Ryan Gosling's sci-fi film 'Project Hail Mary' has become the highest-grossing Hollywood film of the year in the United States, surpassing James Cameron's 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. According to studio estimates, the movie earned $54.5 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $164.3 million.
The Amazon MGM production, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, overtook the Avatar sequel which had dominated the box office for the first three months of 2026. 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' has earned $153.7 million domestically so far this year.
'Project Hail Mary' cost $200 million to make and has grossed $300.8 million worldwide. It is the second highest-grossing film globally in 2026, behind the Chinese racing comedy 'Pegasus 3' which has taken over $600 million.
The film's second-weekend drop of only 32% outperformed Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer', which earned $46.7 million in its second weekend in 2023. Its $80.5 million domestic opening also set a record for the best non-franchise opening weekend, surpassing 'Oppenheimer'.
Gosling stars as a middle school science teacher tasked with saving the world on a space mission. The film also features Sandra Hüller and Lionel Boyce. It received positive reviews, including a four-star rating from The Independent's film critic Clarisse Loughrey, who described it as 'an alchemically perfected blend of past sci-fi greats'.
