They made movies out of Lego & 21 Jump St & a “-Verse” of Spider-Mans? & a Cocaine Bear? Hollywood is officially out of ideas. #ProjectHailMary 3.20.26
My pal @HimymCraig wrote this lovely, funny, emotional, and personal book called THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. I really enjoyed it. It’s coming out in paperback 11/3 so check it out!
Set your course for #AFIFEST presented by @canva ! 🚀 This year’s Guest Artistic Directors Phil Lord & Chris Miller are bringing four classic films that inspired @projecthailmary to the festival.
Join us Oct 21–25 & get tix to their selections and more: https://t.co/rDa2YE8GOU!
Very excited to share some films that inspired us not only making PROJECT HAIL MARY but also as filmmakers and people. We stand on the shoulders of giants like Hal Ashby and Fozzie Bear.
See you there!
💫 Discover four films that shaped #AFIFEST Guest Artistic Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, HAROLD AND MAUDE, THE MUPPET MOVIE & RIFIFI! 🎬
Join them for a live conversation + screening of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY on Oct. 24!
🎟️ https://t.co/6KJGjtjTNA
Could not disagree more.
In my experience, the three main factors that determine success, in ranked of importance, are:
1. HARD WORK/RESILIENCE
1a. (tie) LUCK/OPPORTUNITY
…
3. TALENT/NATURAL SKILL
I think a lot of the so-called “naturally talented” people are folks who, early on, had a necessary but not sufficient amount of natural ability and so leaned into whatever field they were good at - but had the grit and Kobe-like determination to put in the work to become better and develop their craft until they were great. And the resilience to keep trying even after they inevitably hit a roadblock. And there’s nothing more American than idealizing grit and resilience. But under-appreciated, yet equally deterministic to success is luck and opportunity, sometimes in the form of privilege — having more doors open and chances to get the lucky break needed to make the most of the opportunity once you get it.
“You don’t study for the spelling bee” is a deep and important aspect of American culture. I was at a baseball game discussing some young players with a buddy one time and he said to me offhandedly, “hard work is fine, but nothing beats talent.”
Americans have this sort of sense that there’s something a little off about working really hard to get good at something that you’re not naturally good at. You’re never really going to be on the same level as the guy who has a natural talent. We have room in our hearts for scrappy little guys who work hard, but we are by default suspicious of grinders and strivers.
If you were really meant to do it, then you’d be naturally good at it. You sign your kids up for little league, but you don’t take it too seriously unless they show remarkable early talent.
Yes, this sounds sort of ridiculous if you take it too literally. No, nobody is saying that there’s any kind of practical test for this or that anybody should be excluded because we found out that they secretly studied too hard.
But this is a part of American culture. And if you can’t understand it, then that just marks you out as foreign to that culture to an even greater degree.
Because the level of precision and control over the image you have shooting digitally is indispensable. You know exactly what you are getting. The film out process and choice of lenses allows you to bring a more organic, analog quality back to what you’ve shot. A beautiful, and carefully developed imperfection.
President Donald Trump called for a federal tax credit to benefit the movie and television industry, saying it would help bring the production of Hollywood blockbusters back to the US https://t.co/DYVceX6atl
Very nice to be nominated for FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR for my work on..
- Project Hail Mary
- The Drama
- Masters Of The Universe
- The Bad Guys 2
..by the World Soundtrack Academy at the @WSAwards this October 👇
https://t.co/3Db1djhpnh
Congratulations, JAMES ORTIZ! 🎉
The actor and master puppeteer will receive the Innovator Award at the 6th Annual Critics Choice Celebración of Cinema & Television for Amazon MGM Studios’ “Project Hail Mary!” 👏
The Critics Choice Celebración takes place October 2, 2026, in Beverly Hills.
Special thanks to our Official Spirit Partner, Milagro Tequila, and our After-Party Sponsor, LatiNation.
#JamesOrtiz #ProjectHailMary #CCCelebracion #CriticsChoice
I visited LAIKA a few years back and saw some sets and characters from this film and was blown away by the scale and artistry. An animated film has never been nominated for Production Design or Cinematography because most voters don’t understand how animation works but the level of cinematic craftsmanship is undeniable
Don’t go see COYOTE VS ACME just to send a message to Hollywood against anti-creative business practices. Go see COYOTE VS ACME because it’s a good, fun, funny time at the movies.
'Coyote vs. Acme' Review: Nearly-Shelved Looney Tunes Film Starring Will Forte and John Cena Is One of the Best Live-Action/Animated Hybrid Films Ever https://t.co/g4I5ItL2sl