Project Hail Mary Blasts Off With $12M in Previews, Best of 2026 So Far

Ryan Gosling's Project Hail Mary is doing exactly what its title character does in the Andy Weir novel — defying the odds and saving the day. The Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-directed sci-fi adaptation pulled in a jaw-dropping $12 million in previews, making it the best preview number of 2026 and the second-best ever for a non-sequel, non-franchise film, trailing only 2017's It ($13.5M).

That figure puts it ahead of heavy hitters like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning ($8.3M) and Gladiator II ($6.3M) — impressive company for an original property, even one adapted from a wildly popular novel. Amazon MGM Studios booked the film across 4,000 sites including all IMAX and premium large format screens.

The audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. Thursday night Posttrak exits showed a perfect 5-star rating, a 95% positive score, and an enormous 85% definite recommend figure. The crowd skewed male (61%) and young (59% between ages 18-34), with 56% having pre-purchased tickets — a strong indicator of event-level demand.

The weekend box office landscape looks stacked. Disney's Hoppers holds the top spot in its second week with $44M (total $102.3M), while Universal's Reminders of Him debuted with $25.1M. Paramount's Scream 7 continues to hold at $12M in week three ($110.2M total), and A24's undertone opened to $11.7M.

Also turning heads is Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which scored the biggest opening day ever for a Hindi film in North America at $3.9M, tracking for a $10M-plus weekend.

Our Take

This is exactly the kind of result Hollywood needs right now. An original sci-fi story — no sequels, no cinematic universe baggage — pulling in Oppenheimer-beating preview numbers proves audiences still crave smart, ambitious storytelling when it is executed well. Lord and Miller plus Gosling was always a promising combination, and the market is responding accordingly. If the weekend holds up, we could be looking at one of the biggest original films in years.

Key Takeaways

• $12M in previews — best of 2026, second-best ever for a non-franchise film
• 95% positive score and 85% definite recommend in audience surveys
• Booked across 4,000 theaters including all IMAX and premium formats
• Proves audiences will show up for original sci-fi with the right talent attached
• Weekend box office is stacked with strong competition from Hoppers, Dhurandhar, and more