Project Hail Mary Is #1 on Prime Video — Why Ryan Gosling's 83M Sci-Fi Hit Is the Must-Stream Movie of Summer 2026

Image: Amazon MGM Studios

If you missed Project Hail Mary in theaters earlier this year, the universe is giving you a second chance — and audiences are taking it in droves. The Ryan Gosling-led sci-fi blockbuster officially landed on Prime Video on July 3, and within days, it rocketed to the #1 streaming spot across multiple countries.

From $683 Million Box Office to Streaming Domination

Directed by the beloved duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller — the masterminds behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Lego Movie — Project Hail Mary was already a certified juggernaut before it ever hit streaming. The film grossed $683.5 million worldwide at the box office, with $344 million domestic and $339.5 million internationally. That makes it one of the highest-grossing films of 2026 so far, sitting just behind Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey in the summer blockbuster race.

Now, its Prime Video debut is proving that the theatrical run was only act one. The film hit #1 in Finland, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. In the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, it's holding strong at #2. Not bad for a movie about a middle-school science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship.

What Makes Project Hail Mary So Special?

Based on Andy Weir's 2021 best-selling novel — the same author behind The Martian — the film follows Ryland Grace (Gosling), a science teacher who wakes up from an induced coma on a distant space station with no memory of how he got there. His two crewmates are dead. His mission: solve the mystery of "astrophage," a substance that's slowly killing Earth's sun, before it's too late.

The screenplay was adapted by Drew Goddard, who previously adapted Weir's The Martian for Ridley Scott. And like that film, Project Hail Mary balances high-stakes science with genuine humor and emotional depth. The supporting cast includes Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) as Eva Stratt, Ryland's no-nonsense superior; Ken Leung as Yao Li-Jie; Milana Vayntrub as Olesya Ilyukhina; and James Ortiz as the voice and puppeteer of Rocky — an alien spider-rock creature who becomes Ryland's only friend lightyears from home.

Critical Acclaim and Audience Love

The critics were kind, but the audiences were even kinder. Project Hail Mary holds a 94% critic score and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes — numbers that almost never align so perfectly. Collider called it "the first great movie of 2026," and the praise centers on Gosling's committed performance, Lord and Miller's return to live-action directing after a 12-year hiatus, and the surprisingly touching friendship between a human and an alien.

It's also worth noting what could have been. Lord and Miller were famously fired from Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018 over creative differences with Lucasfilm. Project Hail Mary feels like proof that their comedic, character-driven approach was exactly what large-scale sci-fi needed all along.

Where Does It Rank in 2026's Movie Landscape?

Summer 2026 has been stacked. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Zendaya is dominating the theatrical box office. The Devil Wears Prada 2 brought Meryl Streep back to screens. Netflix just dropped Enola Holmes 3 with Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill. But Project Hail Mary quietly became the feel-good sci-fi hit of the year — the kind of movie that earns repeat viewings and word-of-mouth recommendations.

And now that it's streaming, there's no excuse left. If you loved The Martian, if you're a fan of Gosling's comedic timing from Barbie, or if you just want a genuinely original space adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously while still making you tear up — Project Hail Mary is waiting on Prime Video right now.

Just maybe don't watch it alone in the dark. Space is big, and Rocky is... a lot to take in at first.