Amazon MGM Studios’ MERCY took first place with a box office of $11.2M in its opening weekend. However, the biggest story of the weekend was the weather, with winter storms impacting more than half of the country. As many as 34 states were hit with driving snow and icy cold temperatures, spanning 2,000 miles from New Mexico to Maine. Some theatres were even forced to close early.
Even without the weather disruptions, the weekend was already going to be a low-earning affair. The total box office for the past three days was $57.4M, compared to $64.5M last year on this same weekend, led by Lionsgate’s crime thriller FLIGHT RISK, which earned $11.6M. This is the fourth weekend of 2026 and the first with a box office total lower than its matching weekend from 2025. This would most likely not have been the case had the weather cooperated. With the Christmas holdover movies now having mostly run their course, it’s high time for the new releases in 2026 to carry the load.
Unfortunately, prospects look slim for the next two weeks. The last weekend in January and the first weekend in February are usually slow ones for moviegoing, in the lead up to Super Bowl Sunday. The next happy time for theatre owners will arrive in three weeks, when five new titles will open in wide release for Valentine’s Day weekend. The pick of the bunch will most likely be Warner Bros.’ romantic drama WUTHERING HEIGHTS starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Notably, this movie will be the studio’s first since ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER opened on September 26th. Sony’s animated GOAT also opens on Friday, February 13th and should do well also. That weekend will most likely be the highest-grossing 3-day frame of the year so far.
FIRST PLACE
Amazon MGM Studios’ sci-fi thriller MERCY took first place on its opening weekend, grossing $11.2M. This release is part of Amazon’s strategy to bring its best films to theatres first, before making them available on Amazon Prime. The e-commerce giant has announced that it will release 10-15 movies in theatres this year. Unlike Netflix, Amazon is leaning into the tradition of theatrical releasing, earning praise from exhibitors. After MERCY, the studio’s next scheduled release will be the highly-anticipated PROJECT HAIL MARY, which opens on March 20th.
MERCY reunites director Timur Bekmambetov with Chris Pratt nearly 18 years after they worked together on WANTED. The filmmaker has praised Pratt’s growth over the years, demonstrating a higher degree of “confidence” on set. Pratt has had a unique career path, evolving from a goofy sidekick within a strong cast to become a reliable headliner in top-tier releases. His performances encompass an unusual mixture of comedic timing, leading man charisma and genre versatility. He first gained wide recognition on television as the lovable slacker Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation (2009-2015), a role that showcased his humor and improv skills. In that show, he was a member of an ensemble cast of six or seven characters.
The turning point in Pratt’s career came in 2013, when James Gunn was looking for an actor who could deliver a combination of comedy and action. Gunn, who was launching a major Marvel franchise at the time, saw something in Pratt that others didn’t. Gunn’s instincts were rewarded with the highly successful trilogy GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. After landing the lead role, Pratt shed roughly 60 pounds and trained intensively for action choreography. He transformed his screen persona from a sitcom goofball to a swashbuckling space rogue. That success was followed quickly with the lead role in the JURASSIC WORLD trilogy, solidifying Pratt’s status as a global box office draw. Beyond action spectacles, Pratt has appeared in dramas, animated films, and a voice role in THE LEGO MOVIE series. His career arc is often cited as one of Hollywood’s most dramatic reinventions.
In MERCY, Pratt plays a detective who finds himself accused of murdering his wife. The plot twist is that his character has is given only 90 minutes to prove his innocence, while strapped to a chair so that he cannot escape. The prosecution has built its case on AI, and he must prove his innocence in a tale of man vs. machine. Only four days into filming, Pratt sprained his ankle during a staged fall, yet he was able to continue the shoot because the story has him locked down in a chair. The movie includes footage from social media feeds, bodycams and doorbell cameras, making audiences reflect on their own digital footprints and how easy it can be for stalkers and sleuths to follow someone without being detected. The run time of the movie is one hour and thirty minutes, matching the time Pratt’s character has to prove that he wasn’t the murderer.
Critics have rejected the film, giving it a lowly 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences have been more understanding with their 81% rating. Here are some of the critics’ thoughts. Newsday said, ”Mildly entertaining and utterly disposable, this Amazon MGM theatrical release feels more like Prime time.” The Boston Globe says, “I admit that the plot details sound intriguing. But as Roger Ebert used to say, it’s not what a movie is about, but how it’s about it. ‘Mercy’ completely botches that ‘how.’” The Toronto Star weighed in with” Lazily written, chaotically directed and played out with all the zest of a convenience-store security video, it lacks not only vision and purpose but the faintest hint of entertainment.” We found a somewhat positive take from The Guardian’s film critic: “It’s ingenious and watchable stuff, with cheeky twists, although the final escalation to full-on action mayhem is maybe a step too far towards pure absurdity.” MERCY cost $60M to make, translating to a target worldwide box office of $150M in order to break even. After its opening domestic gross of $11.2, it seems that in-person ticket sales for the film will not be enough, and that downstream PVOD rentals and streaming views will be necessary for its success. For a comparison film, we look to EX MACHINA because of both films’ storylines that trap characters in a claustrophobic near-future setting where power, trust, and morality collide. Each movie uses intimate settings, limited casts, and escalating psychological tension to explore autonomy, manipulation, and accountability.
MERCY vs. EX MACHINA
SECOND PLACE
After five weekends in first place, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH dropped into second with a gross of $7.0M, a decline of 52% from last weekend. Out of the three AVATAR movies, FIRE AND ASH is the earliest to vacate the top spot on the box office charts, as both AVATAR and AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER held onto first for seven weekends. FIRE AND ASH’s total domestic gross is now $378.5M, with worldwide sales at $1.379B. After AVATAR 2 finished with a 20% lower box office than AVATAR, AVATAR 3 is coming in 40% lower than AVATAR 2. Director James Cameron owns the rights to his AVATAR movies, and finds himself staring at an alarming downward trend. If AVATAR 4 were to gross 40% less than AVATAR 3, the sci-fi fantasy series would hit a virtual iceberg and perhaps even lose money. It would be difficult for Cameron to shut down his franchise after its supreme success early on. Still, it costs a lot to make these special effects-laden movies and that investment may not be justifiable in the post-pandemic era. What’s more, the decline in Academy Award nominations for each successive film could be a sign that AVATAR fatigue is beginning to set in.
Cameron has expressed frustration with his new movie’s relative lack of recognition for major awards. “I think we just got painted by a very broad brush… Now, that said, people may have legitimately just not thought the movie was good. I happen to think it was f—ing good enough. It was good enough, guys!”
AVATAR Movies after 38 Days
THIRD PLACE
ZOOTOPIA 2 stayed in third place in its ninth weekend in theatres, bringing in $5.7M and dropping 38%. Disney’s animated hit has remained among the top five movies in theatres for all 59 days and 9 weekends of its run in theatres. Its total domestic gross is $401.4M, with worldwide sales at $1.744B. Among animated films, ZOOTOPIA 2 now stands at 11th place all-time in the domestic market, and 3rd place worldwide. A particular strength of this film is its appeal to moviegoers all around the world, with 77% of its global box office coming from international markets. ZOOTOPIA 2 is even the ninth highest-grossing film worldwide regardless of genre, and one of Disney’s most valuable IPs. While the first ZOOTOPIA earned an impressive $1.0B, the sequel has already surpassed $1.7B and is still selling tickets. We can well imagine a ZOOTOPIA 3, 4 and 5 in the decade ahead. Three cheers for its fox character Nick Wilde and rabbit star Judy Hopps.
ZOOTOPIA Movies after 59 Days
FOURTH PLACE
Lionsgate’s THE HOUSEMAID landed another top five finish, this time taking fourth place with a gross of $4.2M, a decline of 51% from last weekend. After 38 days, the domestic psychological drama has domestic sales of $115.4M and a global gross of $294.9M This makes it Lionsgate’s third highest-grossing domestic film since the pandemic, trailing only the established franchise films JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 ($187.1M) and HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES ($166.4M). Lionsgate has already given a green light to a sequel entitled THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET, expected in late 2026 or 2027. Based on a follow-up novel by Freida MacFadden, the next chapter will also be directed by Paul Feig and star Sydney Sweeney. MacFadden has already finished a third book in the series, with the provocative title of The Housemaid Is Watching. The only question about the movie version will be if Lionsgate will be able to afford Sydney Sweeney as its star. For now, THE HOUSEMAID has achieved a very profitable ratio of 8 to 1, comparing its worldwide box office receipts to its cost of production.
THE HOUSEMAID vs. A SIMPLE FAVOR after 38 Days
FIFTH PLACE
Sony’s 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE had a difficult second weekend, falling to #5 after last weekend’s second place opening. It earned $3.6M in new ticket sales, a horrific drop of 71%. This result is not only unfortunate but also a bit puzzling, since the film has received very favorable grades of 93% from critics and 88% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Last weekend’s $13.0M opening came to 43% of the box office earned by its immediate predecessor, 28 YEARS LATER, in its first weekend last June. After ten days, the latest chapter sits at 41% of its immediate predecessor at this same point in its release.
Even if the 28 DAYS creative team is ready to make another movie, the ticket sales of this edition may not justify the future effort. There is some talk that Cillian Murphy could star in the next film, reprising his role from 28 DAYS LATER. If it happens, this would certainly help the marketing of the film and reinvigorate fan interest in the franchise.
In fact, Cillian Murphy does appear briefly in THE BONE TEMPLE, in a cameo at the end of the film as his original character Jim, the bicycle courier who survives in 28 DAYS LATER. This appearance in THE BONE TEMPLE sets up the story for an upcoming third installment in 28 YEARS LATER trilogy. Murphy’s participation will come at a price, considering that he earned $10M for playing the title character and lead role in OPPENHEIMER. Even if he agrees to a “friends and family” rate, Murphy’s salary will put more pressure on any sequel to generate significantly higher box office results. In order for THE BONE TEMPLE to be profitable, it would need to earn at least $158M worldwide, and this seems extremely unlikely after its first 10 days only produced $20.8M domestic.
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE vs. 28 YEARS LATER after 10 Days
Where Are We as of 1/23/2026
After the first three weeks of 2026, the current year’s domestic box office stands at 120% compared with 2025, 127% compared with 2024, and 110% compared with 2023.
