Creed 3 Benchmark Falls as Project Hail Mary Soars Past $300M
Project Hail Mary dominated the weekend box office, posting a powerful second frame and outpacing the long-running creed 3 benchmark in studio post-merger tallies. The film earned another $54. 5 million domestically in its second weekend, holding at No. 1 with a modest 32% drop. Strong international receipts pushed the global running total past $300 million, intensifying the conversation about franchise versus original IP performance.
Box office surge: second weekend totals and domestic lead
In its second weekend the Phil Lord and Christopher Miller adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel collected $54. 5 million domestically, a 32% decline from its debut frame, and remained at the top of the box office for a second straight weekend. The film passed Hoppers to become the top-grossing domestic release of the year in nine days with $164. 3 million. On the international side, the picture sits at roughly $136 million, contributing to a global running total that edged above $300 million in its second frame.
Creed 3 benchmark and studio milestones
Amazon MGM Studios posted a second-frame global tally that brought the running total to just over $300 million, surpassing the $276 million haul logged by 2023’s Creed III and setting a new post-merger high for the studio. The performance has made Project Hail Mary the top-grossing MPA title year-to-date in the patterns reflected across key markets. The size and speed of the film’s haul have put pressure on established franchise expectations and raised the profile of original, non-franchise IPs competing this season. Observers are now measuring Project Hail Mary against the creed 3 era benchmark and noting how quickly the title closed that gap; the comparison to creed 3 is a recurring yardstick in studio conversations this weekend.
Markets, IMAX lift and what comes next
IMAX contributed $20. 3 million worldwide to Project Hail Mary’s weekend, with Imax 70MM locations accounting for a notable portion of that sum. The film finished No. 1 in more than 60 markets, including China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Japan, with multiple territories posting weekend-to-weekend growth. China delivered $7. 7 million in its second frame, while the U. K. and Australia produced strong holds that helped drive the global cume. Analysts working the market tracks observe that, unless impacted by the upcoming release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Project Hail Mary has a clear path to extend its momentum and push toward even larger global milestones.
Next week will be critical: the film may relinquish the No. 1 spot to big IP openings, and international windows will determine whether the title can sustain its pace. The film’s overseas holds — notably better than many recent tentpoles on comparable weekends — and the IMAX contribution are the two key levers that could keep the picture climbing. Studio executives will be watching holiday and family movie trajectories closely as the market reshapes for the summer season. The quick ascent that eclipsed the creed 3-related studio mark is already reshaping internal expectations and planning for release slates ahead.
