The Biggest Disaster Movie of the '90s Loses Box-Office Rank to 2026's Sci-Fi Masterpiece

Released three decades apart, Project Hail Mary and the biggest sci-fi blockbuster of the 1990s present very different approaches to aliens. While Project Hail Mary‘s protagonist, played by Ryan Gosling, forms perhaps the most meaningful bond of his life with a creature from another planet, the 1990s blockbuster was more wary of outsiders. This view of outsiders may still be true, politically speaking, but it is the movies’ responsibility to hold a mirror up to society and offer opportunities for introspection. Project Hail Mary has clearly struck a chord with audiences, exceeding all box-office expectations during its six-week theatrical run. As it heads into its seventh weekend, the movie has overtaken the majestic haul of its 1990s counterpart.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Mary is based on the bestseller by Andy Weir. It was first teased by Amazon MGM Studios over a year ago in a major show of strength. The confidence was warranted, with the movie debuting to near-unanimous acclaim. It now holds a “Certified Fresh” 94% critics’ score and a “Verified Hot” 96% audience score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Not only has the movie done exceedingly well at the box office, but it will likely also have an enormously successful run on streaming when it eventually debuts on Prime Video.

Here’s How Much ‘Project Hail Mary’ Has Grossed

With $308 million so far at the domestic box office, Project Hail Mary has surpassed the $306 million lifetime haul of Independence Day. Released in 1996, the movie was directed by Roland Emmerich. Independence Day grossed more than $800 million worldwide against a reported budget of $75 million, and cemented Will Smith as the star of his generation. Also featuring Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, among others, the film emerged as the second-biggest blockbuster ever made at the time. It now holds a 68% score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “The plot is thin and so is character development, but as a thrilling, spectacle-filled summer movie, Independence Day delivers.” Emmerich returned to direct a sequel in 2016, but Smith chose to sit it out. The follow-up received poor reviews and delivered an underwhelming performance at the box office. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.