Ryan Gosling ‘Project Hail Mary’ Rockets Amazon MGM to First Box Office Smash

HOLLYWOOD, CA. (THECOUNT) — Ryan Gosling‘s science fiction epic Project Hail Mary blasted off to the biggest box office opening of 2026, hauling in $80.5 million domestically and $140.9 million worldwide in its debut weekend, according to studio estimates from Amazon MGM.

The film, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, shattered Amazon MGM’s previous opening weekend record, which was held by 2023’s Creed III with $58 million. It is now the second-biggest opening ever for a non-franchise movie not adjusted for inflation, trailing only Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which debuted to $82.4 million in 2023.

The film opened on 4,007 screens across North America and drew an estimated 5 million ticket buyers in its first weekend, according to box office tracker EntTelligence.

Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes alone on a spacecraft with little memory, only to discover he has been tasked with a mission to save the sun — and Earth — from extinction. The film also stars Sandra Hüller and James Ortiz. The screenplay was written by Drew Goddard, who previously adapted fellow Andy Weir novel The Martian for director Ridley Scott’s 2015 blockbuster starring Matt Damon.

Premium large format screens drove a significant share of the debut, accounting for roughly 56% of the weekend gross. IMAX screens alone represented 24% of total ticket sales.

“We believe deeply in the Hail Mary, and it’s clear audiences do as well,” said Amazon MGM Studios distribution chief Kevin Wilson. “What we’re seeing in theaters — the energy, the exit scores, the word-of-mouth — is everything we believed this film would deliver.”

The debut comes at a critical moment for Amazon MGM. This is the studio’s first year operating a full theatrical slate — 13 films scheduled through December 2026 — since Amazon acquired MGM for $8 billion in 2022. The road to this moment was rocky, with January’s documentary Melania earning $16 million against a $40 million budget and February’s Crime 101 grossing just $65 million against a $90 million production cost.

Audiences for Project Hail Mary were 57% male and 60% white, with many opting for premium large format screenings. The film carries a 95% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes heading into its opening weekend.

Internationally, the film earned $60.4 million from 82 overseas markets. Top international markets included the United Kingdom with $10.2 million, China with $7.1 million, Australia with $5 million, and South Korea with $4.3 million.

The film is based on the best-selling 2021 novel of the same name by Andy Weir. Lord and Miller are best known for The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street, and the $200 million production marks their most ambitious project to date.

Elsewhere at the domestic box office, Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers earned $18 million in its third weekend, pushing its domestic total to $120.4 million and its global cume to $242.6 million.

Disney and Searchlight’s horror sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come opened in fourth place with $9.1 million from 3,010 North American theaters. The film stars Samara Weaving reprising her fan-favorite role alongside Kathryn Newton.

Overall ticket sales for the weekend are tracking 21% above the same point in 2025, according to Comscore, though revenues remain roughly 20% behind pre-pandemic averages.

Project Hail Mary is now playing in theaters nationwide. Amazon MGM’s next major theatrical release is June’s Masters of the Universe, based on the Mattel toy property He-Man.

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