Ryan Gosling helped by commitment of puppeteer on Project Hail Mary
With the hit film’s directors opting for practical effects over CGI, Ryan Gosling was helped by sharing the screen with a real-life puppet on Project Hail Mary instead of a digital creation.
Ryan Gosling was helped by sharing the screen with a real-life puppet on Project Hail Mary instead of a digital creation.
With the hit film’s directors opting for practical effects over CGI, Ryan, 45, worked alongside puppeteer James Ortiz, 42, during the six-month shoot for the science fiction adaptation, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
James, a theatre performer known for work on Broadway productions including The Skin of Their Teeth and Into the Woods, said he operated an elaborate puppet representing the alien character Rocky, and that he was present on set for most scenes involving the character as Gosling’s co-performer.
Explaining the approach, James told Variety: “Actor to actor, I didn’t want Ryan to ever feel like he was alone in this.
“It would be too hard. I mean, he shouldn’t have to make character decisions for a strange, faceless creature.”
James described how the two actors worked together before filming with the puppet.
He said: “That would be our one chance to check in with each other, see each other’s eyes, and sort of figure out the beats.”
He added: “Then we’d layer the puppet in.”
In the film, Rocky is depicted as a spider-like alien who communicates through whale-like sounds and assists Gosling’s character – a school teacher – in attempting to save Earth from an environmental disaster.
The character appears partway through the narrative and plays a central role in the story.
James worked closely with designer Neil Scanlan to create a performance that conveyed emotion despite the character lacking a conventional face.
James added: “Rocky is super intelligent and has a mind like a computer – you never have to say anything twice to him.” He added: “He’s a brilliant engineer. But his soul, to me, always felt like that of a little brother. There’s a little bit of this anxious, 14-year-old boy who really wants to be invited to the party.”
During pre-production, James contributed to the development of the puppet to ensure it could be operated effectively on set.
The production team adapted the set design to accommodate puppeteers, elevating structures above the soundstage floor and incorporating access points to allow for movement and positioning during filming.
For certain sequences, a fully animatronic version of Rocky was used, while more complex scenes required digital enhancement from visual effects company Framestore.
James said: “As you can imagine, puppeteering rolling in a ball through a ship would be pretty impossible to pull off.
“That’s where digital effects come into play.”
