Mel Gibson’s ‘Flight Risk’ Tops Box Office Despite Poor Reviews

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mel Gibson‘s action thriller “Flight Risk,” starring Mark Wahlberg as a troubled pilot, soared to the top of the North American box office with $12 million in its opening weekend despite harsh criticism from both audiences and critics. The Lionsgate film, released Jan. 26, 2025, played in 3,161 theaters and marks Gibson’s first directorial effort since the Oscar-nominated “Hacksaw Ridge” in 2016.

The film, which cost $25 million to produce, follows Wahlberg’s character as he transports an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) and a fugitive (Topher Grace) across Alaska. Despite its No. 1 debut, “Flight Risk” received a dismal 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a “C” grade from CinemaScore, indicating poor audience reception. Internationally, the film added $4.2 million from 39 markets, bringing its global total to $16.2 million.

“Moviegoers are showing up, but they’re not impressed with the movie,” said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “It’s a tough sell for a film with such low scores to maintain momentum.”

Disney‘s “Mufasa,” a prequel to “The Lion King,” held steady in second place with $8.7 million in its sixth weekend. The film has now grossed $221 million domestically and $626.7 million worldwide. Meanwhile, Sony‘s R-rated buddy comedy “One of Them Days,” starring Keke Palmer and SZA, dropped just 32% in its second weekend, earning $8 million and bringing its total to $25 million.

Steven Soderbergh‘s ghost thriller “Presence,” released by Neon, debuted in sixth place with $3.4 million from 1,750 theaters. The low-budget film, which cost $2 million to produce, earned an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes but a lukewarm “C+” CinemaScore. Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan star in the film, which is told from the perspective of a supernatural entity haunting a suburban home.

Another newcomer, the inspirational drama “Brave the Dark,” failed to crack the top 10, opening at No. 11 with $2.4 million from 2,230 locations. Despite its poor box office performance, the film received an “A” CinemaScore, suggesting strong audience approval. “With positive word-of-mouth, inspirational dramas tend to hang around in subsequent weeks,” Gross noted. “It’s an uplifting, feel-good story, and audiences like it.”

Overall, the box office is showing signs of recovery, with ticket sales up 10.9% compared to the same period in 2024, according to Comscore. The industry is looking ahead to a slate of high-profile releases, including Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” on Feb. 14 and Disney’s “Snow White” on March 21, to boost momentum.

“It was another rather quiet weekend overall,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior Comscore analyst. “But help is on the way with an upcoming slate that boasts ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Minecraft,’ and ‘Jurassic World.'”