Despite mixed reviews and lukewarm audience reception, Mel Gibson's latest film, 'Flight Risk,' managed to secure the top spot at the box office over the weekend with an opening of $12 million. The Lionsgate thriller, starring Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace, follows a pilot flying an Air Marshal and a fugitive across Alaska.
While the film's performance wasn't deemed a resounding success, it still outperformed other releases in a relatively quiet weekend for the film industry, especially considering it is January, a typically slow month for movie-goers.
President Donald Trump recently appointed Mel Gibson as a 'special ambassador' to Hollywood, alongside Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, adding an interesting twist to the film's release.
Meanwhile, the Sundance Film Festival and the delayed Oscar nominations due to wildfires in Los Angeles were also in the spotlight over the weekend, diverting some attention away from the box office results.
One notable release was A24's distribution of Brady Corbet's 'The Brutalist,' a lengthy epic nominated for 10 Academy Awards. Despite initial skepticism about its commercial viability, the film managed to collect $6 million in limited release, with $2.9 million coming from its wide release over the weekend.
Another Oscar contender, RaMell Ross' 'Nickel Boys,' struggled to attract a significant audience, earning just $340,171 in 540 locations after expanding its theater count.
Among the new releases, Steven Soderbergh's horror film 'Presence' debuted with $3.4 million, showcasing a promising start given its modest $2 million budget.
Holdovers like Disney's 'Mufasa: The Lion King' and Sony Pictures' 'One of Them Days' continued to perform well, with the former accumulating $626.7 million globally and the latter dropping only 32% in its second weekend.
Overall, the weekend box office results reflected a mix of performances from new releases and existing titles, with 'Flight Risk' leading the pack despite facing critical and audience challenges.
