosling spent the day dancing with it. He added that few filmmakers would pause production to improvise this kind of prop, but Lord and Miller are “great dance partners in that sense.”
Project Hail Mary is currently playing in theaters worldwide, and while there’s no confirmation on a sequel, fans can wonder whether PHM 2 might feature Moppy. Until then, you can explore our list of the best sci-fi films to see where the current hit fits among the genre’s modern classics.