"Project Hail Mary," a science fiction film starring Ryan Gosling, has seen significant box office success, grossing approximately $80.5 million during its opening weekend in North America. This figure translates to around 5 million ticket buyers, marking a notable achievement for a non-franchise film, surpassing the previous record set by "Oppenheimer" earlier this year.
Released on 4,007 screens, "Project Hail Mary" not only topped the domestic box office but also delivered the largest opening weekend for Amazon MGM, outperforming "Creed III," which opened to $58 million. The film ranks as the second-largest opening for a non-franchise film in the past decade, following "Oppenheimer." Additionally, it exceeded the debut performances of other notable science fiction films such as "The Martian," "Gravity," and "Interstellar."
Internationally, the film earned $60.4 million across 82 markets, bringing its total global revenue to $140.9 million. Kevin Wilson, head of domestic distribution at Amazon MGM, noted the challenges faced by theatrical releases today, particularly for science fiction genres, while also highlighting that the film's performance indicates a broad audience appeal.
"Project Hail Mary" has received strong reviews, reflected in audience scores, with a PostTrak rating of five out of five stars. The film's audience demographics showed a slight male skew, with 55% under the age of 35. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the production budget for the film was approximately $200 million, which is notably higher than that of "Oppenheimer."
As it continues its run, the film is expected to face little competition in its second weekend, with its IMAX screens remaining in high demand. The overall box office performance for the year is up approximately 21%, signaling positive momentum for the industry.