Whoever said there’s a lack of appeal for original stories had better get ready to eat their words. Not only did Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary see lead star Ryan Gosling defying gravity out in space, but it also defied expectations to score a historic win for Amazon-MGM.
The sci-fi epic, living up to its name, has grossed US$141 million globally in its opening weekend, of which US$80.5 million came from the domestic box office, shattering the studio’s previous record set by Creed III (US$58 million). It currently ranks as the biggest debut of 2026, after beating slasher sequel Scream 7‘s US$63 million opening, and is only the second non-sequel or non-franchise entry of the past decade to achieve a start of US$80 million or more domestically, sitting alongside 2023’s Oppenheimer.
On an individual level, the milestone is equally significant — while Gosling’s top-grossing film of all time is Barbie, this marks his biggest debut with him in a leading role, as well as a domestic best for Lord and Miller.
Adapted from The Martian author Andy Weir’s best-selling novel of the same name, Project Hail Mary follows a scientist who embarks on an intergalactic mission to save the planet from extinction. Joining Gosling in the cast are Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall), James Ortiz (The Woodsman), and Lionel Boyce (The Bear).
In another victory for original storytelling, Disney’s Pixar adventure Hoppers now sits at No. 2 after two weekends in first place, adding US$18 million to its US$242 million global haul. Third place went to the Indian spy action thriller film Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, making it the biggest debut for a Bollywood title in North America, while Ready or Not 2: Here I Am placed fourth.
After Project Hail Mary ends its run, Amazon’s next major release would be its live-action adaptation of Masters of the Universe, due out on 5 June. Travis Knight is directing the feature, with Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White, & Royal Blue) stepping into the role of Prince Adam / He-Man.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
