Ryan Gosling’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ Sets Record for Biggest Domestic Opening Day Ever
Project Hail Mary has opened with a major box office win, giving Amazon MGM Studios its biggest theatrical debut so far and also its the biggest domestic opening day ever for any non-franchise film. The film brought in about $33 million in its first day from more than 4,000 theaters, and early estimates suggest a full opening weekend around $77 million. The numbers come from industry tracking reports shared across the box office sector.
The result easily passes Amazon MGM Studios’ previous record. That was set by Creed III, which opened with $58.3 million in the U.S. back in 2023. This new release now marks a clear step up for the studio in the theatrical space.
Industry comparisons also show how rare this level of success is for an original-style film. In the past decade, only Oppenheimer managed a higher opening weekend among non-franchise movies, with about $82 million in its launch.
The strong start for “Project Hail Mary” is also tied to audience response. Early ratings have been very positive, with an A score on CinemaScore. Critics and viewers on Rotten Tomatoes are also strongly in favor, with ratings reported at 95% from critics and 97% from audiences. The film’s mix of space adventure, humor, and emotional storytelling, along with lead performance by Ryan Gosling, has been a key part of its early success.
The film will face new competition next week from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but early momentum suggests it could remain strong into the following weeks.
In second place at the box office is Hoppers from Disney and Pixar. The film added about $20 million in its third weekend. Its domestic total now sits at roughly $122 million, and it continues to perform steadily even if its international numbers are slightly softer compared to some past Pixar releases.
Knock, knock, knock. The first #ProjectHailMary clip just dropped — only in theaters & IMAX March 20. Get tickets at link in bio. pic.twitter.com/zoxXRBP7pm
— Project Hail Mary (@projecthailmary) March 6, 2026
The third spot went to the Hindi action film Dhurandhar: The Revenge. It earned around $10.9 million in the U.S. from just under 1,000 locations. The film is part of a larger story arc from director Aditya Dhar and has seen strong turnout from South Asian audiences in American theaters.
In fourth place is Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. It is expected to bring in around $9 million for its opening weekend. Early audience reactions have been solid, with a B+ CinemaScore and strong Rotten Tomatoes ratings across both critics and viewers.
Rounding out the top five is Reminders of Him, which earned about $8.7 million. The film has reached around $33.8 million in total so far after a 10-day run, though it dropped more than 50% from its first weekend.
The most important takeaway is that original films can still open very big if they connect with audiences early. Project Hail Mary is a clear example of that. It also shows how important word of mouth and audience scores are in shaping box office success. What do you think about these numbers and the success of original films at the box office? Let us know in the comments!
