Adapted from Andy Weir’s novel, Project Hail Mary is launching an ambitious awards-season campaign after its box-office success. Amazon MGM’s strategy puts the film forward in 15 categories and includes a historic bid for an unusual supporting-actor nomination.
Box-office success
The film broke the studio record for an Amazon MGM release with an $80.5 million opening, passing the opening of Creed III. It earned about $684 million worldwide, roughly $344 million of it in the US. The budget was about $200 million. After a three-month theatrical run, the film moved to Prime Video.
A 15-category campaign
The studio will promote the film in 15 categories. Lead Ryan Gosling will be pushed for Best Actor. The race in that category is tight; Gosling’s chance of a nomination is rated around 46 percent in forecasts.
The historic move: Rocky
The campaign’s most striking part is the historic effort in the Best Supporting Actor category for James Ortiz, the puppeteer who performs Rocky, one of the film’s best-loved characters. A puppet performance being nominated in an acting category would be unprecedented in Oscar history. How the Academy weighs such a performance will be one of the season’s most discussed topics.
Frequently asked questions
Which book is Project Hail Mary based on? Andy Weir’s novel.
How much did it earn? About $684 million worldwide.
How many categories will it campaign in? 15.
Note: Oscar odds are forecasts and may change.
