Project Hail Mary: How This Sci-Fi Blockbuster Surpassed 2 Million Viewers in Just 26 Days

Daniel Kim 2026.04.12 Views

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On its opening day, Project Hail Mary displaced King and the Man to lead advance ticket sales with a 40.6% share, and it has now surpassed 2 million admissions.

The sci‑fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary crossed 2 million cumulative admissions 26 days after opening. Trailer capture. / Sony Pictures Korea

The Hollywood sci‑fi tentpole Project Hail Mary reshaped the box office when it opened on March 18. It immediately overtook the previously dominant King and the Man, leading the charts on opening day with a 40.6% advance share.

Audience momentum held into the film’s fourth week. According to the Korea Integrated Ticketing System, on the 26th day after release—at 10:07 a.m. on April 12—the film’s cumulative admissions reached 2,000,279, pushing it past the 2 million milestone.

According to the Korea Integrated Ticketing System, the film had recorded 2,000,279 cumulative admissions as of 10:07 a.m. on April 12. The movie opened on March 18 and went straight to No. 1 with a 40.6% advance share on opening day. / Korea Integrated Ticketing System

The film’s buzz hasn’t cooled a month out. Merchandise screenings sold out the moment tickets went on sale, and repeat viewings have kept audiences returning to theaters.

Online, the movie’s signature “upside‑down thumb” emoji went viral and became a mini meme. Fans used it to post viewing proofs, and many reported second and third screenings.

CGV Egg Index 97% — audience praise pours in

As of 8 p.m. on April 12, CGV’s Egg Index stood at 97%.

Moviegoers wrote: “I haven’t read the book yet, but now I feel like I should. It took my breath away,” “Absolutely brilliant — I saw it two nights in a row,” “It’s a space movie, but I was more moved by the personal friendship than by grand heroics. The ending worked,” “After my second viewing I started the original novel,” “I didn’t want to miss a single second,” and “The visuals and story are excellent, and above all the chemistry between the lead and Rocky is fantastic.”

Born from a solar crisis — a mission 11.9 light‑years away

Earth faces extinction from a space microorganism called Astrophage that consumes solar energy. As the sun slowly dims and the planet heads toward catastrophe, humanity launches a single, desperate project to save the world.

Project Hail Mary has drawn particular praise for its visuals. Roughly 75% of the runtime is set in space, and much of it was shot in IMAX ratio. / Sony Pictures Korea

When science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up alone in deep space, he pieces together faint memories and realizes he’s on a mission to revive the sun. Suffering from amnesia, he struggles to make sense of his situation.

Grace later meets an alien life form named Rocky, who shares the same goal. The story follows two very different beings as they work to save their respective worlds.

The term “Hail Mary” refers to a last‑ditch play in American football, attempted just before the game ends. In the film, the protagonist embarks on a long‑odds mission to a star system 11.9 light‑years away.

Author Andy Weir—known for Artemis, The Martian, and Project Hail Mary—is an American sci‑fi novelist with an engineering background. A former computer programmer, he also worked on the development of Warcraft II at Blizzard Entertainment.

Audiences continue to praise the film’s visuals. About three‑quarters of the movie takes place in space and was largely shot in IMAX ratio. Fans have commented, “You have to see Project Hail Mary on a big screen,” “The best movie of 2026,” and “I felt like I went to space for 20,000 KRW (about 15 USD).”

Project Hail Mary is currently playing in theaters nationwide.