Project Hail Mary soared in its second weekend, earning $54.5 million and outperforming expectations, according to studio estimates.
The sci-fi adventure from Phil Lord and Chris Miller, starring Ryan Gosling, saw only a 32% drop from its opening, marking the best non-franchise debut since Oppenheimer (2023).
With a production budget near $200 million, the film has now grossed $300.8 million worldwide. Its strong hold is partly due to minimal new competition, with premium-format screens largely to itself.
In contrast, horror films faced saturation. The top new release, They Will Kill You, debuted at just $5 million, while Forbidden Fruits earned $1.2 million.
Analysts note that a new horror film has been released almost every weekend for 14 weeks, reducing audience impact despite the genre’s projected $2.1 billion in North American revenue for 2026.
Family films remain steady, with Pixar’s Hoppers earning $12.2 million in its fourth weekend ($297.6 million globally) ahead of competition from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
The top 10 domestic box office included a mix of sci-fi, horror, and family titles, reflecting varied audience preferences. (AP)
