Ryan Gosling Is Saving the World — And Budapest Has a Front-Row Seat
If you’re in Budapest right now, you’re in the right place at the right time. Project Hail Mary, one of the most anticipated science fiction films in years, has just landed in cinemas worldwide — including right here in the Hungarian capital — and the city is offering visitors something most places can’t: a chance to see it in English, and then come face to face with Ryan Gosling himself, in wax form, just a short walk from the city center.
One Teacher, One Spaceship, One Chance to Save Everything
Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel — the same author behind The Martian — Project Hail Mary tells the story of Ryland Grace, a mild-mannered sixth-grade science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship, light-years from Earth, with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As his memories slowly return, he pieces together a terrifying truth: scientists had discovered that the Sun is dimming, its energy being consumed by a microorganism called Astrophage that travels along an infrared line from the Sun toward Venus. If left unchecked, Earth will be plunged into a catastrophic ice age within thirty years. Grace was chosen — and launched into deep space — as humanity’s last hope.
What makes the story so compelling is not just the scale of the stakes, but the deeply human way Grace confronts them. Alone, resourceful, and working with only fragments of his own memory, he must rely on scientific ingenuity and, unexpectedly, a remarkable friendship that changes everything. It’s the kind of film that makes you feel both very small and very inspired at the same time.
Ryan Gosling Brings Ryland Grace to Life
Directed by the Academy Award-winning duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller — the creative minds behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling in what many are calling a career-defining performance. Gosling also served as a producer on the film, a sign of just how personally invested he was in bringing Weir’s story to the screen. The cast includes Sandra Hüller, Milana Vayntrub, and Lionel Boyce, but make no mistake: this is Gosling’s film from beginning to end, carrying nearly every scene with a blend of vulnerability, humor, and quiet determination.
Best deals of Budapest
The film opened globally on March 20, 2026, and is available in IMAX for a truly immersive experience. For tourists in Budapest who don’t want to miss it, Etele Cinema is currently screening the film and offering English-language showings — so you don’t need to worry about reading subtitles while trying to absorb the stunning visuals of deep space.
See Ryan Gosling at Madame Tussauds Budapest
Here’s where Budapest offers something uniquely fun. If the film leaves you wanting more Gosling, the city has you covered. Madame Tussauds Budapest — located near Vörösmarty Square in the heart of the city center — features a lifelike wax figure of the actor that you can pose with, photograph, and admire up close.
Opened in 2023, Madame Tussauds Budapest is the first and only full-scale Madame Tussauds in Central Europe, and the 24th location worldwide. It houses 51 wax figures in total, with 17 of them dedicated to Hungarian icons — more local figures than any other Madame Tussauds location in the world. The venue also has the exclusive distinction of being the only place on Earth where you can meet the wax figures of Bud Spencer, Chuck Norris, and Peter Falk — three legends with particularly devoted Hungarian fan bases. For movie lovers, it’s a genuinely worthwhile stop.
Budapest, Sci-Fi, and a Perfect Weekend Plan
There’s something poetic about watching a film set in the loneliest reaches of the universe from one of Europe’s most vibrant and sociable cities. Budapest, with its grand coffeehouses, thermal baths, and buzzing ruin bars, is about as far from a deserted spaceship as you can get — and that contrast makes the Project Hail Mary experience all the richer. Watch Ryan Gosling float through the cosmos at Etele Cinema as part of the Monday’s Originals, then head to Vörösmarty Square to meet his wax double at Madame Tussauds, before settling in for a well-earned dinner or a soak at one of the city’s famous thermal spas.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Andy Weir’s work, a sci-fi enthusiast, or simply looking for a great night out at the movies while you’re visiting Budapest, Project Hail Mary is the film of the moment — and Budapest is one of the best places in Europe to experience it.