Amazon MGM’s Project Hail Mary has taken a commanding lead at its domestic box office in the United States, delivering a powerful $33 million on Friday alone and setting the stage for an impressive opening weekend.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the sci-fi drama is projected to collect around $77 million by Sunday, potentially marking the biggest debut in the studio’s history, surpassing the $58 million opening of Creed III.
Adapted from Andy Weir’s 2021 novel, the story follows Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a schoolteacher who awakens aboard a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there. As his past slowly resurfaces, he realises he is humanity’s last hope in a mission to stop a mysterious force threatening the Sun. The ensemble cast also features Sandra Hüller, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub and others.
Holding firm in second place is Hoppers from Pixar and Disney, which collected $5.4 million on Friday. The animated feature dipped just 26% from the previous week and is expected to push its domestic total to approximately $122 million by Sunday, offering a much-needed win for Pixar after a series of underwhelming releases.
In third position, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come debuted with $3.8 million on Friday across 3,010 theatres. The horror sequel is on track for a $9 million opening weekend, closely mirroring the original Ready or Not, which eventually earned $57 million globally against a modest $6 million budget. Samara Weaving reprises her role as Grace, joined this time by Kathryn Newton, Elijah Wood and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Indian action sequel Dhurandhar The Revenge secured the fourth spot, earning around $3 million on Friday from fewer than 1,000 North American screens. The film is expected to reach $10.9 million by the end of the weekend. Starring Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal, the sequel continues the story of Hamzi Ali Mazari/ Jaskirat Singh Rangi as he navigates deeper into Karachi’s criminal underworld.
Rounding out the top five is Universal’s Reminders of Him, which brought in $2.7 million on its second Friday. The romantic drama is projected to add $8.7 million over the weekend, taking its domestic total to roughly $33 million against a $25 million production budget.