Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” is on a roll, topping the box office charts on Friday and having a great opening weekend.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” grossed $33 million from 4,007 locations in the country on Friday. The sci-fi drama is expected to soar to $77 million by Sunday, which would make it Amazon MGM’s biggest opening ever, surpassing 2023’s “Creed III” ($58 million). The film will need to perform well over several weekends to justify its $200 million price tag, but given its 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and excellent reviews, the optics look good.
Based on Any Weir’s 2021 novel, “Project Hail Mary” stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a brainy schoolteacher who wakes up in a spaceship light years from Earth with no memory of how he got there. As the pieces fall back into place, he slowly remembers that he is part of a plan to stop a mysterious substance from darkening the sun. Other cast members include Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Milana Weintrub, Ken Leung, and Liz Kingsman.
On Friday, Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers” took second place domestically with $5.4 million. This is only a 26% decrease from last week’s numbers, indicating an even stronger trend. The animated adventure is expected to gross approximately $122 million in North America by Sunday. After a series of failures, Pixar can finally breathe a sigh of relief with the massive critical and commercial success of “Hoppers.”
On Friday, Searchlight Pictures’ “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” took third place with $3.8 million domestically from 3,010 locations. The gory horror sequel is expected to gross $9 million by the end of the week. The first “Ready or Not” similarly started at $8 million domestically, but ultimately grossed $28 million in the United States and $57 million worldwide against a $6 million budget.
Samara Weaving returns as Grace. After surviving the Le Domas’ deadly game, Grace discovers that she has only reached Level 2 of the Danforths. This time, she must fight for her life alongside her estranged sister Faith, played by Kathryn Newton. Other cast members include Elijah Wood, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sean Hatosy, David Cronenberg, and Dan Behan.
In fourth place was Indian action blockbuster Durandhal, which grossed an estimated $3 million from just 987 theaters in North America on Friday. The film is expected to gross $10.9 million by Sunday. The 2025 sequel to Durandal, The Revenge follows Jaskirat Singh Rangi’s journey deep into Karachi’s criminal underworld. Cast members include Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and Gaurav Gera.
In fifth place was Universal’s “Reminder of Him,” which added $2.7 million domestically on its second Friday of release. The tearful romance is expected to gross $8.7 million by Sunday, with North American box office sales expected to reach $33 million. Reminders of Him cost $25 million to make.
