Few films released in 2026 have dazzled audiences the way “Project Hail Mary” did. The Amazon MGM film combined sci-fi spectacle, puppetry, and a classic Ryan Gosling performance into something truly unique — and provided the film industry with a much-needed spark of hope that quality blockbusters are still capable of finding massive audiences. It’s one of the year’s great success stories, and attendees at IndieWire’s Future of Filmmaking Summit will get a behind-the-scenes look at how the film came together.

“Project Hail Mary” directors and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller will deliver the keynote presentation at IndieWire’s Future of Filmmaking Summit on October 17. The longtime collaborators will break down how they made the most difficult movie in a career filled with difficult movies and offer lessons that other filmmakers can take away from their process.

Over the past 25 years, Lord and Miller have built a unique career that established them as some of Hollywood’s preeminent filmmakers in multiple mediums. Their animation career began with the cult TV series “Clone High” in 2002 before they received widespread acclaim for directing “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and “The Lego Movie” and overseeing the animated “Spider-Verse” franchise. They’ve been equally successful in live-action projects, with additional credits including “21 Jump Street” and its sequel “22 Jump Street” and the TV shows “The Last Man on Earth” and “The Afterparty.”

IndieWire’s Future of Filmmaking Summit will take place at Penske Media’s headquarters at Lumen West LA. The all-day event will feature a wide-range of panels and networking opportunities centered around the ideas, people, technology, and skills that shape storytelling today. Additional programming will be announced over the coming weeks.