‘Project Hail Mary’ Achieves Year’s Largest $12M Preview Box Office
Amazon MGM’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel opened with $12 million in previews. That marks the year’s largest preview total so far.
Preview performance and opening projections
The film beat the $7.8 million preview haul posted by Scream 7. Analysts project an opening weekend between $63 million and $65 million.
If it reaches that range, it will become Amazon MGM’s biggest launch. The studio’s current record is the $58 million Creed III opening from 2023.
About the film
Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace. He is a high school teacher turned astronaut tasked with saving Earth.
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller lead the production. The movie follows a mission to counter a dimming Sun that causes global cooling.
Key story elements and creature co-star
In deep space, Grace befriends a five-legged alien called Rocky. Their relationship is central to the plot.
The film carries a reported $200 million production budget. It aims to be Amazon MGM’s first original blockbuster.
Cast
The supporting cast includes Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub. Additional players round out the ensemble.
Studio context
Amazon acquired MGM for $8 billion four years ago. Since then the studio has seen both hits and misses.
Notable successes include Creed III and The Beekeeper. Recent disappointments include After the Hunt, Melania, and Crime 101.
With a roughly $2.2 trillion market cap, Amazon does not need film revenue to cover full budgets. The company primarily counts on box office for marketing and distribution recovery.
Other releases this weekend
Searchlight opened the horror sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come with $1.2 million in previews. Samara Weaving returns to lead the cast.
She is joined by Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Elijah Wood. The sequel expands the franchise’s lethal hide-and-seek premise.
Project Hail Mary posted the year’s largest $12M preview box office number, fueling optimism for a strong weekend. Industry watchers will track weekday holds and word-of-mouth closely.
