Project Hail Mary: Ryan Gosling Film Scores Biggest Opening of 2024
The early box office is proving a surprisingly fertile ground for original stories, a welcome shift in a landscape often dominated by sequels and established franchises. Leading the charge is Project Hail Mary, the sci-fi epic from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, which has launched to a stellar $80.6 million domestically and a global total of $141 million.
The performance of Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller, is particularly noteworthy given initial projections that anticipated a debut of “$50 million-plus.” The film quickly exceeded expectations, fueled by overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and audiences. The success is a significant win for Amazon MGM Studios as it aims to re-establish itself as a major player in Hollywood, especially as Paramount-Skydance prepares to merge with Warner Bros.
Based on the Andy Weir novel, Project Hail Mary tells the story of a science teacher tasked with a seemingly impossible mission to save two worlds. The film benefits from the involvement of screenwriter Drew Goddard, who previously successfully adapted Weir’s The Martian for the big screen.
The film’s opening places it in rarefied air. It’s only the third non-sequel or franchise installment in the last decade to open to $60 million or more domestically, alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer ($82 million) and Jordan Peele’s Us ($71 million). In the post-pandemic era, only Oppenheimer, Apple’s F1: The Movie, and It Ends With Us have opened to over $50 million without relying on pre-existing intellectual property. Comparatively, Project Hail Mary’s launch is on par with the opening of Interstellar in .
“You could sense how big this film was going to be with the rave reviews from the early screenings and massive presales,” said Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM’s domestic distribution chief. “Openings like This represents what makes this business special.”
The film is currently playing in 82 international markets, including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Korea, Japan, and China.
The success of Project Hail Mary isn’t happening in a vacuum. Originality is emerging as a key trend at the box office. Pixar’s Hoppers, after three weekends, has become the top-grossing Hollywood film globally with $242.6 million in ticket sales, and $120.4 million domestically. This marks a turnaround for the animation studio, which had faced challenges with recent releases.
While original stories are gaining traction, franchises haven’t disappeared. Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the latest installment in an Indian action-thriller series starring Ranveer Singh, overperformed expectations, earning over $10 million in its opening weekend. Searchlight Pictures’ horror-comedy Ready or Not 2: Here I Come as well made a strong showing, debuting with an estimated $9.1 million domestically and $11.9 million globally.
Ready or Not 2, starring Samara Weaving, has received solid reviews and a B+ CinemaScore. The film is expanding its international release throughout April.
The performance of Project Hail Mary, alongside the successes of Hoppers and Ready or Not 2, suggests a growing appetite among audiences for fresh, inventive storytelling. This is a potentially significant development for an industry that has increasingly relied on established franchises to drive box office revenue. The current landscape indicates that, while familiar properties still hold appeal, audiences are also willing to embrace new worlds and characters when presented with compelling narratives.
As The Hollywood Reporter’s review succinctly put it, Project Hail Mary is a “thrilling space odyssey warmed by humanity and hope,” and Ryan Gosling “proves he can have chemistry with a rock.” The film’s success is a testament to the power of a well-crafted story and a reminder that originality can still thrive in the modern blockbuster era.