Amazon MGM Studios’ “Project Hail Mary<\/strong><\/u><\/a>” is off to a phenomenal start, both critically and commercially, pulling in $140 million worldwide in its opening weekend and setting many records for a non-franchise and non-sequel Hollywood release. The book’s author, Andy Weir<\/strong><\/u><\/a> (“The Martian”), was also a producer on the movie and was present for the majority of its shooting days.<\/p>\n We caught up with Weir amid the late stages of a month-long whirlwind press tour to see how he’s been holding up in the media storm and hear about working closely with Ryan Gosling. But before that, the important question… his go-to beverage during marathon interview sessions.<\/p>\n “Oh, Diet Coke all the way. Gallons of it,” Weir tells Space. “I love that the studio is throwing so much effort behind the marketing to get those butts in those seats.”<\/p>\n Article continues below