Project Hail Mary has crossed a milestone that took 11 years to set. Ryan Gosling's sci-fi epic surpassed $638.4 million at the global box office in its seventh weekend, officially overtaking The Martian's $630 million worldwide total. That makes it the highest-grossing film adaptation of any Andy Weir novel.
The movie added $16 million in its seventh frame, including $8.6 million domestically. The opening weekend alone was $80 million, which made it Amazon MGM Studios' best film debut to date.
Less than a month ago, Project Hail Mary had already topped The Martian's domestic haul of $228 million. Last week it became only the fifth non-franchise, non-superhero sci-fi film to cross $300 million in North America. Both records underscore just how unusual its performance has been in a marketplace that tends to reward sequels and comic book properties.
Critics and audiences have embraced the film in roughly equal measure. It holds a 94% critics score and 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers singled out Gosling's performance, the visual effects, and the central relationship between astronaut Ryland Grace and the rock-like alien Rocky. James Ortiz, who performed Rocky through puppetry and physical theater, has been confirmed eligible for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, a rare distinction for a role of that kind.
Co-director Christopher Miller extended the theatrical run beyond Amazon's typical 45-day streaming window. "This is a movie that needs to be seen on a big screen," Miller said. "It's an experience to share with others." No date has been announced for when the film will move to Prime Video.
Award season conversation has already started. Film critics and industry pundits have named Project Hail Mary among the earliest contenders for the upcoming season, citing its technical achievements alongside its broad audience appeal. Weir, whose novel does not have a sequel, told Screen Rant in March that he has "bits and pieces" of ideas, though nothing firm has been announced about a follow-up film.
With the summer movie season now underway, how much longer the film stays in theaters remains an open question.
