The remarkable box office performance of “Project Hail “Mary has quickly become one of the industry’s biggest stories. The film delivered the second-largest opening weekend for a non-sequel this decade, pulling in nearly $81M, and early projections suggest it may drop only about 40% in its second weekend — a strong hold that signals sustained audience interest.
With numbers like these, Amazon/MGM is already turning its attention to what could come next.
In Hollywood, success for an original film often sparks conversations about expanding it into a larger franchise. Despite the rarity of original properties breaking through at this scale, the industry’s instinct remains the same: build IP wherever possible.
According to THR’s insiders, discussions about a potential sequel are already underway. While nothing has been officially confirmed, Amazon/MGM is reportedly eager to move forward, leaving the decision largely in the hands of author Andy Weir. The writer has previously hinted that he has been exploring possible sequel ideas, though he declined to comment for this story.
The possibility of a follow-up isn’t entirely surprising given the story’s origins. Back in 2020, Ryan Gosling received the manuscript for “Project Hail Mary” a full year before Weir — best known for “The Martian” — published the novel. The early enthusiasm surrounding the material helped propel it toward the big screen, and a sequel could follow a similar path if Weir develops new material.
So, whether Project Hail Mary remains a standalone hit or becomes the foundation for a new sci-fi series may ultimately depend on what Weir decides to write next. Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller are also working on another Weir novel, 2017’s “Artemis,” which has a completed script.
As for the actual highest-grossing non-sequel of the decade, I doubt we’ll be getting an “Oppenheimer 2” anytime soon.
Scratch the 50/50. It's more like 70% mixed-to-negative from what I've seen, but it's got a few defenders, which leaves me very curious.