Hollywood vs Bollywood? ‘Project Hail Mary’ hits $80m while ‘Dhurandhar 2’ pulls off stunning record coup

Bollywood fans and Hollywood buffs alike had plenty to cheer for this weekend as the North American box office witnessed a colourful mix of action, sci-fi, and family-friendly fun. Leading the pack from India, the high-octane action spectacle ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’ smashed records with its opening. Across the Atlantic, Ryan Gosling’s interstellar adventure ‘Project Hail Mary’ soared to a massive $80.5 million in ticket sales.

‘Dhurandhar 2’ makes history for Bollywood

If you thought only Hollywood could dominate overseas, think again. ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’ earned $9.5 million from just 987 theatres in North America, setting the record for the biggest opening weekend ever for a Bollywood film on the continent.

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The previous high was held by 2023’s ‘Pathaan’, which opened to $6.9 million.

Ryan Gosling’s cosmic adventure outshines expectations

While Bollywood flexed its muscles, Hollywood delivered a showstopper of its own. Ryan Gosling’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ blasted into theatres with a staggering $80.5 million opening weekend, marking Amazon MGM’s biggest opening ever. The previous record-holder was 2023’s ‘Creed III’, which earned $58 million.

Originally projected to make around $65 million, the film exceeded expectations thanks to glowing reviews, strong word-of-mouth, and audiences flocking to premium screens. A whopping 55% of tickets were sold for IMAX, Dolby, and other large-format screenings.

This hit comes at a crucial time for Amazon. After acquiring MGM for $8 billion in 2022, the studio has faced a rocky theatrical road, with several releases underperforming. January’s documentary ‘Melania’ grossed $16 million against a $40 million price tag. February’s R-rated ‘Crime 101’ made just $65 million against a $90 million budget.

‘Project Hail Mary’ has changed the narrative, giving the studio a much-needed success to justify its big-screen investments.

Also Read: ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’ teaser X (Twitter) reactions. Fans say ‘chuna laga diya’ as video reuses part 1 montage