Project Hail Mary, the hilarious, hopeful sci-fi starring Ryan Gosling as stranded scientist Ryland Grace, has debuted to a massive opening weekend.
The film scored $140.9 million globally, with $60.4 million coming from international territories and $80.5 million from the domestic audience (H/T Variety). That means the sci-fi pulled in the biggest debut of 2026, beating Scream 7's $97.2 million.
Project Hail Mary follows Grace on a mission to save Earth after an alien microbe begins feeding on and dimming the sun. One star in the solar system is seemingly immune, however, so Grace is sent light-years from home to investigate. There, he meets the alien Rocky, who is also attempting to save his own home planet. The film is based on The Martian author Andy Weir's novel of the same name.
Project Hail Mary also debuted to a stellar Rotten Tomatoes score and currently sits at 95%. Our own 4-star Project Hail Mary review says: "With stunning visuals, a beautifully emotional story, and a delightful central bond between Ryan Gosling's Grace and Rocky the alien, Project Hail Mary is large-scale sci-fi with tons of heart."
"We always think that the best dramas, the ones that we love the most, also make you laugh, and the best comedies make you cry," co-director Christopher Miller recently told GamesRadar+. "And part of the human experience is we feel multiple feelings, sometimes right on top of each other. And I think that's what humanity is, so we wanted the movie to reflect that."
Project Hail Mary is in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming movies of the year worth getting excited about.
