Ryan Gosling's Project Hail Mary: A Sci-Fi Hit Surpassing La La Land!

Ryan Gosling's sci-fi film, Project Hail Mary, has taken the box office by storm, grossing $668.5 million and surpassing La La Land's earnings. As it continues its theatrical run, the film is on track to potentially exceed $200 million in profit. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the movie follows Ryland Grace on a critical mission to save Earth. With its unique premise and Gosling's stellar performance, audiences are eagerly anticipating further box office updates. Will it surpass the earnings of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol? Read on to find out more!

By Narendra Chaudhary May 20, 2026, 13:18 IST

Project Hail Mary Shines at the Box Office

Ryan Gosling's latest science fiction venture, Project Hail Mary, has been enchanting viewers in cinemas for the past two months, receiving both critical praise and strong box office results. To date, the film has grossed an impressive $668.5 million globally, ranking as the third-highest-grossing film of 2026, just behind The Super Mario Galaxy Movie at $967.1 million and Michael at $709.5 million, as reported by Box Office Mojo. Notably, Project Hail Mary has recently outperformed the 2016 musical romance La La Land, which earned $523.8 million, marking a significant achievement for both the film and Gosling.

This milestone positions Project Hail Mary as Ryan Gosling's second-highest-grossing film worldwide, although it is unlikely to surpass his record-breaking hit, Barbie, which amassed an incredible $1.447 billion. The film was made with a budget of around $200 million, and to reach profitability, it needed to generate approximately $500 million at the global box office, adhering to the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier rule. With its current earnings, Project Hail Mary has reportedly yielded a theatrical profit of about $168.5 million.

As the film continues its run in theaters, the question arises whether it can exceed the $200 million profit threshold. With its recent launch on various digital platforms and two months of theatrical exposure, closing the remaining $31.5 million gap may prove challenging yet feasible. The film must maintain consistent box office performance both domestically and internationally to achieve this goal.

At present, Project Hail Mary is trailing behind Tom Cruise's 2011 action-thriller Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which grossed $694.7 million worldwide, by roughly $26.2 million. If the film can sustain its momentum during both weekdays and weekends, it has a chance to surpass this figure as it continues to attract audiences to theaters.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Mary tells the story of Ryland Grace, played by Gosling, who awakens alone on an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of how he got there. As his memories return, he discovers that he has been assigned a crucial mission to stop a mysterious phenomenon that is draining the Sun's energy and threatening life on Earth. The film's intriguing premise and Gosling's performance have significantly contributed to its success, and further box office updates are expected in the upcoming weeks.