I received a press release this week about curiosity, which was curious, as I was already honing a theory about curiosity becoming both the next media buzzword and an in-vogue screen commodity that takes human form as Ryan Gosling. My sense is that “creativity”, “connection” and the rest will soon be pushed out to make way for “curiosity”. In Project Hail Mary, the biggest Hollywood film of 2026 so far, Gosling’s Ryland Grace is a bumbling nerd who can’t remember how he ended up in space. Perhaps Project Hail Mary’s success will see curiosity fuel something almost as important as functioning democracies: a new spate of watchable blockbusters. [ Project Hail Mary review: Galaxy-spanning blockbuster starring Ryan Gosling is a sentimental treatOpens in new window ]So the marketing memo is “be more Ryan Gosling (and please buy what we’re selling)”.

Source: The Irish Times April 05, 2026 16:17 UTC