And we have liftoff! “Project Hail Mary,” a space-set epic starring Ryan Gosling as a science teacher who is tasked with saving the planet, rocketed to $140.9 million at the global box office.
Those ticket sales include $60.4 million from 82 international markets as well as $80.5 million in North America. It’s the largest debut of the year, ahead of “Scream 7” with $33.1 million overseas and $97.2 million worldwide, as well as the biggest start ever for Amazon MGM, above 2023’s “Creed III” with $41.8 million overseas and $100.4 million worldwide.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, best known for “21 Jump Street” and “The Lego Movie,” directed the $200 million-budgeted film, which follows a former molecular biologist who unwittingly embarks on an intergalactic mission to salvage the world from extinction. The story is adapted from the best-selling novel by author Andy Weir, whose other astronaut adventure “The Martian” was the basis for Ridley Scott’s 2015 blockbuster, starring Matt Damon. That film ignited to $54 million domestically and ended its box office run with a mighty $630 million globally, not adjusted for inflation.
“Project Hail Mary” is shaping up to be the first commercial hit for Amazon MGM, which has spent lavishly in its quest to become a major player in the movie business. Nearly four years after acquiring MGM for $8 billion, Amazon is unveiling its first full theatrical slate in 2026, with 13 films on deck through December. So far, this year has been rocky for the company with January’s first lady doc “Melania” generating $16 million, impressive for the genre, but tragic against a $40 million price tag and February’s R-rated caper “Crime 101″ grossing just $65 million against a $90 million budget. Up next is June’s “Masters of the Universe,” a big-budget tentpole based on the popular Mattel toy He-Man.
“The debut of ‘Project Hail Mary’ a testament to the power of Andy Weir’s original novel and the efforts Lord and Miller made in being faithful with the adaptation,” said analyst Shawn Robbins, director of movie analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory. “[It’s] arriving at a time when people are looking for escapism from the real world’s dire headlines. This is the kind of rare breed movie that will continue drawing audiences in cinemas for weeks to come.”
According to Amazon MGM, “Project Hail Mary” ranks as the third non-sequel and non-franchise film to open above $50 million overseas since COVID, joining the ranks of “Oppenheimer” and “F1: The Movie.” Top markets include the United Kingdom with $10.2 million, China with $7.1 million, Australia with $5 million and South Korea with $4.3 million. Premium screens contributed to the larger-than-expected global tally; Imax alone represented $27.6 million in worldwide ticket sales.
“’Project Hail Mary’ is an excellent film for which Amazon MGM ran a brilliant campaign, leaning heavily on the power of Imax as a global launch platform across production, marketing, and distribution,” said Imax’s CEO Rich Gelfond. “Going back decades to some of our earliest documentaries, there is an enduring connection between Imax and space, and this film’s stunning depiction of the cosmos stands among the best — it truly demands to be experienced in Imax.”
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Another new release, Disney and Searchlight’s horror sequel “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” started slow with $2.8 million from 21 territories. The film opened to $9.1 million domestically for a global tally of $11.9 million against a nearly $20 million budget. Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton star in the movie as sisters who attempt to survive another diabolical game of hide-and-seek. It’s the follow-up to 2019’s “Ready or Not,” which was a modest success with $57 million globally.
Elsewhere at the international box office, Disney’s Pixar adventure “Hoppers” added $34.2 million from 51 markets in its third weekend of release. So far, the kids film has grossed $122 million overseas and $242 million worldwide. With solid week-to-week holds, “Hoppers” is on its way to being Pixar’s first original hit since 2017’s “Coco.”
From Variety US