The Bobiverse is the Perfect 'Hard' Sci-Fi Project Hail Mary Replacement - MCE Notices | California State Portal

The adaptation of Andy Weir’s acclaimed hard science fiction novel, Project Hail Mary, has become a critical and commercial success. This smash-hit starring Ryan Gosling is a box-office number one that has been praised by space experts for its scientific accuracy. With a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% and a Certified Fresh badge, the adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 novel Project Hail Mary has become Amazon MGM Studio’s biggest debut to date.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the American filmmaking duo famous for their co-creation of The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, and the Spider-Verse movie franchise, Project Hail Mary is Lord Miller Productions’ latest cinematic success. With Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse delayed until 2027 in order to do the film justice, the duo have now set their sights on an epic adaptation of the hard science fiction novel, Dennis E. Taylor’s We Are Legion (We Are Bob).

The Bobiverse is a Space Opera Series For Serious Sci-Fi Nerds

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We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is a hard sci-fi novel, rivaling Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, in the first installment of Dennis E. Taylor’s Bobiverse series. Following software developer and sci-fi fan Bob Johansson, Bob signs up to have his brain cryogenically preserved after his death, but doesn’t expect it to need their services so soon. Waking up a century later as a “corpsicle” with no rights, Bob is uploaded into a deep-space probe sent out to explore the universe and secure resources to help the human race. As the controlling AI of a self-replicating interstellar probe, the protagonist begins creating copies of his mind so that countless “Bobs” are deployed across the galaxy.

Reminiscent of the Star Trek franchise’s most common theme to “explore strange new worlds” and “boldly go where no one has gone before,” the Bobs travel to distant star systems, encounter alien lifeforms, and help humans survive beyond Earth. Over the course of the series, the ever-expanding network of Bobs develops their own distinct personalities as they contend with hostile species, ethical issues with helping human colonies, and the practical challenges of surviving in deep space. The Bobiverse blends hard sci-fi and space opera genres to explore questions about identity, autonomy, and artificial intelligence.

Lord Miller Productions Holds Bobiverse First-Look Deal at Universal

Christopher Miller speaking into a microphone next to Phil Lord at San Diego Comic Con in 2025

With Project Hail Mary‘s cinematic success, the industry is perfectly positioned for an adaptation of Dennis E. Taylor’s Bobiverse novels. Announced during a panel for Project Hail Mary at San Diego Comic-Con in 2025, We Are Legion (We Are Bob) has been optioned to Lord Miller Productions for distribution through Universal Pictures. While Lord and Miller haven’t shared their vision for the adaptation (live-action or animated, a feature film or limited TV series), fans of the Bobiverse can’t wait, given the success of Lord Miller Productions’ previous critically acclaimed movies.

While Project Hail Mary is a contained story of one man’s efforts to save the sun, the Bobiverse offers greater opportunity for expansion. With five novels published and two more expected, Universal’s adaptation of the Bobiverse could grow into an iconic science fiction franchise — especially given Dennis E. Taylor’s plans to expand his literary universe to include standalone novels focusing on protagonists other than Bob. Universal’s Bobiverse is the only logical step for Lord Miller Productions, given the potential to create a galaxy-spanning hard sci-fi masterpiece that defines the genre.

Project Hail Mary Confirms Audiences Want Competent Sci-Fi Protagonist

In a similar style to Project Hail Mary, Dennis E. Taylor’s science fiction series is an example of “competence fantasy” that features a protagonist with qualifications, intelligence, and other qualities making them capable in difficult situations. Bob Johansson, with a background in physics and a career as a software engineer and CEO of his own company, is a problem-solver and an intelligent science fiction character, like Dr Rylan Grace. With a sarcastic sense of humor and classic sci-fi references, Bob is the perfect character to continue the intelligent characterization in the adaptations of Andy Weir’s acclaimed novels.

The Bobiverse blends elements of a first contact adventure with a grounded narrator who is himself a sci-fi fan living his wildest Star Trek fantasies. Like Project Hail Mary, the Bobiverse blends humor with intelligent sci-fi concepts — the same successful combination that has made Andy Weir a household name. Dennis E. Taylor’s experience as a computer programmer is even present in his novels as they use realistic scientific research to accurately portray interstellar travel, cryogenics, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and whole brain emulation (also known as mind uploading), which has been used in several successful sci-fi franchises like Avatar and The Matrix.

The Bobiverse is the Next Big Thing

Ryan Gosling and Sandra Huller standing in a crowded room in Project Hail Mary.

Like Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is an example of hard sci-fi that prioritizes scientific accuracy. Bobiverse is more than just a recommendation for fans missing the authenticity of Project Hail Mary — its adaptation is the perfect successor to this niche sub-genre. Given its dense source material, the Bobiverse is the perfect series to jump into, preempting the potential franchise before it even hits theaters.

Bobiverse ticks all the boxes and has all the elements to make it the next big thing in cinema and science fiction. We Are Legion (We Are Bob) could join some of the greatest hard sci-fi movies of the 21st century, considering it will share production DNA with Project Hail Mary through their shared creatives. With Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s history of building legendary cinematic series like the Spider-Verse movies, the Bobiverse has the potential to become one of the greatest sci-fi franchises.

Considering the box-office hit that Ryan Gosling’s sci-fi masterpiece has become, especially in comparison to the adaptation of The Martian by Andy Weir, it would be nonsensical for Universal to pass on the opportunity to fast-track the Bobiverse adaptation and continue riding on Lord Miller Productions’ success — especially with their latest tease of Beyond the Spider-Verse. With the Weir-esque direction of the science-comedy genre, We Are Legion (We Are Bob) could be the start of a major studio pillar. Universal’s Bobiverse could be the project that takes Project Hail Mary‘s formula to an intergalactic scale.