‘project Hail Mary’ Becomes Amazon Mgm’s Biggest Box Office Hit

Amazon’s stake connected “Project Hail Mary” has paid disconnected handsomely, pinch nan movie precocious surpassing “Creed III” to go nan company’s highest grossing movie ever.

And it was a large bet, pinch a reported fund of around $200 million. That’s a large value tag for immoderate film, but particularly 1 that’s not a sequel aliases portion of an existing franchise. Instead, it’s based connected a bestselling subject fabrication caller by Andy Weir, whose book “The Martian” was adapted into a successful movie a decade ago. 

And that’s not nan only point that makes “Project Hail Mary” consciousness unconventional. For agelong stretches of nan film, Ryan Gosling is nan only quality character connected screen, arsenic nan intelligence he plays useful pinch a rock-like alien to lick nan enigma of of why aggregate stars — including our ain — look to beryllium dimming.

But aft 10 days successful theaters, “Project Hail Mary” has brought successful an estimated $164.3 cardinal successful North America, arsenic good arsenic $136.2 cardinal overseas, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Domestically, it only fell 32% successful its 2nd weekend, to $54.5 million, truthful its last container agency numbers should beryllium importantly higher erstwhile it leaves theaters.

That makes “Project Hail Mary” nan biggest deed of 2026 (so far), arsenic good arsenic 1 of nan astir successful non-franchise, non-sequel films of nan past decade. 

And it’s bully news for what’s now known arsenic Amazon MGM Studios. The company’s cinematic ambitions person evolved complete time, from distributing smaller, critically acclaimed titles for illustration “The Big Sick” and “Manchester by nan Sea” to much precocious acquiring movie workplace MGM (leading to a conflict for power of nan James Bond franchise) and declaring its volition to bring 14 movies into theaters each year.

Until “Hail Mary,” those movies — including “After nan Hunt,” “Mercy,” and the arguable “Melania” documentary — seemed to beryllium falling level pinch audiences.

Amazon’s caput of movie Courtenay Valenti told The New York Times that “Project Hail Mary”‘s large opening play validated nan company’s strategy of making “big, bold entertaining commercialized films.” And it has much movies coming to theaters soon, including “The Sheep Detectives” starring Hugh Jackman successful May, past a “Masters of nan Universe” reboot successful June.