Filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s meteoric rise looks to continue with space epic Hail Project Mary, starring Ryan Gosling.
The sci-fi adventure has started of its box office run with a gravity defying $12 million in previews, the best preview gross of the year to date when including both regular Thursday shows and fan screenings held earlier this week. Amazon MGM adds it is also the second best ever preview gross for a non-sequel behind It ($13.5 million), not adjusted for inflation.
Project Hail Mary is certain to win the weekend; the only question now is by how much. Based on the strength of the previews grosses, many believe it will come in well ahead of expectations with $60 million or more. Amazon MGM insiders are still sticking with a forecast in the $50-million range, considering that sci-fi be a tough sell, particularly offshore.
A far more informative stat: only three non-sequel, non-franchise films have opened above $50 million in the post-pandemic era; Oppenheimer, F1: The Movie and It End With Us. In terms of the genre itself, Project Hail Mary would share rarefied air with Interstellar’s opening in 2014.
So far, critics and audiences are embracing the warm-hearted, adventure-action pic movie in almost equal measure, which is the sweet spot for every studio. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to have screenwriter Drew Goddard back in the fold after successfully adapting another Weir novel, The Martian, for the big screen.
The movie, also starring Sandra Hüller and James Ortiz , is opening in 82 markets around the globe timed to its U.S. launch, including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Korea, Japan, and China.
Among the weekend’s other wide releases to watch is Searchlight Pictures’ Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. The film, directed by filmmaking duo Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett), stars Samara Weaving reprising her role as the fan-favorite, Grace.
Internationally, the film also opens in territories including the UK, Australia and Brazil, along with additional smaller markets. It will be open almost everywhere by mid-April.
