Jenna Ortega is already being eyed for a major sci-fi role in Artemis, the next Andy Weir adaptation following the breakout success of Project Hail Mary.
Weir, best known for writing The Martian and Project Hail Mary, has seen his latest adaptation become a massive hit. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and starring Ryan Gosling, Project Hail Mary debuted to huge numbers at the box office, quickly becoming one of 2026’s biggest openings and a major win for Amazon MGM.
Now, attention is turning to Artemis, Weir’s 2017 novel set in a lunar colony, which has long been in development with Lord and Miller once again attached to direct.
In an interview with Den of Geek, Weir addressed the possibility of casting for Artemis and specifically mentioned Ortega as a potential lead. While clarifying that he does not have casting control, the author said it would be “pretty cool” if someone like Ortega took on the role of Jazz. Read his comments below:
That’s a tough call. I mean, it’d be pretty cool—and I have no say in any of this—but if someone like Jenna Ortega would do it. It would be pretty cool. Something like that.
Artemis is set in humanity’s first and only city on the Moon. The story follows Jazz Bashara, a down-on-her-luck smuggler who takes a potentially life-changing job, only to find herself embroiled in a conspiracy involving the titular town of Artemis. Lord and Christopher Miller signed on to helm the adaptation back in 2017, and the directing duo recently confirmed that Artemis is still in active development.
The timing of Weir’s comments is notable, coming right after Project Hail Mary proved that audiences are still eager for smart, character-driven sci-fi. The film earned over $140 million globally in its opening weekend, making it the biggest debut of 2026 so far and one of the most successful original sci-fi launches in recent years.
Its success reinforces the viability and success rate of adapting Weir’s work, which blends hard science concepts with humor and emotional storytelling. The Martian was successfully adapted into a 2015 Oscar-nominated film directed by Ridley Scott, and grossed over $630 million worldwide against a $108 million budget.
If Artemis moves forward, it could benefit directly from this momentum. While The Martian focuses on survival and Project Hail Mary leans into interstellar adventure, Artemis offers a more grounded, heist-style story set within a fully realized lunar society. That shift in tone could help differentiate it while still maintaining the accessible, human-centered storytelling that has defined Weir’s adaptations so far.
Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling as a scientist who undergoes a one-way trip to save Earth from a mystery microorganism that’s killing the sun while forming an unconventional friendship with an alien, Rocky, as they attempt to find solutions to save his planet, and its strong box office performance makes a potential Artemis movie feel more viable, especially with new casting buzz.
For now, Artemis remains in development, and no official casting decisions have been made. However, Weir’s endorsement of Ortega highlights just how much eagerness Weir and the Lord and Miller have for the project.
Ultimately, with Project Hail Mary dominating the box office and reigniting interest in Weir’s work, the path forward for Artemis looks more promising than ever. And if Ortega does end up taking the lead, the film could quickly become one of the most anticipated sci-fi projects in the coming years.
- Director
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Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
- Writers
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Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Andy Weir