Experiencing two films with very identical story twists is not an uncommon phenomenon. Examine Friends With Benefits and No Strings Attached, or Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman. Numerous films and literary works exhibit analogous narratives.
Following the premiere of Spaceman in March 2024, featuring Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan, speculation arose that the picture is not an original work but rather based on Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, published in May 2021.
The film and novel both focus on a solitary character navigating space on a significant mission, and both include a colossal spider-like extraterrestrial. However, is one derivative of the other? This is the information we possess.
Is Spaceman Based on ‘Project Hail Mary’?
Spaceman is adapted from the novel Spaceman of Bohemia, authored by Jaroslav Kalfař and released in March 2017. Jaroslav composed an initial draft of the book while enrolled at New York University, where he pursued studies in writing and literature.
Project Hail Mary was released in May 2021. Since Spaceman of Bohemia was published years before to Project Hail Mary, it cannot be derived from Andy’s work.
Having addressed that matter, let us examine the reasons individuals are associating the two. Both Spaceman and Project Hail Mary depict solitary astronauts navigating space while undertaking a crucial task.
In Spaceman, Commander Jakub Procházka (Adam Sandler) encounters a gentle, fluffy, spider-like alien named Hanuš while exploring the Chopra Cloud, who becomes his companion and guide.
Project Hail Mary similarly chronicles the journey of Ryland Grace, a disenchanted biologist dispatched into space to investigate Astrophage. He also encounters a colossal spider named Rocky, who becomes a steadfast companion.
The primary distinction between the two is that Spaceman focuses predominantly on the astronaut’s personal life, whereas Project Hail Mary is a hard science fiction narrative centered on an existential threat to all life on Earth, as clarified by Andy in a January 2024 Facebook post.
Is ‘Project Hail Mary’ Borrowing Ideas From ‘Spaceman of Bohemia’?
Andy Weir, the author of Project Hail Mary, asserts that he did not plagiarize ideas from ‘Spaceman of Bohemia.’ Prior to the debut of Spaceman on Netflix on March 1, 2024, Weir stated on Facebook, “I didn’t steal ideas from ‘Spaceman of Bohemia,’ I hadn’t read it or ever heard of it when I wrote ‘PHM.’”
If individuals wish to discuss intelligent, arachnid-like extraterrestrials as a shared theme, it is essential to reference ‘Children of Time’ by Adrian Tchaikovsky, published prior to the other two works.
Andy asserts that despite the two bears exhibiting “superficial similarities,” the reality is that “the narratives are entirely distinct.” Reddit members who have saw Spaceman and read Andy’s book appear to concur.
One individual stated, “There are certain similarities, yet it approaches the subject from an entirely distinct perspective.” A fellow Redditor remarked, “The sole resemblances appear to be an astute spider and an individual isolated on a spacecraft.”
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