‘Project Hail Mary’ Shatters Box Office Expectations With $140.9 Million Globally

And we have liftoff! "Project Hail Mary," a space-themed adventure starring Ryan Gosling as a science teacher who must save Earth, made $140.9 million at the global box office.

These ticket sales include $60.4 million from 82 international markets and $80.5 million in North America.

 This is the biggest opening of the year, beating "Scream 7" with $33.1 million overseas and $97.2 million worldwide, and it's the biggest start ever for Amazon MGM, surpassing 2023's "Creed III" which earned $41.8 million overseas and $100.4 million worldwide.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, known for "21 Jump Street" and "The Lego Movie," directed the $200 million film.

 The movie follows a former molecular biologist who accidentally joins an intergalactic mission to save Earth from extinction. The story is based on Andy Weir's best-selling novel. Weir's other astronaut adventure, "The Martian," was the basis for the 2015 blockbuster starring Matt Damon. That film earned $54 million in the U.S. and ended with a total of $630 million worldwide, not adjusted for inflation.

" Andy Weir's beloved novel gave us a powerful foundation, and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have created a visually stunning and heart-pounding film led by the brilliant Ryan Gosling that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible—alongside a crowd," said Kevin Wilson, Amazon's distribution chief.

 "When you combine that with the great critical response and strong audience reactions, you find yourself in rare air. And there's no doubt that Ryan Gosling is a star with massive global appeal and charm that can carry a movie like this."

"Project Hail Mary" is shaping up to be the first big hit for Amazon MGM, which has invested heavily to become a major player in the movie business.

 Four years after acquiring MGM for $8 billion, Amazon is launching its first full theatrical slate in 2026, with 13 films planned through December. So far, this year has been tough for the company. January's doc "Melania" made $16 million, which is impressive for the genre, but not enough against a $40 million budget. February's R-rated comedy "Crime 101" earned just $65 million against a $90 million budget. Up next is June's "Masters of the Universe," a big-budget film based on the Mattel toy He-Man.

" The debut of 'Project Hail Mary' is a testament to the power of Andy Weir's original novel and the efforts Lord and Miller made in being faithful to the adaptation," said 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 escape from the real world's tough news. This is the kind of movie that will keep drawing people to the theaters for weeks to come."

According to Amazon MGM, "Project Hail Mary" is the third non-sequel and non-franchise film to open above $50 million overseas since the pandemic, joining "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. High-end screens helped it reach a larger-than-expected global total; Imax alone brought in $27.6 million worldwide.

" 'Project Hail Mary' is an excellent film that Amazon MGM promoted very well, heavily using Imax as a global launch platform across production, marketing, and distribution," said Imax CEO Rich Gelfond.

 "Going back decades to some of our earliest documentaries, there's a lasting link between Imax and space, and this film's amazing view of the cosmos is among the best—truly meant to be seen in Imax."

Another new movie, Disney and Searchlight's horror sequel "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come," started slow with $2.8 million from 21 territories.

 It opened to $9.1 million domestically, totaling $11.9 million worldwide against a nearly $20 million budget. Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton star as sisters who try to survive another twisted game of hide-and-seek. It's the follow-up to 2019's "Ready or Not," which had 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.

 So far, the kids movie has made $122 million overseas and $242 million worldwide. With strong weekly performance, "Hoppers" is on track to be Pixar's first original hit since 2017's "Coco."