Fans Spot One Detail in Ryan Gosling's ‘Project Hail Mary'-It Goes Viral
The grandad knit has become the unlikely protagonist of Hollywood.
Ryan Gosling, 45, starring as Ryland Grace, the lead in Project Hail Mary, is often a source of swooning. But in his latest project, it is his oatmeal-colored foxy sweater (well, it is embroided with foxes) which has captured the hearts of admirers.
Many social media viewers who have watched the movie are desperate to get their hands on similar garments so they can replicate Gosling's look-paired with a double denim shirt and jeans ensemble.
But this isn't the first knit to radiate unexpected sex appeal on screen. Cynthia Erivo's woolly cardigan in Wicked: For Good became an equally seductive layer, so much so that fans dubbed it Elphaba's "sex cardigan."
The knit appears during the sensual "As Long As You're Mine" sequence-the moment Elphaba, played by Erivo, and Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey, finally act on all their long‑simmering tension.
Based on Andy Weir's bestselling novel, Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace, a former science teacher who wakes up alone on a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there-and gradually realizes he's humanity's last hope.
Tasked with saving Earth from an extinction‑level event, Grace must rely on science, resilience and an unexpected bond formed light‑years from home.
Social media users have become obsessed with the unexpected sweater heat.
"Went to see Project Hail Mary last night and Ryland Grace is Ryan Gosling's hottest role yet. Genius scientist showing vulnerability, tousled blond hair, but also he's good with kids and witty. What can't he do??? Oh and I forgot he's wearing a silly cardigan and stupid science graphic tees…" wrote Lili Passalacqua on Threads, receiving over 2,500 interactions.
View on Threads
“Ryan Gosling might enable me to convince my boyfriend to start wearing sweaters. I told him a thousand times that the one time he took my favorite cardigan sweater to wear at karaoke was when he was hottest. It would be a shame if I had a bunch of men looking hot in sweaters to show him to help convince him this is his new look…” shared Bebo.
Fashion experts aren't surprised. According to L’Officiel Hommes Paris, this kind of knitted cardigan-particularly those featuring animal motifs and chunky, heritage silhouettes-is exactly what every cool man is wearing right now.
The magazine recently shared a series of photographs showing Andrew Garfield, Harry Styles, Sebastian Croft and others leaning fully into the cozy look, signaling that the soft knit has officially crossed into It‑Boy territory.
The obsession has spilled well beyond fashion circles, too. On Reddit, one crocheter asked for help converting a knitting pattern of Gosling's jacket into crochet.
“The pure jealousy coursing through my vein knowing the beautiful cardigan from project hail mary is a knit pattern and not crochet is indescribable,” they wrote in the subreddit r/CrochetHelp.
Others chimed in with deeper context. Laura Buhler, a Canadian living in San Francisco, weighed in.
“As a Canadian, I just want to point out for my non‑Canadian friends that this wardrobe choice was an Easter Egg. I own this exact outfit. It is a Canadian tuxedo topped with a Cowichan‑style sweater. This pattern, likely from the ’70s, makes it what some call a ‘curling sweater’- still handknit with wool, and borrowing the cowl neck and knitting style directly from Cowichan, but with new, non‑Indigenous motifs. Most of these are now found in vintage shops in Kyoto and Seoul,” she shared on X, receiving over 250,000 views.
It appears the Hollywood heartthrob might have inspired the next generation of knitters. Another user provided practical intel for those ready to make a cardigan themselves.
“For those looking, Mary Maxim has the pattern and a kit that you can get with the yarn for Grace’s colors,” shared one user on X, receiving over 10,000 views.
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This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 9:10 AM.