Amazon MGM Studios did not hold back when making Ryan Gosling starrer Project Hail Mary, as the upcoming sci-fi film may be the studio's most expensive movie ever.
As reported by Puck, Project Hail Mary's gross production budget was $248 million, making the new film one of the most expensive movies the company has ever made. Puck found the figure in an internal Amazon document. However, after tax credits from the UK, the total budget was brought down to just under $200 million.
With its original budget, Project Hail Mary shares the title of Amazon's most costly film with the 2024 Christmas flick Red One, which set the studio back around $250 million to make. However, the festive action-comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans didn't manage to match its budget and brought in $186 million globally.
The question is, can Project Hail Mary make its budget back? With the movie not being based on a major IP, it seems a little risky for Amazon to throw so much money at it. Project Hail Mary is estimated to make between $45M-$55 million domestically over opening weekend, according to Deadline, which would put it on a good track.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, who also wrote The Martian, which was turned into a film in 2015 by Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon. The Martian opened to $54.3 million domestically and managed to earn over $630.6 million worldwide. Let's hope Project Hail Mary does the same.
Directed by 21 Jump Street's Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Project Hail Mary follows a science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. He soon discovers that he is tasked with saving the world and must find out what is causing the sun to die out. The twist is, he is not alone up there. The movie has already earned largely positive first reactions, with many praising the film's stunning visuals.
Project Hail Mary arrives in theaters on March 20. In the meantime, check out our guide to the other upcoming movies to add to your watchlist in 2026.
