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| Project Hail Mary Movie Filming Locations: Where Ryan Gosling’s Sci-Fi Epic Was Shot. (Credits: Amazon MGM) |
The 2026 science-fiction film Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, grounds its interstellar story in a handful of real-world British locations. While much of the production relied on studio sets to recreate deep space, the filmmakers selected several authentic sites across England to anchor the story’s Earth-based sequences. Some filming details were intentionally kept quiet during production to avoid disruption from enthusiastic fans, meaning only a few confirmed locations have surfaced publicly.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film adapts Andy Weir’s bestselling novel and blends survival drama with hard science. That commitment to realism shaped where the production filmed. Principal photography ran in the United Kingdom from early June 2024 to late October 2024, combining major studio work in London with carefully chosen real locations that reflect the story’s scientific and personal themes.
Confirmed Project Hail Mary Filming Locations
South Parade Pier — Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
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South Parade Pier served as one of the most recognisable real-world settings used in the film.
Location Overview
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Historic Victorian pier located in Southsea near Portsmouth on England’s south coast
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Faces the English Channel with wide seaside views
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Popular local landmark and tourist attraction
How It Appears in the Film
The pier reportedly features in scenes connected to Ryland Grace’s life on Earth before his space mission. Its coastal backdrop provides a grounded, everyday setting that contrasts with the film’s later deep-space environment.
During the summer 2024 shoot, several residents and local film trackers reported seeing Ryan Gosling and production crews filming along the pier. The open seafront setting made it ideal for quieter character moments rather than large action sequences.
Visitors heading to South Parade Pier will also find several nearby spots closely tied to Portsmouth’s maritime character:
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Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, home to famous naval ships
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Southsea Beach, a classic British seaside promenade
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Clarence Pier, another traditional coastal attraction
Because the area is open to the public, fans visiting Portsmouth can realistically see the same scenery used in the film.
Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory — Lords Bridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
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Another key filming location sits just outside Cambridge at one of the UK’s most respected astronomy research facilities.
Location Overview
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Research centre operated by Cambridge University
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Known for its large radio telescope arrays
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Located at Lords Bridge, roughly 8 km southwest of Cambridge city centre
How It Appears in the Film
The observatory’s real scientific infrastructure fits naturally with the story’s premise. In Project Hail Mary, the facility is believed to represent research centres studying the mysterious Astrophage phenomenon threatening Earth.
Instead of building everything from scratch, the production used the observatory’s authentic telescopes and research environment to enhance credibility in early science-focused scenes.
The surrounding Cambridge region offers several science and academic landmarks that match the film’s tone:
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University of Cambridge science campuses
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Cambridge city centre, famous for its historic colleges
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Cambridge Science Park, a hub for technology research
For fans interested in the science side of the film, this location reflects the realistic tone the story aims for.
London and Major UK Film Studios — England
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While real locations appear on screen, most of Project Hail Mary was filmed inside controlled studio environments.
Production Base
London acted as the main hub for the film’s production, with industry sources indicating that major facilities such as Pinewood Studios and Shepperton Studios were likely used during the shoot.
Why Studios Were Essential
Large soundstages allowed the filmmakers to construct detailed sets, including:
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The Hail Mary spacecraft interiors
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Zero-gravity simulation environments
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Motion-capture spaces used for the alien character Rocky
Complex space scenes and visual effects required highly controlled environments that outdoor locations simply could not provide.
Because studios host many productions simultaneously, exact details about which stages were used were never formally confirmed.
When Was Project Hail Mary Filmed?
Principal photography began in the United Kingdom on 3 June 2024 and ran through the summer before wrapping on 26 October 2024.
Director Christopher Miller confirmed the end of filming with a public wrap announcement. After that, the film moved into a lengthy post-production phase, where visual effects, sound design, and IMAX formatting were completed throughout 2025.
That’s a wrap on principal photography on Project Hail Mary!
— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) October 26, 2024
The finished film is scheduled for a 20 March 2026 theatrical release by Amazon MGM Studios.
Why Some Filming Locations Remain Unknown
Not every location used in Project Hail Mary has been publicly disclosed. This is common for major productions, particularly when a project attracts strong fan interest.
Studios often limit location information to:
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Prevent crowds gathering during filming
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Avoid disrupting scenes or equipment setups
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Protect sensitive production details
Additional locations may still surface after the film’s release as fans analyse scenes or local reports emerge. Online reactions to the confirmed filming sites have been mixed but largely enthusiastic..
Some viewers appreciate that the film used real scientific facilities like the Cambridge observatory, arguing that it strengthens the story’s credibility.
Others were surprised by the relatively small number of outdoor locations revealed so far, noting that much of the film appears to rely heavily on studio production.
On social media discussions, several fans have already begun sharing travel ideas, with Portsmouth’s seafront becoming a small talking point among moviegoers who want to recreate scenes from the film.
There is also growing curiosity about which London studios were actually used, with speculation continuing among film industry followers.
Can Fans Visit These Project Hail Mary Locations?
Some of the locations connected to the film are accessible to the public.
South Parade Pier and the surrounding Portsmouth seafront remain fully open tourist destinations, making them the easiest places for fans to visit.
The Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory, however, operates as a working research facility, so public access is limited and usually restricted to special events or academic visits.
For travellers interested in film tourism, Portsmouth is currently the most realistic stop linked to the production.
More locations may still emerge once the film is fully released and behind-the-scenes information becomes public.
For now, these sites offer the first glimpse into the real-world backdrop behind Project Hail Mary.
If more filming locations surface in the coming months, they will almost certainly spark fresh discussion among fans.
So the question is simple: if you had the chance, would you visit these real places from Project Hail Mary, or do you think the film’s most memorable moments will remain the ones created inside the spacecraft itself?