After spending the entirety of 2024 without releasing a single movie that debuted at the top of the domestic box office charts, Lionsgate delivered its second number one film of the year with the action-thrillerFlight Risk. The movie was released this week to poor reviews and an apathetic shrug from audiences, which was reflected in itslukewarm $12 million haul.Flight RiskstarsMark Wahlbergin the lead role of a pilot tasked with transporting a criminal and a U.S. Marshal across the Alaskan wilderness, and is directed byMel Gibson. It’s Gibson’s first film in nearly a decade following years of controversy.
The movie opened to poor reviews, and currently sits at a “rotten” 21% rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes. It also earned a concerning C CinemaScore from opening day audiences, which doesn’t bode well for its future.In his review, Collider’sJeff Ewingwrote that “the narrative works a little better than it could (given the film’s threadbare plot and limited setting), but the film’s logic and performances don’t quite carry it through.” Produced ona reported budget of $10 million,Flight Riskearned about a third of what theLiam Neesonaction vehicleNon-Stopa little over a decade ago. It also failed to match the $25 million opening ofFlightplan, the thriller starringJodie Foster.
Also debuting this week was directorSteven Soderbergh’s inventive horror filmPresence, which made an estimated $3.4 million and debuted outside the top five. It’s the second horror under-performer in a row this year, after the recentWolf Man.Presenceearned solid reviews, but it struggled to find an audience. As didWolf Manlast week; directed byLeigh Whannell, the film slipped outside the top five as well, but managed to pass the $15 million mark domestically. BothPresenceandWolf Manwere beaten out by Disney’s gigantic blockbusterMoana 2, which grossed an estimated $4 million in its ninth weekend of release, and sailed towards the $450 million mark.
The Box Office Top Five Was Dominated by Holdover Hits
At number two,Mufasa: The Lion Kingcontinued its steady performance, grossing around $9 million in its sixth weekend. The film’srunning domestic total now stands at an estimated $220 million. Produced on a reported budget of $200 million,Mufasarecently passed the $600 million mark globally. After over-performing in its debut last week, Sony’sOne of Them Daystook the third spot with an estimated $8 million haul across the weekend. The film’s runningdomestic total now stands at just over $25 million. The fourth spot went toSonic the Hedgehog 3, which added an estimated $5.5 million in its sixth weekend,sprinting past the $225 million mark.
Elsewhere,A Complete Unknownpassed the $60 million mark thanks to a string of Oscar nominations and starTimothée Chalamet’sSaturday Night Liveappearance. Meanwhile,The Brutalistexpanded into over 1,000 theaters after a few successful weeks in limited release. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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