Cosmic results: 'Project Hail Mary' retains #1 spot again | Movie Releases & Trends – Weekend of March 20, 2026

Good news for cinema: Year to date, the box office sits at $1.7B, up +21% from this time last year.

With a quiet release slate, Project Hail Mary held firm at #1 for the second consecutive weekend—and did so in impressive fashion. 

The film dropped just under 30% week over week, retaining nearly 70% of its revenue. That kind of hold signals strong word-of-mouth and broad audience appeal, especially for a science-forward original. It accounted for 54% of admissions and 56% of the revenue, continuing to build momentum as one of the more durable spring titles.

Only one new film cracked the top 10, and it was They Will Kill You, a horror-comedy —a genre that typically thrives on modest budgets and niche appeal, but occasionally punches above its weight (think franchises like Scary Movie or stylized swings like Dark Shadows from Tim Burton).

They Will Kill You opened to a solid, if unspectacular, debut—landing slightly above average for an original horror-comedy. Critics have been mixed-to-positive, with particular praise for Zazie Beetz, whose high-energy performance is emerging as a standout. 

That said, many reviews point to a familiar, somewhat derivative plot. Its release footprint (under 3,000 theaters) suggests measured expectations from the studio, especially compared to Project Hail Mary’s 4,000+ theater count.

A witchy fruit—and family-friendly alternatives holding strong

Forbidden Fruits didn't make it into the top 10 for admissions, but did for revenue. This title, another horror-comedy, had an even smaller release, playing in fewer than 2,000 locations. 

The film leans heavily into camp—it’s a witchy, satirical horror set in a Dallas shopping mall, earning comparisons to both The Craft and Mean Girls—and has generated a polarized but generally positive response. With a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s finding its audience among genre fans, though its limited release caps its box office ceiling.

Meanwhile, Hoppers continues its quiet but steady run, holding onto the #2 spot after four weeks. Its consistency underscores a familiar trend: family-friendly films remain the most reliable drivers of sustained box office performance, especially in lighter release corridors. 

Two more kid targeted titles made it into the top 10 for admissions: GOAT, now in it's 7th week and The Pout-Pout Fish. The latter came in 11th for revenue, but its kid-friendly title boosted it higher for total admissions.  

Easter treats: Mario adventures, and a truly intense wedding debacle

All eyes now turn to Easter weekend, where The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is poised to dominate. As a follow-up in the blockbuster Nintendo universe, the film brings back key voice talent like Chris Pratt and Jack Black, while expanding into a more cosmic setting centered around Bowser Jr. 

Early reactions suggest a visually vibrant, fan-service-heavy sequel that plays it safe narratively—but that likely won’t matter, nor will the occasional vicious takedown. With projections for a five-day opening reaching as high as $200M, it’s shaping up to be one of the biggest debuts of the year and a potential inflection point for the spring box office.

For audiences looking for counter-programming, The Drama offers a very different tone. Starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, the film dives into a relationship unraveling just days before a wedding, sparked by a major revelation that has already driven controversy in spoiler-ridden reviews. 

Directed by Kristoffer Borgli (known for Dream Scenario), early reviews are sharply divided—some praising the movie’s bold, offbeat storytelling, with others finding it emotionally distant. Box office expectations are modest, with projections in the mid-teens, but it could resonate strongly with arthouse and adult audiences seeking something edgier.

How The People Platform's audience measurements can help drive insights

• How many tickets will be sold this coming weekend? Find out on our next Cinema Ranker for a box office forecast and follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest cinema industry insights.

• To learn more about The People Platform and explore our audience measurement solutions designed to support box office forecasting and cinema audience insights, click here.

• Don't forget to also explore the broader suite from The Marketing Cloud to unlock AI-driven marketing solutions that help teams across market research, comms, creative, and media.