Project Hail Mary Opens to Estimated $80 Million, Handing Amazon MGM Studios Its Biggest Theatrical Debut

The weekend belonged to Ryland Grace.

Amazon MGM Studios' Project Hail Mary, the Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-directed adaptation of Andy Weir's bestselling novel, posted an estimated $80.6 million in its domestic opening weekend, according to Saturday evening tracking figures ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. The result gives the studio its largest theatrical debut by a wide margin, surpassing the $58.3 million opening that Creed III managed in 2023 ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

The film, which stars Ryan Gosling as a high school science teacher turned reluctant astronaut tasked with saving Earth from a dimming Sun, opened in 4,007 locations across North America . Its Friday gross of $33.1 million, inclusive of $12 million earned during preview screenings that began on Thursday afternoon, set the pace for what became a commanding weekend ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. Saturday brought in another $27.1 million, a drop of only 18 percent from the inflated Friday figure — a trajectory remarkably similar to that of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, which posted nearly identical Friday-to-Saturday numbers during its own blockbuster opening in 2023 ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

A Record-Setting Weekend for Non-Franchise Cinema

The $80.6 million estimate places Project Hail Mary as the second-best domestic opening ever for a non-franchise, non-sequel film, trailing only Oppenheimer's $82.4 million debut . It surpasses both I Am Legend's $77.2 million opening in 2007 and Jordan Peele's Us, which launched to $71 million in 2019 ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. The result also represents the best opening for a non-franchise film released in March, overtaking Us as the previous holder of that distinction ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

For Lord and Miller, the opening weekend represents their strongest as directors, surpassing The Lego Movie's $69 million debut ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. For Gosling, it stands as his second-best opening behind Barbie's $162 million launch in 2023 ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

The achievement carries particular significance for the broader theatrical marketplace. Only two non-franchise, non-sequel movies in the past decade had previously exceeded $60 million in opening weekends — Oppenheimer and Us ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. Industry observers have described the result as a major positive signal for original theatrical releases, particularly at a time when streamers continue to pull audiences toward home viewing ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

Amazon MGM's Theatrical Vindication

The performance amounts to a vindication of Amazon MGM Studios' theatrical strategy under Courtenay Valenti, the studio's Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical, who greenlit the project . Amazon acquired MGM Studios for $8 billion four years ago, and while the studio has had some financial successes with titles like Creed III and The Beekeeper, it has also absorbed notable misses Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Makes $12 Million in Previews, Biggest of the Year So Farvariety.com·SecondaryRyan Gosling‘s “Project Hail Mary” is blasting off at the box office. Amazon MGM’s sci-fi movie, based on author Andy Weir’s popular novel, has made $12 million in previews at the box office, the biggest of the year so far. It beat the $7.8 million preview haul by “Scream 7,” and it could overtake the horror movie for the highest box office opening of 2026.. Project Hail Mary, produced for a reported $200 million, represents a significant bet on original theatrical filmmaking Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to Gravity-Defying $12M in Previewshollywoodreporter.com·SecondaryFilmmaking duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s golden touch continues with space epic Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling. Friday’s opening-day gross of $33.1 million, including $12 million in previews, puts the film on course for a better-than-expected domestic opening of $77 million-plus, according to Amazon MGM Studios. Only three non-sequel, non-franchise films have opened above $50 million in the post-pandemic era: Oppenheimer, F1: The Movie and It Ends With Us..

The film benefits from an unusually robust marketing campaign that began at CinemaCon last April and built through San Diego Comic-Con in July, where the first trailer launched to more than 400 million views — the biggest trailer debut ever for a non-franchise, non-sequel film Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to $33 Millionvariety.com·SecondaryIt’s up, up and away for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary,” which rocketed to the top of the box office charts on Friday en route to a stellar opening weekend. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” earned $33 million domestically on Friday from 4,007 locations. The sci-fi drama is expected to blast off to $77 million by Sunday, which marks the best opening for Amazon MGM ever, legging out 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million).. Partnerships with Audible helped drive Weir's 2021 novel back to the top of bestseller charts ahead of the release Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to $33 Millionvariety.com·SecondaryIt’s up, up and away for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary,” which rocketed to the top of the box office charts on Friday en route to a stellar opening weekend. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” earned $33 million domestically on Friday from 4,007 locations. The sci-fi drama is expected to blast off to $77 million by Sunday, which marks the best opening for Amazon MGM ever, legging out 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million)..

Amazon MGM screened the film for media as early as February 23, nearly a month before opening, signaling the confidence the studio had in the finished product Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to $33 Millionvariety.com·SecondaryIt’s up, up and away for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary,” which rocketed to the top of the box office charts on Friday en route to a stellar opening weekend. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” earned $33 million domestically on Friday from 4,007 locations. The sci-fi drama is expected to blast off to $77 million by Sunday, which marks the best opening for Amazon MGM ever, legging out 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million).. The gamble has paid off: Project Hail Mary holds a 95 percent certified fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 98 percent audience score Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to $33 Millionvariety.com·SecondaryIt’s up, up and away for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary,” which rocketed to the top of the box office charts on Friday en route to a stellar opening weekend. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” earned $33 million domestically on Friday from 4,007 locations. The sci-fi drama is expected to blast off to $77 million by Sunday, which marks the best opening for Amazon MGM ever, legging out 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million)..

Premium Formats Drive Massive Share

One of the most striking aspects of the opening weekend is the outsized contribution from premium format screenings. IMAX and premium large format tickets accounted for a massive 56 percent of the weekend's gross, with IMAX alone driving close to 24 percent ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. That share dwarfs the PLF contribution for most wide releases and suggests audiences are seeking out the most immersive viewing experience for the space-set adventure.

PostTrak exit surveys painted an equally encouraging picture. The film received 5 stars on PostTrak with a 95 percent positive score and an 85 percent definite recommend across all demographic groups ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. Men over 25 led with 84 percent definite recommends, while women both under and over 25 matched at 83 percent, and men under 25 came in at 81 percent ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

The audience skewed slightly male at 57 percent to 43 percent female, with 55 percent of ticket buyers under 35 . Demographic breakdowns showed 59 percent Caucasian, 20 percent Latino and Hispanic, 10 percent Asian American, and 6 percent Black ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. Notably, 56 percent of attendees had previously purchased tickets, indicating strong advance sales ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

Spring Break Tailwinds and Audience Motivation

The opening weekend coincided with peak Spring Break travel, with 38 percent of K-12 schools and 37 percent of colleges on break — a scheduling advantage that contributed to strong matinee performance ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. By Monday, those figures drop to 16 percent K-12 and 11 percent colleges, meaning the film will need strong holds to maintain momentum through the coming weeks ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

Among moviegoers surveyed about their reasons for attending, 47 percent said the film simply looked fun, while 41 percent cited Gosling as their primary draw, and another 41 percent said they went because it was a sci-fi movie ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. The streaming subscription data was also telling: 68 percent of attendees identified as Netflix subscribers, while 55 percent said they were Amazon Prime members — a relevant metric given Amazon's cross-platform marketing push ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

A Crowded but Stratified Marketplace

Project Hail Mary was not the only story at the box office this weekend, though it thoroughly dominated. Disney and Pixar's Hoppers held strongly in second place with an estimated $21 million in its third weekend, pushing its cumulative North American total to approximately $123 million — a reassuring result for Pixar after a string of underperformers Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to Gravity-Defying $12M in Previewshollywoodreporter.com·SecondaryFilmmaking duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s golden touch continues with space epic Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling. Friday’s opening-day gross of $33.1 million, including $12 million in previews, puts the film on course for a better-than-expected domestic opening of $77 million-plus, according to Amazon MGM Studios. Only three non-sequel, non-franchise films have opened above $50 million in the post-pandemic era: Oppenheimer, F1: The Movie and It Ends With Us..

In a notable development, Bollywood sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge outperformed Searchlight Pictures' Ready or Not 2: Here I Come for third place, earning an estimated $10.5 million from just 967 locations compared to the horror sequel's $9 million from 3,010 theaters ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. The Hindi-language film is on track to set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for a Bollywood film in North America, potentially surpassing 2023's Pathaan, which posted a $6.9 million three-day opening ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

Ready or Not 2, which had its world premiere at SXSW and stars Samara Weaving alongside Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Elijah Wood, received a B-plus CinemaScore matching the first film ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).. The sequel was produced for less than $20 million, so it remains positioned for profitability even with the softer opening ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

Universal's Reminders of Him rounded out the top five with an estimated $8.7 million in its second weekend, bringing its 10-day cumulative total to approximately $33.8 million ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off To $11M+ In Previews, Best YTDdeadline.com·SecondarySATURDAY PM: Amazon MGM Studios‘ Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M which rockets this Ryan Gosling starring, Lord & Miller directed production to a magnificent $80.6M. While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M)..

The Global Picture and What Comes Next

Project Hail Mary is opening simultaneously in 82 markets worldwide, with Sony handling the international distribution as Amazon MGM continues to build out its own foreign arm . Pre-release projections pointed to a worldwide opening north of $100 million Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to $33 Millionvariety.com·SecondaryIt’s up, up and away for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary,” which rocketed to the top of the box office charts on Friday en route to a stellar opening weekend. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” earned $33 million domestically on Friday from 4,007 locations. The sci-fi drama is expected to blast off to $77 million by Sunday, which marks the best opening for Amazon MGM ever, legging out 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million).. Key territories include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and China, with Spain, India, and several other markets set for later rollouts Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to $33 Millionvariety.com·SecondaryIt’s up, up and away for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary,” which rocketed to the top of the box office charts on Friday en route to a stellar opening weekend. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” earned $33 million domestically on Friday from 4,007 locations. The sci-fi drama is expected to blast off to $77 million by Sunday, which marks the best opening for Amazon MGM ever, legging out 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million)..

The film's international prospects carry one significant caveat: Middle Eastern markets remain depressed due to ongoing geopolitical instability from the Iran conflict Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to $33 Millionvariety.com·SecondaryIt’s up, up and away for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary,” which rocketed to the top of the box office charts on Friday en route to a stellar opening weekend. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” earned $33 million domestically on Friday from 4,007 locations. The sci-fi drama is expected to blast off to $77 million by Sunday, which marks the best opening for Amazon MGM ever, legging out 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million).. And Asian markets have generally underperformed for American titles in the post-pandemic era, making those territories a wait-and-see proposition Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to $33 Millionvariety.com·SecondaryIt’s up, up and away for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary,” which rocketed to the top of the box office charts on Friday en route to a stellar opening weekend. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” earned $33 million domestically on Friday from 4,007 locations. The sci-fi drama is expected to blast off to $77 million by Sunday, which marks the best opening for Amazon MGM ever, legging out 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million)..

With its $200 million production budget, Project Hail Mary will need to demonstrate strong legs in the weeks ahead to reach full profitability through theatrical revenue alone Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets to Gravity-Defying $12M in Previewshollywoodreporter.com·SecondaryFilmmaking duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s golden touch continues with space epic Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling. Friday’s opening-day gross of $33.1 million, including $12 million in previews, puts the film on course for a better-than-expected domestic opening of $77 million-plus, according to Amazon MGM Studios. Only three non-sequel, non-franchise films have opened above $50 million in the post-pandemic era: Oppenheimer, F1: The Movie and It Ends With Us.. But Amazon's position as a trillion-dollar company with a streaming ecosystem gives it additional avenues to recoup costs — the studio has previously indicated that covering global marketing and distribution costs, rather than full production budgets, is the benchmark for deeming a theatrical release worthwhile Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Makes $12 Million in Previews, Biggest of the Year So Farvariety.com·SecondaryRyan Gosling‘s “Project Hail Mary” is blasting off at the box office. Amazon MGM’s sci-fi movie, based on author Andy Weir’s popular novel, has made $12 million in previews at the box office, the biggest of the year so far. It beat the $7.8 million preview haul by “Scream 7,” and it could overtake the horror movie for the highest box office opening of 2026..

For now, the opening weekend tells a clear story: audiences showed up for an original, non-franchise science fiction film anchored by a movie star, strong reviews, and smart source material. In a year where franchise fatigue has been a recurring industry talking point, Project Hail Mary provides a compelling counterargument.