# Project Hail Mary Uses Animatronic Rocky

> Project Hail Mary used animatronic Rocky for one scene to avoid VFX issues with LED screens.
- Title: Project Hail Mary Uses Animatronic Rocky · SlashFilm
- Summary: Project Hail Mary used animatronic Rocky for one scene to avoid VFX issues with LED screens. project hail mary, rocky, animatronic · reported by SlashFilm.
- Keywords: project hail mary, rocky, animatronic, puppet, mental health room, led screens, vfx, james ortiz, amazon mgm studios, ryan gosling, entertainment, culture
- Source: SlashFilm — https://slashfilm.com/2283844/project-hail-mary-movie-animatronic-rocky-scene
- Author: Rafael Motamayor
- Published: 2026-10-14T15:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: project hail mary, rocky, animatronic, puppet, mental health room, led screens, vfx, james ortiz, amazon mgm studios, ryan gosling, entertainment, culture
## Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi film based on Andy Weir's novel with Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace.
## Rocky the Alien
Rocky is a character in Project Hail Mary who is mostly a puppet but occasionally an animatronic.
## Animatronic Rocky System
The animatronic 'WALDO' system was used for Rocky in scenes where LED screens would be visible.
## Mental Health Room Scene
Rocky's animatronic version was used in the mental health room scene to avoid VFX erasure of puppeteers.
## Why Animatronic Was Chosen
James Ortiz said the animatronic would be too rigid for Rocky's movements, so a rod puppet was used instead.
## VFX Solution
The animatronic was placed on a ball with a cable to hold it in place, then erased around it in post-production.
## Key takeaway

Project Hail Mary used animatronic Rocky in a mental health room scene to avoid VFX erasure of puppeteers around LED screens.