NEW YORK — Despite receiving harsh criticism from both reviewers and audiences alike, Mel Gibson’s latest film, “Flight Risk,” successfully debuted at the top of the box office, earning a modest $12 million as per studio estimates on Sunday. The Lionsgate thriller, featuring Mark Wahlberg as a pilot, Michelle Dockery as an Air Marshal, and Topher Grace as a fugitive, performed well during a notably slow weekend in January, which is typically a quiet time for movie releases. However, this accomplishment is less than triumphant for Gibson, especially following his acclaimed 2016 film “Hacksaw Ridge,” as the new release has garnered a dismal 21% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a mediocre “C” grade on CinemaScore.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump appointed Gibson as a “special ambassador” to Hollywood, alongside Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone. Heading into the weekend, the spotlight in Hollywood shifted towards the Sundance Film Festival and the delayed announcement of Oscar nominations, which had been pushed back due to the wildfires plaguing the Los Angeles area.
This weekend also served as a subtle assessment of whether the trend of an Oscar “bump” still holds any weight as nominations typically boost box office sales. Most Oscar hopefuls have largely wrapped up their theatrical runs and are now expected to perform better on video-on-demand or streaming platforms.
A24 made a bold decision to release Brady Corbet’s epic film “The Brutalist,” a three-and-a-half-hour narrative nominated for ten Academy Awards, into wider circulation. Despite some executives initially deeming “The Brutalist,” which features an intermission, as “un-distributable,” the film managed to earn $6 million during its limited release after being acquired from the Venice Film Festival. In its wider rollout, it made $2.9 million, marking its best performance over the weekend, even if it isn’t a blockbuster hit.
In contrast, another best-picture contender, “Nickel Boys” directed by RaMell Ross, fell short during its screening. This innovative film, shot primarily from a first-person point of view, made only $340,171 across 540 theaters after expanding into 300 additional locations.
Following what was one of the weakest Martin Luther King Jr. weekends in recent history, no significant new releases made an impact. Steven Soderbergh’s horror flick, “Presence,” which was well-received, had its premiere with $3.4 million from 1,750 screens. The film, which utilizes a ghost’s perspective inside a suburban home, was made on a modest budget of $2 million.
The weekend’s box office landscape was dominated by returning films. “Mufasa: The Lion King” from Walt Disney Co., now in its sixth week, secured second place with earnings of $8.7 million. After a slow start, the film directed by Barry Jenkins has reached a global total of $626.7 million.
Additionally, the comedy “One of Them Days,” featuring Keke Palmer and SZA, maintained its strong presence in its second weekend, dropping only 32% and accumulating another $8 million. In a time when comedies have struggled at the box office, “One of Them Days” has managed to stand out as a success.
The estimated ticket sales for the weekend, spanning Friday through Sunday across U.S. and Canadian theaters, have been provided by Comscore, with final domestic figures to be released on Monday.
1. “Flight Risk,” $12 million.
2. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $8.7 million.
3. “One of Them Days,” $8 million.
4. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” $5.5 million.
5. “Moana 2,” $4.3 million.
6. “Presence,” $3.4 million.
7. “Wolf Man,” $3.4 million.
8. “A Complete Unknown,” $3.1 million.
9. “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” $3 million.
10. “The Brutalist,” $2.9 million.
