'Project Hail Mary' flies to $54.5 million second weekend, horror reaches a saturation point

“Project Hail Mary” stayed aloft successful its 2nd weekend, holding powerfully pinch $54.5 million, according to workplace estimates Sunday, and adding to nan semipermanent prospects of nan year’s biggest deed frankincense far.

The Phil Lord and Chris Miller sci-fi adventure, starring Ryan Gosling, dipped only 32% aft notching nan champion non-franchise opening play since 2023’s “Oppenheimer.” Amazon MGM’s yet, “Project Hail Mary” has grossed $300.8 cardinal worldwide successful 2 weeks.

“Project Hail Mary,” which costs astir $200 cardinal to produce, didn’t look immoderate important caller title and kept premium format screens mostly to itself. Potentially nan weekend's astir watched movie, nan KPop documentary “BTS: The Return,” went consecutive to streaming connected Netflix.

But “Project Hail Mary” is connected an enviable trajectory. Its 2nd play clasp was moreover amended than that of “Oppenheimer,” which collected $46.7 cardinal successful its follow-up frame.

Meanwhile, nan weekend’s apical caller release, “They Will Kill You,” debuted pinch a disappointing $5 cardinal for Warner Bros. The gory R-rated scary movie stars Zazie Beetz arsenic a female who applies to beryllium a maid astatine an flat analyzable wherever she’s to go a sacrificial offering.

While nan consequence was acold from catastrophic for a movie pinch a humble $20 cardinal budget, it did propose that theaters whitethorn person go oversaturated successful horror. David A. Gross, who runs nan movie consulting patient FranchiseRe, noted that location has been a caller scary movie released each play for nan past 14 weekends.

That included past week’s “Ready aliases Not 2: Here I Come” ($16.3 cardinal domestically truthful far) and a 2nd horror-comedy that besides debuted this weekend. IFC’s “Forbidden Fruits,” astir a coven of witches who activity astatine a Texas mall, debuted pinch $1.2 cardinal successful sales.

Despite nan glut, Gross is forecasting scary films will relationship for astir $2.1 cardinal successful North American summons gross successful 2026, down from $2.75 cardinal past year. While scary remains celebrated pinch audiences and comparatively inexpensive to produce, nan genre whitethorn beryllium approaching overkill.

Meanwhile, family movies proceed to thrive. The Pixar original “Hoppers” remained successful 2nd spot pinch $12.2 cardinal successful its 4th weekend. The Walt Disney Co. merchandise has accumulated $297.6 cardinal globally.

Next weekend, though, it will look stiff title successful Universal Pictures’ “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” It’s expected to person nan biggest opening of 2026.

Top 10 movies by home container agency

With last home figures being released Monday, this database factors successful nan estimated summons income for Friday done Sunday astatine U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Project Hail Mary,” $54.5 million.

2. “Hoppers,” $12.2 million.

3. “They Will Kill You,” $5 million.

4. “Dhurandhar The Revenge,” $4.8 million.

5. “Reminders of Him,” $4.7 million.

6. “Ready aliases Not 2: Here I Come,” $4 million.

7. “Scream 7,” $2.6 million.

8. “GOAT,” $2.2 million.

9. “Undertone,” $1.7 million.

10. “Forbidden Fruits,” $1.2 million.