IMAX, 4DX, 3-Screen, and More: There Are 12 Theater Formats to See 'Project Hail Mary
Next month, one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year will hit theaters when Project Hail Mary premieres on March 20. The film, an adaptation of a book of the same name by the author of The Martian, stars Ryan Gosling as an astronaut on a last-ditch effort to save the world from a calamity. It's the type of big blockbuster that people are going to want to see in a movie theater. But, as directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller explain in a newly released video, it's not quite that simple.
"There are 12 different ways to see this," Miller says as the two begin a tour of different theaters in Los Angeles that will be showing the upcoming film. Some of the formats are bigger or have better picture, some have extra screens, and one of them has moving chairs and water jets.
"We will explain this to you, we will get you up to speed," Lord says. "But think of my poor parents. When I’m on the phone and they’re like ‘What are you doing today?’ I’m explaining different film formats. They go ‘What are film formats?'”
There’s only one #ProjectHailMary — but there are many ways to experience it at the movies. Join Co-Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on their premium theater tour as they walk you through every format you can see it in. Tickets on sale tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/baUM7vOWfB
— Project Hail Mary (@projecthailmary) February 19, 2026
The first format the pair introduce is IMAX, which they explain is the format they designed the movie for. There are three varieties of IMAX that moviegoers might be able to see depending on what the theaters near them have available. There are versions on 70mm film in both 1.43 and 2.39 aspect ratios, an identical version that's digital rather than on film, and IMAX versions in 1.85 and 2.89 aspect ratios. All the average moviegoer really needs to know about these are that the screens are big, the quality is great, and the picture will be taller in the first pair of aspect ratios than in the second two.
Next Miller and Lord check out some of the more gimmicky formats. D-BOX features seats that rumble and move to match the action on the screen. This is similar to 4DX, available at some Regal Cinemas, but 4DX is even more of a ride. There's wind and even optional water-misting in 4DX.
ScreenX offers 270 degrees of visuals, since there are two additional screens flanking the main screen. These two side screens offer extra immersion and certain Project Hail Mary scenes have extra extended versions to take advantage of them.
"Everywhere you look, you’re in the movie, with the stars coming all around you," Miller says.
They also visit a Cinemark XD theater, which doesn't boast moving chairs or extra screens but has "35 trillion colors" to offer, making the picture especially vibrant. One of their later stops is a Dolby Cinema, which they note is what they mixed the movie on. Dolby Atmos, a surround sound system, is the most immersive one, according to the pair.
Ultimately, Project Hail Mary's Directors Just Want You to See the Movie in Any Theater
The last stop on the pair's tour is a stand in for "your local theater." For Miller and Lord, it's The New Beverly Theater, located in Los Angeles. An independent theater with great revival programming, The New Beverly is wonderful but compared to all of the premium large formats they showcased earlier in the tour, the screen itself is nothing special. That's totally fine, according to Project Hail Mary's directors.
:There’s a magical thing that happens when you see a movie with a big group of people, whether they’re people that you know or it’s a big group of strangers," Lord explains. "You are reminded that we all laugh at the same things, we all cry at the same things, no matter where we’re from. That’s a really important thing for people to share."
"Whether you’re seeing it in a massive format like we designed it, or whether you’re seeing it at your local cinema, whatever you can afford, go see it with a bunch of people and experience it together," Miller adds.
Obviously the pair have an extra motivation in encouraging fans to see the movie in a theater rather than waiting for it to hit streaming. If a lot of people go see Project Hail Mary in theaters, it could be a very successful blockbuster. Lord and Miller would directly benefit.
But, even if their encouragement to go see the film in a theater—any theater—is a bit self-serving, it's not wrong. Seeing movies with a crowd rules, and even the rinkiest movie screen in any old theater will be more exciting than watching Project Hail Mary on a laptop or TV months later.