Variety:

MGM has brought Phil Lord and Chris Miller on board to direct and produce the film adaptation of “The Martian" author Andy Weir’s next novel, which has Ryan Gosling lined up to star.

Sources say that before Gosling had even finished reading the manuscript, he was lobbying to execs that it seemed like the perfect project for Lord and Miller. The one hurdle that needed to be overcome was making sure Universal, which just signed the duo to a first-look deal, was OK with Lord and Miller making this their next project. MGM chief Michael De Luca and Universal chairman Donna Langley have a long-standing relationship, and following discussions between the two studios, Uni gave its blessing for the project to move forward.

So, you’ve got:

  • Lord and Miller in the directors chair, a combination which has yet to fail. (Yes, I remember Solo: A Star Wars Story.)
  •  Gosling in the lead, which is always great, and was already awesome as an astronaut with First Man
  • Andy Weir returning to his The Martian-style roots with a new novel, which probably will make a great movie. His ear for dialogue always helps that out.

Now, that book doesn’t hit until Spring 2021, but it sounds pretty rad:

Weir’s upcoming book is currently untitled, being referred to as “Project Hail Mary," and is described as a solitary tale of an astronaut on a space ship who is tasked with saving the planet. It will be published in the spring of 2021 by Random House.

Yep, very much in the vein of The Martian. I’m there.