Project Hail Mary: Ryan Gosling Film Defies Trends With $141M Global Launch

LOS ANGELES – Ryan Gosling’s latest film, Project Hail Mary, launched to a stunning $141 million worldwide this weekend, marking the best global opening of 2026 for a Hollywood title and a significant win for Amazon MGM Studios. The science-fiction adventure, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, earned $80.6 million domestically, surpassing initial projections of $50 million to $60 million and setting a new benchmark for Amazon Studios releases.

The film’s success is particularly notable in a market increasingly dominated by sequels and established franchises. Project Hail Mary, based on the novel by Andy Weir and adapted by Drew Goddard, joins Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer as only the second non-sequel or non-franchise film in the last decade to debut with a domestic gross exceeding $80 million, according to Amazon MGM domestic distribution chief Kevin Wilson.

Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who awakens on a spaceship with amnesia and must unravel a mission to save Earth from a dying sun. Sandra Hüller also features in the cast. The film garnered overwhelmingly positive reception, achieving an A CinemaScore, near-perfect PostTrak exits, and a 96% audience ranking on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a 95% critics score.

“Openings like This represents what makes this business special,” Wilson stated. “You could perceive how substantial this film was going to be with the rave reviews from the early screenings and massive presales. Congrats to everyone who was involved in making this film. And it leaves no doubt that Ryan Gosling is a singular star that has the massive global appeal and charisma to anchor a story like this.”

The Hollywood Reporter described the film as a “thrilling space odyssey warmed by humanity and hope,” highlighting Gosling’s chemistry with, as the review noted, “a rock.”

Project Hail Mary’s international performance was equally strong, opening in 82 markets and achieving a No. 1 ranking in over 60 countries. On a like-for-like basis, excluding China, the opening weekend results were comparable to those of Interstellar and Dune. The film represents only the fourth non-sequel/non-franchise film to open above $50 million internationally post-COVID, alongside Oppenheimer, F1: The Movie, and Superman.

The film’s success arrives as Paramount-Skydance prepares to merge with Warner Bros., a deal that has raised concerns within the industry regarding potential job losses and a reduction in the production of original films. Project Hail Mary’s performance underscores the potential for original content to thrive at the box office, offering a counterpoint to the prevailing trend of franchise-driven filmmaking.

Originality is also finding traction in the animated space. Pixar’s Hoppers has become the top-grossing Hollywood film globally with $242.6 million in ticket sales after three weekends, and the top-grossing domestic film, animated or otherwise, earning another $18 million in its third outing for a cumulative total of $120.4 million.

Other new releases this weekend included Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the latest installment in an Indian action-thriller series, which overperformed to earn over $10 million, and Searchlight Pictures’ horror-comedy Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which debuted with an estimated $9.1 million domestically and $11.9 million globally.