Chris Pratt's 'Mercy' Shakes Up Box Office, Ending 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Reign
Chris Pratt's sci-fi thriller, 'Mercy', has shaken up the box office, collecting $11.2 million in its North American debut. This marks a significant shift from the five-weekend reign of James Cameron's blockbuster, 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', which has now taken a backseat. Despite not being a blockbuster hit, 'Mercy' is impressive given the massive winter storm that's currently blanketing the U.S. with snow. Warnings of frigid temperatures, high winds, and blizzards have been issued across 37 states, leading to major theater closures.
'Mercy' was projected to earn $12 million over the weekend, but the storm's impact slightly revised these estimates. Moviegoers, despite the cold, didn't seem impressed, giving 'Mercy' a 'B-' grade on CinemaScore exit polls, and critics were equally harsh, with a bleak 20% average on Rotten Tomatoes. This could spell trouble for the film's longevity, considering its $60 million production budget and global marketing expenses. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, 'Mercy' is set in the near future, where a detective (Pratt) stands trial for allegedly murdering his wife, with an advanced AI judge (Rebecca Ferguson) determining his fate.
Despite the soft reception, David A. Gross, from the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, notes that the weekend start is still good. 'Mercy' marks Amazon MGM's first big release of the year, with plans to unveil more films over the next 11 months, including 'Project Hail Mary', 'Masters of the Universe', and 'Verity'. This is good news for exhibitors, who have been struggling with the decrease in new films since the pandemic and labor strikes.
'Avatar 3', which dominated the domestic charts in January, slid to second place with $7 million over the weekend. After six weekends, 'Fire and Ash' has earned $378 million in North America and $1.378 billion globally. While impressive, 'Avatar 3' falls short of the box office heights of its predecessors, 'Avatar' (2009) and 'Avatar: The Way of Water' (2022), which each remained in first place for seven consecutive weekends and earned $2.9 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively.
Disney's animated hit, 'Zootopia 2', remained at No. 3 with $5.7 million in its ninth weekend, showcasing its enduring box office force since Thanksgiving. With $401 million domestically and $1.744 billion globally, it remains the highest-grossing animated Hollywood film of all time, surpassing 'Inside Out 2'.
Another new release, 'Return to Silent Hill', couldn't crack the top five, debuting at No. 7 with $3.2 million from 1,850 locations. This is a significant drop from the first two films in the series, 'Silent Hill' (2006) and 'Silent Hill: Resurrection' (2012), which had strong debuts. Iconic Events, the distributor behind the third installment, faces challenges with a 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite the weather's impact, Cineverse chairman and CEO Chris McGurk remains optimistic, stating that the film's low investment of $3.5 million ensures its success in home entertainment, as video game fans eagerly anticipate and discuss it.
Some Oscar contenders received a boost after nominations were announced on Thursday. A24's 'Marty Supreme', with 9 nominations, added $3.5 million from 2,021 venues, marking a 32% decline from the prior frame. The film, starring Timothee Chalamet and directed by Josh Safdie, has grossed $86.2 million in North America and over $105 million globally.
At No. 8, Chloe Zhao's 'Hamnet' generated $2 million from 1,996 theaters in its first weekend, having earned $17.6 million domestically and $42 million globally after several weekends in limited release. More box office updates are expected as the story continues.
