NEW YORK – The sci-fi adventure film “Project Hail Mary,” directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and starring Ryan Gosling, has proven to be a box office sensation. According to studio estimates released on Sunday, it grossed an impressive $54.5 million in its second weekend, maintaining strong momentum and solidifying its status as the year’s biggest hit to date.
After an outstanding opening, which marked the best non-franchise debut since the critically acclaimed “Oppenheimer,” the film has now accumulated a staggering $300.8 million worldwide in just two weeks. This remarkable performance is bolstered by the film’s relatively low drop of only 32% from its opening weekend.
With a production budget nearing $200 million, “Project Hail Mary” has successfully avoided major competition, allowing it to dominate premium format screens. In contrast, the highly anticipated K-Pop documentary “BTS: The Return” opted for a direct-to-streaming release on Netflix, which likely impacted its theatrical performance.
The film’s impressive second weekend hold surpasses that of “Oppenheimer,” which earned $46.7 million in its follow-up frame, indicating that audiences are responding positively to the story and its characters.
On the other hand, the weekend’s new release, “They Will Kill You,” debuted to disappointing numbers, bringing in only $5 million for Warner Bros. This gory horror film features Zazie Beetz in a chilling role as a maid who becomes a sacrificial offering at a mysterious apartment complex.
While the results weren’t disastrous given its modest $20 million budget, they do highlight a potential oversaturation in the horror genre, with David A. Gross from FranchiseRe noting that theaters have seen a new horror film every weekend for the last 14 weeks.
This trend includes last week’s release of “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” which has earned $16.3 million domestically so far, and another horror-comedy that debuted this weekend, IFC’s “Forbidden Fruits,” which made $1.2 million.
Despite the current glut of horror films, Gross predicts that the genre will still account for approximately $2.1 billion in North American ticket revenue by 2026, although this is a decrease from last year’s $2.75 billion. This indicates that while horror remains a popular choice among audiences, the market may be reaching its limit.
Family films, however, continue to thrive. Pixar’s original movie “Hoppers” held on to second place with $12.2 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its global gross to $297.6 million. Next weekend, “Hoppers” will face tough competition from Universal Pictures’ eagerly awaited “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which is expected to have the biggest opening of 2026.
Here’s a quick look at the top 10 movies by domestic box office for the weekend:
1. “Project Hail Mary,” $54.5 million.
2. “Hoppers,” $12.2 million.
3. “They Will Kill You,” $5 million.
4. “Dhurandhar The Revenge,” $4.8 million.
5. “Reminders of Him,” $4.7 million.
6. “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” $4 million.
7. “Scream 7,” $2.6 million.
8. “GOAT,” $2.2 million.
9. “Undertone,” $1.7 million.
10. “Forbidden Fruits,” $1.2 million.
