Flight Risk Tops Box Office with $12 Million Opening
"Flight Risk," an action thriller directed by Mel Gibson and starring Mark Wahlberg, has flown to the top of the North American box office, earning $12 million from 3,161 theaters in its opening weekend.
This marks the second consecutive Lionsgate release to debut at No. 1, following "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera." The studio has capitalized on the relatively quiet box office landscape of January.
Despite its strong opening, "Flight Risk" faces challenges. Critics and audiences have panned the film, giving it a dismal 21% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a lousy "C" grade on CinemaScore. Gibson's directorial career has been marred by several controversies since his Oscar-nominated "Hacksaw Ridge" in 2016.
"Moviegoers are showing up, but they're not impressed with the movie," said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
Other New Releases Falter
Steven Soderbergh's ghost thriller "Presence" stumbled into sixth place with $3.4 million from 1,750 cinemas. The film, acquired by Neon at Sundance, received better reviews from critics (87% on Rotten Tomatoes) than audiences (""C+" grade on CinemaScore).
Inspirational drama "Brave the Dark" failed to crack the top 10, opening at No. 11 with a mere $2.4 million from 2,230 locations. However, it received an "A" grade from CinemaScore, suggesting potential for longevity through word-of-mouth.
Holdovers Perform Well
Sony's "One of Them Days" dropped to third place but held strong with $8 million from 2,675 locations, a decline of just 32%. Universal and Blumhouse's "Wolf Man" tumbled to seventh place with $2 million, a 72% drop from its soft opening.
Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" remained in fourth place with $5.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $226 million. Disney's "Moana 2" rounded out the top five with $4.1 million, pushing its global tally to over $1 billion.