Amazon MGM has the first box office hit of 2026 on its hands with “Project Hail Mary,” with the film’s total gross now at $157 million. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller‘s blockbuster starring Ryan Gosling is also the first substantial hit for Amazon MGM since the 2022 merger that created the studio. That all but guarantees a sequel, right?
Not so fast. THR reports that while Amazon MGM couldn’t be happier with the first-week numbers for “Project Hail Mary,” a follow-up is ultimately up to original novelist Andy Weir. As per the outlet, “sources close to MGM stress that Weir is in the driver’s seat. The acclaimed author has never penned a sequel to one of his books before, and he is currently working on a mysterious new novel that is unrelated to “Hail Mary.” But he has said he is toying with potential sequel ideas, though he does not have anything solid enough for a book, yet.”
In other words, a sequel might happen, but if it does, it won’t materialize for at least a few years. That’s because Weir isn’t exactly prolific (only three novels published in the past twelve years), and also, because Amazon MGM wants to see what legs “Project Hail Mary” has beyond its opening-week numbers. THR also reports that the studio eyes the merchandising potential of the film’s extra-terrestrial Rocky as a catalyst for greenlighting a sequel. In a word, gross, but making money is the movie industry’s primary objective, and if Amazon MGM execs see fast-tracking a sequel as lucrative win, they’ll do it.
The strong reviews for “Project Hail Mary” don’t hurt either. Lord and Miller’s latest is now the highest-rated Ryan Gosling film on Rotten Tomatoes‘ aggregate, and the film’s critics and audience ratings on the website are nearly identical: 95% to 96%. And the movie’s opening weekend numbers are formidable. “Project Hail Mary” raked in $80.5 million in the North American market this past weekend, the second-best opening weekend numbers for a non-franchise vehicle over the past decade (“Oppenheimer” is first, with $82.5 million). That said, “Project Hail Mary” hasn’t broken even — yet; as of this morning, the film needs to make ~$89 million to hit that mark, which it will, if it has the legs Amazon MGM hopes it does.
Another factor that may halt and delay plans for a “Project Hail Mary” sequel: Lord and Miller’s obligations elsewhere. The pair’s next film, the “Spider-Verse” trilogy-capper, is due in theaters next year, unless it’s delayed again. And Lord and Miller would also like to adapt another Andy Weir novel for the big screen, 2017’s “Artemis.” “There is an “Artemis script;” it’s delightful,” Miller told THR in a recent interview. “The thing that was holding that back for years was, how do we execute one-sixth gravity? The story takes place on the moon. We think we’ve figured it out.” That’s promising, but then Lord and Miller also have about a half dozen other projects in development right now, so who knows what their next film will be after “Beyond The Spider-Verse.”
If “Project Hail Mary” hits its stride at the box office over the next month, however, don’t be surprised if Amazon MGM pushes Weir to produce a follow-up novel as soon as possible. With the movie industry in desperate need of fresh and new franchise IPs, Amazon MGM may have its answer on that front in “Project Hail Mary.” Let’s wait and see if the blockbuster keeps up its momentum before any bold predictions, though.
