OPINION: Project Hail Mary is one of the biggest films of the year, but now there are rumours that the studio might ruin it all

OPINION – Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, I'm willing to bet that you've heard about the movie Project Hail Mary.The sci-fi flick has proven to be a massive box office success and has even become Ryan Gosling's highest-rated film ever on Rotten Tomatoes.As of April 15, the movie has made more than $770 million at the international box office, but now it seems that the studios want to ruin it.It's no secret that cinema is going through dark days at the moment. Ever since Covid studios have struggled to get people into movie theatres.So, Project Hail Mary has arrived at the perfect time to prove that there's still hope for cinema. But why is it so successful?Well, aside from Gosling's undeniable charm, the movie centres around a heartwarming story that's proved particularly popular among families.It's based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir – the same author behind The Martian. But there's one fact about the film that makes it particularly successful.It's a standalone, non-franchise blockbuster.READ MORE: Real reason behind Bieber's 'lazy' Coachella set uncoveredREAD MORE: Coachella curse: Grim reality of the world's glitziest music festivalREAD MORE: Nicole Kidman avoids awkward run-in with ex-husband Tom CruiseIn recent years, we've seen studios shy away from original content, instead relying on IP that they've found previous success with.We've seen a major focus on remakes of older films, sequels that nobody asked for, and expanding franchises that most of us thought (and sometimes hoped) were complete.So, it's safe to say that Project Hail Mary is a breath of fresh air in the blockbuster space. It's a story that very few were familiar with, brought to life with A-list names and incredibly talented artists behind the scenes.It's truly a return to the golden age of cinema.But here's where we have an issue. The studio wants to ruin this, with whispers of a sequel swirling before the film has even made it to streaming. Look, this shouldn't come as a surprise; $770 million is a lot of money, so of course, the studio is looking at that figure, wondering how they can possibly capitalise on it further.Especially since Project Hail Mary has Amazon MGM on the verge of becoming the first new major Hollywood studio in decades.But I can assure you that a sequel is not the way to do it.I understand that it seems like the safe option, and I don't doubt that it will get people to the cinema.For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.But what it will most likely do is tarnish the magic of the first film by once again trying to push a story farther than it was ever intended to go.Amazon MGM has not confirmed official plans for a sequel, thankfully, but The Hollywood Reporter claimed that "insiders confirm a sequel isn't out of the question".THR also claims that sources close to the studio say that "Weir is in the driver's seat" when it comes to what happens next, if anything.And while Weir is perfectly entitled to write a sequel to his own novel, I must urge him not to.When Den of Geek asked the author about the ambiguous ending of the film and book, he respectfully declined to comment, saying, "I might write a sequel someday".Personally, I'm hoping that he means that in the same sense that Stephen King might write a sequel to Shawshank Redemption – while it's entirely possible, it's never going to happen.In good news, Weir is currently working on another novel, which he has said is not a sequel to Project Hail Mary. And in even better news, he's never written a sequel before.But the dollar signs hanging over Project Hail Mary's head may entice him to change his ways. I can admit that a sequel wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to Hollywood, but it would also be far from the best. The film cost $200 million to make, and while the safer option would be to reinvest in a sequel, what audiences need from Hollywood at the moment is a little less adversity to risk, and a little more investment in interesting, original stories – and Project Hail Mary's success is the perfect example of this point.It drew audiences to cinemas because it was a big-budget, new concept blockbuster with a beloved A-list name attached.Rather than trying to recreate the magic of the past, why can't we lean into what Hollywood used to be about and focus on creating something entirely new? FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.