BY JACK CAMERON for WEEKLY VOLCANO 3/27/26 |
Hail Mary Lives Up to Its Name
Amazon MGM’s Project Hail Mary made over $85 million last weekend. It’s not only the biggest opening weekend of the year so far, it’s also Amazon MGM’s largest opening weekend ever. Given its performance last week, it’s no surprise that both the Blue Mouse and the Grand Cinema are continuing their run of Project Hail Mary.
The reason for Project Hail Mary’s success is no mystery. Ryan Gosling has proven himself to be one of the most talented and versatile actors working today. (Watch him in Drive and The Nice Guys to see what I mean.) The filmmakers known as Lord and Miller (The Spider-Verse movies) are working at the top of their game with big-budget special effects and a script by Drew Goddard based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir.
I’ve talked to people who saw Project Hail Mary and got back in line to watch it again like it was a Disneyland ride. One friend said it was one of the best movies they’ve ever seen. I’d say it’s the best movie I’ve seen in the theater since Sinners. And like Sinners, it’s worth seeing on the big screen with an audience.
As much as studios like franchises and sequels, people come out and support new, original cinematic experiences. More to the point, when you free creators like Ryan Coogler and Lord and Miller to make original movies, they’re almost always better than anything they did in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
If you haven’t had a chance to catch it, there are plenty of showings this week at both of our independent theaters.
The Blue Mouse also has two more performances of a live musical: Gutenberg! The Musical! by Anthony King and Scott Brown. The staged reading features Howy Howard and Lola Stephens playing aspiring playwrights Doug Simon and Beth Davenport. Accompanied by Charles (Mac Hansen), a “professional musician,” this funny musical has the two playwrights playing and singing all of the roles, using labeled trucker’s hats to identify the characters they’re playing. Tickets are $10. There are two performances left: Thursday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday, March 28, at 11:00 p.m.
And coming in April, the Blue Mouse has Super Mario Galaxy.
Over at the Grand Cinema, in addition to Project Hail Mary, beginning March 27, they’ll have Forbidden Fruits. Produced by Diablo Cody (Jennifer’s Body) and starring Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, and Victoria Pedretti, Forbidden Fruits follows a group of witches who induct a new mall employee into their coven. Bloody hijinks ensue.
On March 27 at 7:00 p.m. only, there will be a live audio drama in Theater Four called Spacies. This sci-fi/comedy audio performance is only $8 and a uniquely Tacoma experience.
Speaking of uniquely Tacoma events, Lyle Quasim: Suit Up, Show Up, and Engage! is showing at the Grand Cinema on Monday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m. The documentary highlights the life and impact of civil rights legend Lyle Quasim. Born in Chicago but claiming Tacoma as his home, Lyle Quasim’s influence on Tacoma looms large. From the presidency of Bates Technical College to serving as a founding co-director of Safe Streets, he has made Tacoma a better place. Tacoma local and Peace Bus driver Kwabi Amoah-Forson uncovers Mr. Lyle’s legacy through engaging interviews and fascinating stories.
Next week, the Grand has big plans for Easter weekend, including Grace Glowicki’s Dead Lover in STINK-O-VISION, A24’s The Drama with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as fiancés with a secret, and special Easter showings of Donnie Darko complete with an Easter egg hunt, but more on that next week.
