LOS ANGELES — Ryan Gosling’s interstellar adventure ‘Project Hail Mary’ continues its impressive box office trajectory, securing the top position in North American theaters for the second consecutive weekend. The Amazon MGM production garnered an estimated $54.5 million in ticket sales, demonstrating strong audience retention following its successful debut.
Adapted from Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, the film features Gosling as a science educator unexpectedly transformed into an astronaut tasked with preventing a catastrophic solar event that threatens Earth’s survival. The project marks another successful literary adaptation for Weir, whose previous work ‘The Martian’ achieved both critical and commercial success in 2015.
Disney-Pixar’s animated feature ‘Hoppers’ maintained its second-place position with $12.2 million in earnings. The innovative film explores themes of environmental conservation through its protagonist, a wildlife enthusiast who utilizes advanced technology to inhabit a robotic beaver form for enhanced animal communication.
The weekend’s notable newcomer, Warner Bros.’ horror-comedy ‘They Will Kill You,’ debuted in third position with $5 million. Featuring Zazie Beetz, Tom Felton, and Patricia Arquette, the film follows a hotel employee investigating mysterious disappearances in a New York establishment. Industry analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research noted the film’s respectable performance given its moderate production budget and genre expectations.
Completing the top five were Hindi-language thriller ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ ($4.75 million) and Universal’s romantic drama ‘Reminders of Him’ ($4.7 million). The former, which continues the story of an Indian intelligence operative infiltrating Pakistani criminal organizations, has generated international controversy resulting in its prohibition across certain territories.
The weekend’s remaining top performers included ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ ($4M), ‘Scream 7’ ($2.6M), ‘GOAT’ ($2.2M), ‘Undertone’ ($1.65M), and ‘Forbidden Fruits’ ($1.2M), illustrating diverse audience preferences across multiple genres.