Ryan Gosling Goes Interstellar as “Project Hail Mary” Delivers Amazon MGM Studios’ Biggest Opening Ever
Ryan Gosling has officially blasted into orbit with Project Hail Mary, launching Amazon MGM Studios’ sci-fi epic into historic territory with a stellar $80.5 million opening weekend at the box office, marking the best start for any movie this year, and Amazon MGM Studios’ biggest opening ever.
Previously, Amazon MGM Studio’s best opening was 2023’s Creed III, which saw Michael B. Jordan returning to the ring for his third bout as Adonis Creed. Project Hail Mary also bested this past February’s Scream 7, which opened to $63 million.
Project Hail Mary is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, adapted from Andy Weir’s novel by screenwriter Drew Goddard, who also adapted a previous Weir novel for Ridley Scott’s The Martian. Gosling stars as teacher Ryland Grace, sent on a potential suicide mission to try and stop a mysterious substance that’s killing the sun. Grace discovers he’s not alone in his pursuit—there’s an alien ship on the same mission —and his bond with his unexpected travel partner could be the key to saving both their planets.
“In the most purely pleasurable movie so far this year, Ryan Gosling has a blast as a science guy who rockets into space to save all our asses with jolts, jokes, and smarts that won’t quit,” wrote critic Peter Travers.
“For all its bells and whistles, Project Hail Mary is also a lovely, bittersweet character study, a pas de deux between man and alien that elicits a surprising amount of emotions by the time the credits roll,” writes Odie Henderson of the Boston Globe.
“I do this job because in my heart I believe that movies are the culmination of every art form developed by humans, the greatest storytelling mechanism ever developed. “Project Hail Mary” makes use of every part of that storytelling capacity,” writes critic Nell Minow.
“At once zippy and emotionally wrenching, the film performs a similar balancing act as its leading man,” says The Reveal‘s Keith Phipps.
Based on stellar reviews like those above and strong word of mouth, Project Hail Mary was a hit in the States and overseas, racking up $60.4 million across 82 markets, bringing the total to $140.9 million thus far.
“We believe deeply in the Hail Mary, and it’s clear audiences do as well,” says Amazon MGM’s distribution chief, Kevin Wilson. “What we’re seeing in theaters — the energy, the exit scores, the word of mouth — is everything we believed this film would deliver.”
It’s a great start to the year for Amazon MGM Studios, with 2026 marking the first time they’ll have a full theatrical slate—13 films in total. Next up for the studio is the June release of Masters of the Universe, an adaptation from a popular cartoon and toy line. The film features Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man trapped in a cubicle in corporate America. That is, until he finds his sword (held in a toy store by a giant plastic He-Man-like mannequin), which leads him to his ancestral homeland of Eternia, where danger awaits. As do friends, including Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), Roboto (voiced by Kristen Wiig), Cringer/Battle Cat (He-Man’s loyal house cat that turns into a mighty tiger), and Teela (Camila Mendes). He-Man will need all the help he can get when he sees who he’ll be facing—the skull-faced sorcerer Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his forces.
Featured image: Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in PROJECT HAIL MARY, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
