“Project Hail Mary” has emerged as the definitive box office success story of 2026, topping the charts for the second consecutive weekend with a stellar $54.5 million in domestic earnings. This achievement pushed its domestic total to an impressive $164.3 million, solidifying its status as the year's first true blockbuster. The film's robust performance, marked by only a 32% drop from its debut weekend, signals strong staying power and is a welcome triumph for Amazon MGM, which is strategically investing in theatrical releases, committing to approximately a dozen films annually. This move reflects a refined focus after previous ambiguities in defining its moviemaking ambitions, shifting from indie productions and streaming premieres to backing populist fare for the big screen.

Internationally, “Project Hail Mary” has further cemented its monumental success, becoming Amazon MGM's highest-grossing film ever with a global haul of $300.8 million. This figure includes an additional $54.1 million generated from 86 markets this past weekend, comfortably surpassing the $276 million worldwide gross of 2023’s “Creed III.” Key international markets contributing to its success include the United Kingdom ($6.3 million), China ($7.7 million), Australia ($3.8 million), South Korea ($3.3 million), and Germany ($3.4 million). The film, based on Andy Weir's novel and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, boasts a production budget of $200 million.

The film's triumph also underscores Ryan Gosling’s strong box office appeal. The Oscar-nominated star, known for his roles in “Barbie” and “La La Land,” carries the movie as a school teacher on a desperate mission to save Earth, earning him one of the biggest hits of his career and early awards buzz. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller also demonstrated their ability to handle live-action space epics with critical and commercial success, a significant recovery after their departure from “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” Furthermore, Andy Weir, the author of both “Project Hail Mary” and “The Martian,” continues his streak of inspiring box office winners, with his next novel likely to spark a fierce bidding war for film rights.

While “Project Hail Mary” soared, the weekend's only major new release, Warner Bros. and New Line’s “They Will Kill You,” faltered dramatically. The horror film, starring Zazie Beetz as a housekeeper entangled in mysterious disappearances within a high-rise apartment, earned a mere $5 million domestically from 2,778 locations, securing a third-place finish. Its global debut was equally disappointing, pulling in a paltry $9 million, with $4 million from 66 foreign markets. Despite a modest $20 million production budget, this represents a significant setback for Warner Bros., particularly for Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who, after a successful 2025 with hits like “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie,” and “Weapons,” have had a rough start to 2026. “They Will Kill You” followed closely on the heels of another studio flop, “The Bride,” a $90 million steampunk reimagining that grossed a disastrous $23.2 million globally. Notably, David Ellison’s Nocturna Pictures co-financed “They Will Kill You,” a collaboration predating Ellison’s agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and merge it with Paramount.

Other notable box office performances included Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers,” which captured second place, adding another $12.2 million domestically and $37 million globally this weekend (with $24.8 million from foreign markets). Through its first four weeks, the family film is projected to reach $138.6 million in North America and its worldwide gross currently stands at $297.6 million, poised to cross the $300 million mark soon, against a $150 million production budget. Paramount’s “Scream 7” crossed the $200 million global milestone, earning $6.3 million this weekend for a total of $204 million worldwide, a strong return on its $45 million budget. “Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge,” a Bollywood thriller, came in fourth with $4.7 million, pushing its domestic total to $22.8 million and nearly matching “They Will Kill You” despite being on almost 2,000 fewer screens. Universal’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s romantic novel, “Reminders of Him,” rounded out the domestic top five with $4.7 million, bringing its gross to $41.1 million domestically and $69.4 million globally, proving to be a modest hit with a $25 million budget.

Not all horror films fared well, as “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” from Searchlight Pictures plummeted in its second weekend, earning only $4 million to reach a meager $16.3 million domestically. In limited release, Focus Features premiered “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist,” grossing $650,000 from 786 locations, while Neon’s body horror film “Alpha” earned just over $121,000 from 218 screens. Universal also re-released 2001’s “The Mummy Returns,” which added $600,000 from 1,300 venues, pushing its total to $202.7 million as the studio plans a franchise reboot with original stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Looking ahead, “Project Hail Mary” is expected to be joined in the blockbuster club by Universal and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” next weekend, further bolstering a strong start to the year for exhibitors, with ticket sales already up 23%.