The film *The Ave Maria Project* has set a record opening for Amazon MGM Studios
This is according to NBC News. The science
fiction film *Project Hava Maria* has achieved a record-breaking opening for Amazon MGM Studios. During its first weekend in North American cinemas, the film grossed approximately $80.5 million in ticket sales.
According to estimates by box office tracker EntTelligence, this equates to approximately 5 million tickets sold.
This result marks the most successful debut among all Amazon MGM Studios releases. The company’s previous record was held by “Creed III”, which opened with $58.3 million in 2023.
In addition to the studio’s internal record, “Project Ave Maria” achieved the second-largest opening among non-franchise films. Only “Oppenheimer” remains ahead, having grossed $82.4 million in its opening weekend in 2023.
In the modern space opera segment, the new film also outperformed several major releases of recent years. In particular, it surpassed the opening of “The Martian”, another adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel, which grossed around $54.3 million in 2015. The film also surpassed the debut of “Gravity”, which grossed $55.6 million in 2013, and “Interstellar”, which opened with $47.5 million in 2014.
Kevin Wilson, Head of Theatres at Amazon MGM Studios, stated that the company “strongly believed” in the film and, in his words, the audience’s reaction confirmed this. He also highlighted the atmosphere in cinemas, the musical accompaniment over the weekend and the buzz surrounding the release.
The film was directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The report notes that the budget for *Project H-20* was around $200 million, which is roughly double the production budget for *Oppenheimer*.
RelishMix, a company that tracks social media reactions, points to very high audience interest. According to its estimates, the reach of discussions exceeded half a billion users, and Ryan Gosling is seen as the “star attraction” for this intellectual sci-fi story.
Particular emphasis is placed on the reaction of fans of the book version. It is they, as noted, who were among the most active in supporting the release and viewed the film as a rare example of entertainment cinema that combines intellect, emotion and striking cinematic appeal.
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