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Project Hail Mary Cuts Runtime, Earns $140M Opening Weekend

3/28/2026

40 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (the directors), reduced an almost four-hour assembly cut to about 156 minutes.
Critics noted pacing issues, but the film earned over $140 million in its opening weekend.
The directors say the final version preserves the story's emotional core despite omitted content.
Future home media releases may include deleted scenes offering insight into the original cut.

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Story summary

Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (the directors), reduced an almost four-hour assembly cut to about 156 minutes.
Critics noted pacing issues, but the film earned over $140 million in its opening weekend.
The directors say the final version preserves the story's emotional core despite omitted content.
Future home media releases may include deleted scenes offering insight into the original cut.