K-SNAPP

‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Past $500 Million Worldwide as ‘Salmokji’ Debuts at No. 1

Project Hail Mary and Salmokji dominate Korea’s box office rankings

Project Hail Mary, Box office, Ryan Gosling, Salmokji, Korean box office
Photo: Film 'Salmokji'
Project Hail Mary, Box office, Ryan Gosling, Salmokji, Korean box office
Photo: Film 'Salmokji', Sony Pictures
Project Hail Mary, Box office, Ryan Gosling, Salmokji, Korean box office
Photo: Sony Pictures

The Ryan Gosling–led sci-fi film Project Hail Mary has not only surpassed 2 million admissions in Korea but also smashed past $500 million worldwide, keeping its long-running box office heat alive.

According to the Korean Film Council’s box office database on the 13th, Project Hail Mary drew 274,733 moviegoers over its fourth weekend, holding the No. 1 spot among all foreign releases for four straight weekends. As of the 12th, its cumulative admissions in Korea reached 2,041,524, signaling sustained momentum.

Globally, the film’s gross has topped $510 million (approximately ₩757.6 billion), proving its enduring popularity. Following the Artemis II launch, unique parallels to Project Hail Mary have been widely discussed, fueling a nonstop worldwide buzz.

The story follows Grace (played by Ryan Gosling), who wakes up alone in deep space with no memory and must carry out a last-chance mission to save humanity from an extinction-level threat. The film is currently screening nationwide.

Meanwhile, Salmokji (directed by Lee Sang-min) stormed to No. 1 at the box office in its debut weekend. Per the Korean Film Council, Salmokji attracted 536,454 viewers over the weekend (10–12), with a running total of 724,039 admissions. For the horror genre, it’s the best opening weekend since The Metamorphosis (570,000), drawing even more attention.

Salmokji is a horror feature set around the Salmokji reservoir, where a film crew encounters something lurking in the depths. Kim Hye-yoon stars as PD Han Su-in, who faces a string of inexplicable incidents while on assignment.