When it comes to LEGO collaborations, you can usually predict what's in the pipeline based on this year's IP and what's been a hit in the past. 2026 will bring more Minecraft, Harry Potter, Marvel and Star Wars sets – we already know that – and the big Pokemon collaboration is slated to launch this year too. But sometimes the coolest LEGO collaborations are the ones you don't expect.
According to a new leak from the LEGO community, there is at least one set planned for Project Hi Mariathe upcoming movie starring Ryan Gosling. Of all the movies coming out this year, there are many that I thought would get LEGO sets. Avengers Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New DayThe Super Mario Galaxy movie, heck, even Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey could get a LEGO set, and few would bat an eye. But Project Hi Maria? It's a surprising one. But boy, is it exciting.
What is Project Hail Mary?
Project Hi Mariafor those unfamiliar, is an adaptation of the novel by Andy Weir. It is about a biologist turned teacher who is in space with the task of saving the human race. That's all you need to know, and it's well worth avoiding spoilers to preserve some of the great surprises in the story.
I highly recommend the book though. Andy Weir is best known for The Martianwhich was also turned into a successful feature film starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott. It's also about a single man in an impossible situation in outer space—in this case, Mars—and how he applies real science to solve the problems before him. Weir creates such rich characters and mixes humor, but it's how these characters solve problems that makes his stories so compelling. You can't go wrong with either The Martian or Project Hi Maria; they are both excellent books and you will devour them.
Of course, a great book doesn't always make a great movie, but I think it does Project Hi Maria adaptation has a dream team. Ryan Gosling has the right mix of humor and vulnerability to bring this character to life and command the screen. The duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller have, for my money, never made a bad movie. And then you have Drew Goddard back, adapting Andy Weir's work after nailing The Martian. All of this combined makes Project Hail Mary my most anticipated film of the year, and you won't have to wait that long to see it.
Few would have expected a LEGO Project Hail Mary set
But then. Oh wait. They make a LEGO set out of it Project Hi Maria?! My mind is already racing with the possibilities. I would expect the Hail Mary ship to be the focal point of the LEGO Project Hail Mary set, but I hope there is more to it than that. I really hope a certain character (if you've read the book, you know) gets their own minifig, if nothing else. If LEGO just makes that minifigure and that's it, I'd be happy.
Maybe the LEGO set will be small, but either way, I'm glad LEGO is getting a little more adventurous with their LEGO sets. The Stranger Things Creel House set a tone of predictability for the year, but I'm always looking for those surprises, even if they're attached to well-established properties. The LEGO Game Boy came out of nowhere, but it's a great set.
And just to keep my hopes up, there's still the chance that the rumors aren't true, but LEGO leaks are pretty solid these days — just look at all the information we have on the Pokemon sets, from the bit count to the prices. And I don't want to imagine a scenario where I've built up all this excitement over a LEGO Project Hail Mary set, and it doesn't happen. Ryan Gosling needs the minifig treatment.
