'Project Hail Mary' tops US box office 2026, surpassing 'Avatar Fire and Ash'

Project Hail Mary has become the highest-grossing Hollywood film of 2026 in the United States, surpassing Avatar Fire and Ash after a strong second weekend at the box office.

The film, starring Ryan Gosling, earned $54.5 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $164.3 million, according to studio estimates.

The sci-fi release overtook James Cameron’s Avatar Fire and Ash, which had held the top position for the first three months of the year. The Avatar sequel has generated $153.7 million domestically so far in 2026 following its December release.

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Project Hail Mary has also achieved global success, reaching $300.8 million worldwide within two weeks. The film was produced with a reported budget of $200 million and has already exceeded initial expectations at the box office.

The film’s opening weekend generated $80.5 million domestically, marking the highest debut for a non-franchise title and surpassing previous records.

Its second weekend drop of 32% indicates continued audience interest, with performance comparisons drawn to Oppenheimer’s second-week figures in 2023.

Project Hail Mary also outperformed new releases over the weekend. Warner Bros’ horror title They Will Kill You opened with $5 million domestically, while animated film Hoppers remained in second place with $12.2 million in its fourth weekend.

Globally, Project Hail Mary currently ranks as the second highest-grossing film of the year, behind the Chinese production Pegasus 3, which has exceeded $600 million in revenue.