Nearly a month after its theatrical release in India, the latest Ryan Gosling-starrer "Project Hail Mary" has emerged as the highest-grossing space film of all time, grossing nearly Rs 80 crore (approximately $9.6 million) to date.
This milestone was already achieved in just 11 days of release by earning Rs 45.5 crore, surpassing the reported lifetime collections of previous major space science-fiction hits in the country, such as "Interstellar" (around Rs 45 crore - excluding re-release), "Gravity (approx. Rs 43 crore), and "The Martian" (Rs 32 crore).
Released on March 26, 2026, a week after "Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge", which allowed it to get more IMAX screens, the film is showing remarkable stability despite heavy competition from the Ranveer Singh-led Indian box office juggernaut and the latest Akshay Kumar release "Bhooth Bangla".
The total gross in India currently stands at Rs 79.3 crore (approx.), and the total net earnings are Rs 66.15 crore (approx.).
"Project Hail Mary" is the first Hollywood release of 2026 to cross the Rs 50 crore milestone in India, an impressive number for an original standalone IP.
The English version naturally brought in the lion’s share of the revenue — Rs 56.79 crore net.
The film's success is attributed to strong positive word-of-mouth and its hold in premium formats such as IMAX, where it has retained a significant number of screens. Trade analysts currently project a final India lifetime gross between Rs 85 crore and Rs 100 crore.
Worldwide, "Project Hail Mary" has officially crossed the $575 million mark as of April 23, 2026, making it one of the highest-grossing films of the year globally.
Exceptional IMAX performance
Interestingly, "Project Hail Mary" has also fared better in global IMAX-only collections compared to recent blockbusters like Brad Pitt's racing epic "F1: The Movie" and Tom Cruise's "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning". It has surpassed the IMAX haul of "F1" by its third weekend, reaching a $73.6 million gross, according to reports.
It joins the list of the top five highest-grossing IMAX films for Hollywood in 2026.
Based on Andy Weir's novel of the same name, the space epic, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, achieved $27.6 million in global IMAX ticket sales early in its run, establishing it as a bona fide winner for Amazon MGM Studios. Sony Pictures Releasing International handled the distribution.