Critical Reception & Domestic Opening
Project Hail Mary, the big-screen adaptation of Andy Weir’s Hugo Award-winning 2021 novel, hit theaters on March 20, 2026. Starring Ryan Gosling in the lead, the sci-fi film received a stellar 94% critics’ score and 96% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In addition to a highly positive critical reception, it is performing solidly at the box office. After delivering an $80.5 million domestic opening, it earned $54.1 million and $31.7 million during the March 27-29 and April 3-5 weekends.
Delivers a Solid 3rd Monday
On the verge of completing three weeks in theaters, Project Hail Mary is still showing strong legs at the box office. The big-ticket sci-fi film collected an impressive $3.8 million on its third Monday (April 6), registering just a 29.6% drop compared to the previous Monday, as per Luiz Fernando and a 59% drop from Easter Sunday. This has taken the film’s cumulative domestic total to $222 million.
Yeah, a PHENOMENON indeed. Despite #Mario’s record breaking MON, #ProjectHailMary had AMAZE AMAZE AMAZE hold at US #BoxOffice!
The sci-fi starring #RyanGosling grossed STELLAR 3.8M on #2 BIGGEST 3rd MON EVER for MAR releases (Top below)!
AMAZE Legs: just -29.6% drop from last… pic.twitter.com/FeYVoFidci
— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) April 7, 2026
As it continues its impressive theatrical run, the Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-directed feature is now approaching the domestic earnings of Ridley Scott’s 2015 sci-fi movie. The Martian, which was also adapted from a novel written by Andy Weir. Read on to find out how much more Project Hail Mary needs to earn to outgross the Matt Damon starrer at the domestic box office.
Project Hail Mary vs. The Martian – Box Office Comparison
Here’s how the two sci-fi films stack up at the box office, according to data from Box Office Mojo:
Project Hail Mary – Box Office Summary
- North America: $222 million
- International: $203.4 million
- Worldwide: $425.4 million
The Martian – Box Office Summary
- North America: $228.4 million
- International: $402.2 million
- Worldwide: $630.6 million
What The Numbers Indicate
Based on the above numbers, Project Hail Mary is currently behind The Martian’s domestic haul by roughly $6.4 million. At its current pace, the Ryan Gosling-starrer is likely to achieve this target in just a couple of days. Given its current momentum, Project Hail Mary is tracking to finish its domestic run between $300 million and $310 million. However, the final box office verdict should become clearer in the coming weeks.
What’s The Plot of Project Hail Mary
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film follows Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a schoolteacher who wakes up alone on an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of how he got there. As his memories gradually return, he discovers he has been sent on a high-stakes mission to stop a mysterious phenomenon that is draining the Sun’s energy and threatening life on Earth.
Project Hail Mary – Trailer
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates and stories.
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