The latest box office performance highlights significant trends impacting the toy and collectibles market, particularly with the success of Amazon MGM Studios’ Project Hail Mary.
Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary, which has demonstrated impressive staying power after crossing the $300 million threshold globally in its second weekend, cementing its status as the highest-grossing Hollywood film of 2026 thus far. In North America, the adaptation of Andy Weir’s acclaimed sci-fi novel showed a minimal decline of 32%, grossing $54.5 million across 4,007 theaters, marking a notable performance compared to similar releases like Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Dune: Part 2.
This brings the film’s ten-day domestic total to an astonishing $164.3 million, while its international earnings have reached $136.2 million, pushing it to over $300 million globally. Notably, Project Hail Mary has surpassed the lifetime domestic gross of Creed III and has become Amazon MGM’s highest-grossing release since the acquisition of the studio.
Opening notably ahead of expectations with a debut of $80.6 million, Project Hail Mary marked the second-best debut in a decade for a non-sequel film, trailing only behind Oppenheimer. While Gosling’s most successful film remains Barbie, this title represents his largest domestic opening in a lead role, underscoring its potential to become a key player in both the cinematic landscape and the collectibles market.
Its earnest narrative and emotional depth are generating unexpected word-of-mouth appeal, which bodes well for merchandise opportunities that could emerge if the film develops into a franchise—a distinct possibility given Weir’s openness to continuing the story. The dynamic between Gosling’s character and the alien entity, humorously named “Rocky,” offers collectors potential avenues for themed merchandise, should the film’s success continue.
This growth occurs at a pivotal point for Amazon MGM, which is on the cusp of establishing itself as a significant Hollywood studio, a transformation accelerated by its decision to revamp its international distribution capabilities. This could reshape how collectibles tied to film properties are marketed and distributed, impacting collectors and retailers alike.
Alongside this, Pixar and Disney’s Hoppers emerged as the second-biggest Hollywood release of 2026 globally, earning $297 million, while observing a 31% drop domestically to $12.2 million in its fourth weekend. The steady success of original family films adds a layer of reliability to what collectors and retailers can expect from the animated segment moving forward.
In contrast, They Will Kill You debuted to disappointing figures, landing in third place with an estimated $5 million from 2,778 theaters, significantly underperforming expectations. This highlights the volatile nature of the horror genre as competition increases, posing challenges for retailers attempting to forecast demand for associated merchandise.
As these box office dynamics unfold, they offer valuable insights into consumer sentiment and market trends that could impact the toy and collectibles sectors, particularly as films generate sustained interest and collectible opportunities.
Based on reporting by Hollywood Reporter. Read the full story at https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hail-mary-epic-hold-box-office-they-will-kill-you-bombs-1236549448/.