“Project Hail Mary” easily took the top spot at the box office Friday and has already shortened its lifespan as the first four-quadrant blockbuster of 2026.
“Project Hail Mary” grossed $14.6 million in its second Friday in North American theaters and is on track to earn $53.1 million by Sunday. This number represents a solid trend and is down just 34% from the opening weekend numbers. Amazon MGM’s interplanetary blockbuster is projected to gross $162.9 million domestically through its two opening weekends.
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, this sci-fi drama stars Ryan Gosling as a brainy schoolteacher sent into space to save the sun from a major blackout. The film’s opening weekend grossed $140.9 worldwide ($60.4 internationally and $80.5 million in North America), making it the highest-grossing debut of 2026. It also had the best opening for an Amazon MGM title, second only to 2023’s “Creed III,” which earned $41.8 million overseas and $58 million domestically.
Horror newcomer “They Will Kill You” earned $2.3 million domestically from 2,778 locations and debuted at No. 3 on its opening day. Warner Bros. expects to make about $4.3 million by the end of the week.
They Will Kill You, directed by Kirill Sokolov, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Alex Litvak, stars Zazie Beetz as a housekeeper who takes a job cleaning a New York high-rise where a mysterious disappearance has occurred. She soon learned that Tenet was the source of terrible rumors. Other cast members include Patricia Arquette, Heather Graham, Tom Felton, Maihara, Patterson Joseph, and Armando Rivera.
Coming in second on Friday was Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers,” which added $3.2 million. The animated adventure is on track to gross $11 million by Sunday. Disney and Pixar made a big bet by spending $150 million on “Hoppers,” and it was an investment that paid off. The family film is expected to gross $138 million in North America through its first three weekends and nearly double that worldwide.
Rounding out Friday’s top five were “Reminder of Him” and “Durandal 2: The Revenge.” “Reminder of Him” earned $1.5 million domestically and placed fourth. The literary romance will earn an additional $4.6 million through Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $40.9 million. “Durandal 2: The Revenge” came in fifth place domestically with an estimated $1.36 million. The action sequel is expected to gross $4.8 million by Sunday, bringing its domestic total to about $22.8 million.
