Project Hail Mary Answers Prayers: Best Opening For MPA Movie YTD With Near $141M WW — Global B.O. Update

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Worldwide Amazon MGM Studios’ Project Hail Mary debuted to an awesome $140.9M. That’s the biggest global debut so far in 2026 for an MPA title, head of Paramount/Spyglass’ Scream 7 global launch of $97M+. Yes, big win for a non-franchise movie, which is what the industry needs, and it’s also a solid start against Project Hail Mary‘s net $190M production, but we’re hearing this is playing like a family movie around the world (the Ryan Gosling movie took the wind out of Hoppers‘ domestic sails a bit — that Pixar movie was expected to post a 3rd weekend between $20M-$21M and came in at $18M).

The overall international weekend estimate is$60.4Mfrom 82 markets, which reps 90% of the offshore footprint. What’s the appeal abroad? If the New York Times bestseller was a catalyst stateside, what drove convinced people to go abroad? I mean, the amazing thing here is that this is the second Gosling astronaut movie post the disastrous and moody First Man ($44.9M domestic, $105.7M), and it beat that 2017 title’s overall gross! Essentially, the movie wasn’t sold as an astronaut movie, rather regular guy in impossible situations. That’s what global trailers sold, in addition to the affable Gosling. Local audience scores around the world are fantastic ala the U.S. PostTrak definite recommend of 83%, and that word of mouth is the rocket jet fuel for this dramedy.

On a like-for-like basis excluding China, the opening weekend is on par with Interstellar and Dune. This marks only the fourth non-sequel/non-franchise film to open above $50M abroad post-COVID alongside Oppenheimer, F, and Superman.

The Ryan Gosling starring and produced, Lord & Miller directed production opened at No. 1 in 60+ markets including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and Japan.

Among the No. 1s: UK ($10.2Mon 1,546 screens), Australia ($5M on 628 screens), Germany ($4.1M on 878 screens), Mexico ($3M on 1,870 screens), France ($2.6M on 700 screens), Japan ($2.6M on 819 screens), Italy ($1.5M on 369 screens), Brazil ($1.3M on 853 screens), Netherlands ($1.2M on 114 screens), Poland ($780Kon 215 screens), Belgium ($685Kon 158 screens), Sweden ($672Kon 150 screens), Norway ($660K on 250 screens), Denmark ($600K on 85 screens), Switzerland ($580K on 120 screens), Czech Republic ($540K on 248 screens), New Zealand ($525Kon 110 screens), Philippines ($480Kon 234 screens), Austria ($450Kon 72 screens), Hungary ($390Kon 80 screens), Finland ($380Kon 120 screens) Peru ($370Kon 215 screens) Ukraine ($370Kon 255 screens), Portugal ($350Kon 65 screens) and Chile ($330Kon 140 screens).

Among the No. 2s: China ($7.1M on 12K screens ahead of Gladiator 2, Superman; Disney’s Hoppers was No. 1; strong Dauban score of 8.5), South Korea ($4.3M on 1,337 screens, ahead of F1, Superman; males came out on day one, but then the audience broadened, a scenario being seen in all markets), United Arab Emirates ($1M on 94 screens),Taiwan ($940Kon 150 screens), Hong Kong ($555Kon 120 screens), Colombia ($450Kon 280 screens), Singapore ($365Kon 74 screens) Argentina ($352Kon 300 screens). Also No. 2 start is Saudi Arabia with $660K on 100 screens; a local comedy Shabab El Bomb 3 was No. 1. Note the Iran War is slowing attendance in the Mid-East.

Imax alone delivered $30.3M worldwide, which is the biggest non-franchise opening weekend in Imax history since last summer’s F1 (which went on to earn $100M WW in the large format alone). Overall, the biggest global opening weekend for an MGM movie in Imax (Sorry, Mr. Bond). North America Imax was $16.4M, making is the third movie in the exhib’s history to index over 20% with an overall opening north of $80M. Fifteen locations stateside as well as London’s BFI exhibited the film in Imax 70MM format earned $2M for a $122K per screen.

Imax’s foreign B.O. on the Gosling movie was $11.2M. In China, the Imax network was a staggering 34% of the total bow and set the record for the biggest debut of an original sci-fi title in the large format. Other notable indexing markets include UK (16.4%), Japan (29%), Hong Kong (33%), South Korea (25%), Mexico (16%), and Brazil (12%).

“Project Hail Mary is an excellent film for which Amazon/MGM ran a brilliant campaign, leaning heavily on the power of IMAX as a global launch platform across production, marketing, and distribution,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “Going back decades to some of our earliest documentaries, there is an enduring connection between IMAX and space, and this film’s stunning depiction of the cosmos stands among the best — it truly demands to be experienced in IMAX.”

Project Hail Mary will hold all Imax theaters in its second weekend.

Highlights from the Berlin and Toronto lightshows promoting the pic:

More, we’ll have more…

We’re still waiting on final global results for Hindi titleDhurandhar: The Revenge but it’s expected to be big especially after posting a record-breaking start for a Bollywood title with a 5-day of $13.5M.

Meanwhile, Disney/Pixar’s Hoppers has a third global weekend of $52.2M($18M domestic, -37%; $34.2M, -33%, from 51 territories) for a running total of $242.6M WW ($120.4M Domestic and $122.2M International).

Hoppers opened this weekend at No. 1 in China with $9.6M, posting the highest opening weekend for an original MPA animated film since Coco in 2017. Coco went loco in China, you’ll remember, making $189.2M (unadjusted for inflation and currency swings). The social scores are good with Maoyan at 9.4 (Zootopia 2: 9.5, Coco: 9.6), TPP 9.4 (Zootopia 2: 9.5, Coco: 9.4) and Douban 7.7 (Zootopia 2 : 9.3, Coco: 9.1, Inside Out : 8.8).

Hoppers also led in Taiwan,posting the highest opening for an original animated film ever, with $3.0M (including previews).In Malaysia, Hoppers notched No. 1,posting the highest MPA opening of 2026 to date. Hoppers opened at #2 (non-local) in UAE, +119% ahead of Coco and +43% ahead of Zootopia.

Hoppers was also the top (non-local) film in Spain and China as well as Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam,Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Australia and New Zealand are a go next weekend. Updated cumes are UK ($12.7M), Mexico ($11.2M), China ($9.6M), Germany ($9.6M), France ($7.7M), Spain ($6.4M), Japan ($6.1M), Italy ($5M), Brazil ($4.4M) and South Korea ($4.3M).

Universal’s Reminders of Him posted a second global frame of $15.1M, $7.1M of that from 65 territories and 5,091 locations, repping a -35% ease. Foreign is $20.8M, add in North America of $33.1M and we’re at a running worldwide cume of $54M. Brazil posted $700K at 833 screens in weekend 1, ahead of Regretting You,We Live in Time, Anyone But YouandAfter.France bowed to $600K at 255 screens during the Spring Fête du Cinema, which lasts from March 22-25. Middle East overall bowed to $142K at 299 screens. South Africa/others Africa bowed to $62K at 50 screens, No. 2 in the market, ahead of Paper Towns, We Live in Time and Where the Crawdads Sing. Notable holdovers are Germany with a weekend 2 of $1.7M and running cume of $5M head of Regretting You and The Materialists. UK/Ireland weekend 2 is $900K and a $3.3M cume, in line with Materialists. Australia’s weekend 2 was $700K at a $2.4M cume in sync withRegretting You, We Live in TimeandPaper Townsat the same point.

Searchlight’s Ready or Not 2: Here I Come with only a 30% offshore footprint wasn’t expected to do much, and the R-rated Radio Silence directed movie didn’t find an expanded audience as counterprogramming to Gosling in space. Global weekend was $11.9M, driven largely by domestic’s $9.1M. In the UK, the sequel did $800K ranking 5th. That was the story across Europe, bowing at No. 5 (non-local) in the Netherlands with $100K and Turkey (No. 6). Samara Weaving’s native land of Australia had the second best start for the pic with $400K, ranking No. 5, +22% ahead of The Bride! and +12% ahead of Ready or Not. The Sat to Fri increase was +60%, showing strong word of mouth. In Asia, the sequel opened to No. 5 in New Zealand, ahead of both The Bride! and Ready or Not. It opened at #5 (non-local) in Malaysia. Brazil was $200K, repping a No. 6 opening, +52% ahead of The Menu and +7% ahead of Send Help. Columbia was $200K. Overall, the sequel in LatAm bowed to No. 3 in Peru and at No. 4 in Argentina, Colombia, Central America, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Paramount/Spyglass’ Scream 7 is nearing the $200M global mark with a $10.5M global weekend ($6.2M from 57 markets, -48% for a running foreign cume of $79.3M). UAE bowed to No. 4 with $387K including paid previews at 65 sites. Total Mid-East total stands at $1.3M. Top weekend 4s came from France ($786K at 549 sites, No 5, -40%, $9.5M cume), Germany ($544K at 431 locations, at #5 in the market and down 44%, $5.8M cume) and Mexico ($502Kat 795 theaters, -48% for a running total of $7.5M).

Sony Pictures International Productions’Torrente Presidenteheld No. 1 in its native Spain, -16% with a 2nd weekend of $7M and running total of $19.4M. Hand down, the biggest local title in the market since 2018.

Sony’s GOAT also posted $7M in its sixth weekend, evenly split between foreign and North America at $3.5M apiece. Global running cume is $174.5M with $77M abroad and $97.5M domestic. Upcoming openings are South Korea on April 17 and Saudi Arabia on April 23.