Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling has delivered a crucial win at the North American box office for Amazon MGM Studios, storming to number one on an estimated $80.5m for the biggest debut of the year and a new company record.
Opening some $10m above forecasts, the studio’s third release from its first annual theatrical slate after Amazon acquired MGM in 2022 eclipsed the $58.4m opening weekend of Creed III in March 2023 on the same 4,007 cinema count.
The PG-13 tentpole also ranks as the second-highest debut by a non-franchise film in the last 10 years after Oppenheimer opened on $82.5m in 2023. After mediocre debuts by Crime 101 and the documentary Melania, this will give executives confidence as it progresses through the year.
Project Hail Mary earned an A CinemaScore and strong reviews and brought in $33.1m on Friday, $27.1m on Saturday, and $20.3m on Sunday.
Directed by Phil Lord and Chirstopher Miller, the tentpole reportedly cost in the region of $200m and the estimated $140.9m global bow will give executives hope.
Head of domestic theatrical distribution Kevin Wilson, who began talking up Amazon MGM Studios’ theatrical ambitions to the exhibition community at CinemaCon several years ago, said the weekend performance was “everything we believed this film would deliver”. Wilson added, “When you combine that with the exceptional critical response and strong audience reactions, you tend to find yourself in rarefied air.”
Amazon MGM Studios reported the audience comprised 57% male and 43% female, with the 25-34 age bracket accounting for the 26% lion’s share, followed by 18-24 year-olds on 22%, the 55+ crowd on 18%, 35-44 year-olds on 17%, 45-54 year-olds on 11%, and 13-17 year-olds on 6%. By ethnicity, white film-goers made up 60%, Hispanic 20%, Asian 9%, African American 6%, Native American 5%.
Drew Goddard adapted the screenplay from Andy’s Weir’s book about a science teacher stranded in space who is tasked with saving Earth from extinction. Goddard and Weir collaborated on the adaptation of Weir’s book The Martian. James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, and Priya Kansara round out the key cast, and the producers are Amy Pascal, Gosling, Lord, Miller, Aditya Sood, Rachel O’Connor, and Weir.
More to follow…
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