Lord and Miller Say Early Project Hail Mary Cut Ran Nearly Four Hours

Overview

• Lord and Miller said Saturday that an early assembly of Project Hail Mary ran about three hours and 45 minutes.
• They showed the rough version to friends and fellow filmmakers, who gave a unanimous note to get it shorter.
• Cutting it to about three hours came quickly, then they inched it down to the 156-minute release.
• Deleted scenes on home release are more likely than a finished four-hour cut because the assembly lacks completed effects.
• Despite the long runtime, the film is a box-office hit with strong reviews and a modest second-weekend drop expected.