Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir's novel, stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace. A teacher who becomes an astronaut, Grace must stop a mysterious organism from destroying Earth's sun. After the other crew members die, he teams up with an alien called Rocky.
James Ortiz, who voices Rocky and leads the puppet team, explained that the original plan was to use a mechanical model throughout the film. However, he felt its movements could be too stiff. He suggested a puppet controlled with rods, which allowed his team to move Rocky more freely and try playful ideas during filming. Digital effects later removed the people operating it.
The mechanical version was useful in the ship's mental health room, where screens displayed Earth scenes, including an ocean and fireworks. Removing the puppet operators and their reflections would have risked damaging the images on those screens. Instead, the team placed the mechanical Rocky inside a real ball on set. A cable usually held it in place and was removed digitally. This version appeared only a few times.
