When filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller first called Daniel Pemberton about Project Hail Mary, the conversation started with wood blocks. Not metaphorically — literally. The directing duo had an idea that the entire film could be scored on a single percussion instrument. Pemberton loved the spirit of it. He also told them, with his characteristic directness, that it probably wouldn’t sustain a two-and-a-half-hour film. That exchange says something about how this particular creative partnership works. And why it keeps producing results. Andy Weir had already proven that his brand of rigorously researched, deeply human science fiction could fill a movie theater. The Martian, his debut novel adapted by director Ridley Scott in 2015 with Matt Damon, grossed over $630 million worldwide and earned seven Academy Award nominations. When Project Hail Mary was still in manuscript form, Ryan Gosling moved quickly, acquiring the rights from Weir to star in and produce the sci-fi adaptation. Lord and Miller, the creative duo behind The Lego Movie, the Jump Street franchise and the Spider-Verse films, came aboard to …