Box Office: Mel Gibson’s ‘Flight Risk’ Leads Quiet Weekend With Decent $11M-$12M Opening – Hollywood Reporter

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterSubscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterMark Wahlberg stars in the genre pic, which marks Gibson’s first directorial effort in nearly a decade. Elsewhere, Steven Soderbergh’s artsy haunted house thriller ‘Presence’ opened in 1,750 cinemas.
By

Pamela McClintock
Senior Film Writer
The Mel Gibson-directed Flight Risk flew to a $12 million on Sunday, opening from 3,161 theaters to top a quiet weekend at the domestic box office in another needed win for Lionsgate following Den of Thieves 2: Pantera earlier this month.
Flight Risk is the first film Gibson has directed since 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge. The action-thriller hit theaters just days President Donald Trump named him new ambassador to Hollywood alongside Jon Voight and Sylvestor Stallone. (Gibson provided a moment of levity last week when he revealed he wasn’t even contacted by the new president.)

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Flight Risk stars Mark Wahlberg as a pilot transporting an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) accompanying a mob-connected witness (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem — including the pilot.
Reviewers haven’t taken to the modestly budgeted movie. Ditto for audiences, which slapped it with a C CinemaScore. While noting that it does provide some thrills, THR reviewer Frank Scheck writes, “its clunky dialogue, uneven performances and less-than-grade-A special effects ultimately make it the Spirit Airlines of airborne thrillers.”
Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, despite being in its sixth weekend, continued to display sharp claws. It held at No. 2 with $8.7 million from 3,420 theaters to finish Sunday with a domestic total of $221.1 million (fun fact: it has passed up Wonka‘s $218 million) and $627.7 globally.
Sony and TriStar’s female-fronted comedy One of Them Days, now in its second weekend, held in nicely to place third with an estimated $8 million for a domestic cume of $25 million from 2,675 cinemas. The Issa Rae-produced film stars Keke Palmer and SZA.
Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, in its sixth weekend, came in fourth with $5.5 million from 3,097 theaters for a domestic tally of 2,261. The family film fell a modest 36 percent despite now being available in the home via premium VOD.
Disney’s Thanksgiving animated blockbuster Moana 2 rounded out the top five in its ninth weekend with $4.3 million from 2,550 locations for a domestic total of $1.026 billion as it prepares to become the ninth biggest animated film of all time.
Among other new offerings besides Flight Risk, Steven Soderbergh’s haunted horror-thriller Presence opened in 1,750 theaters. The specialty film, from Neon, earned $3.41 million to come in sixth place. There’s sure to be debate over its performance, but Neon insiders say they are pleased with the results and noted that the film’s budget is less than the opening gross.

While critics have praised the film, audiences gave the film a C+ (horror-themed pics can often receive a C grade).
Filmed entirely from the perspective of the entity haunting the house, Presence stars Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan and newcomer Callina Liang star in this chiller about a family that appears on the brink of falling apart.
There was plenty of other action at the specialty box office following Oscar nominations. Searchlight’s A Complete Unknown grossed $3.1 million from 2,010 theaters as it cleared the $60 million mark domestically in its fifth weekend. The Bob Dylan biopic came in eighth followed by Lionsgate’s mainstream pic Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which earned $3 million for a domestic total of $31.9 million.
Back among Oscar front runners, A24’s The Brutalist placed tenth with an estimated $2.9 million as it expanded into 1,118 cinemas for an early domestic total of $9.3 million. This film has platformed slowly in hopes of translating awards buzz into movie ticket sales.
Paramount’s September 5 expanded into 395 theaters — the film was largely snubbed in terms of Oscar noms — earning a dissapointing $770,000 for a domestic cume of $1.7 million after seven weekends.
Sony Pictures Classics’ I’m Still Here, which is up for best picture alongside A Complete Unknown and Brutalist, expanded into 17 locations, grossing $210,000 for domestic total of $404,000.
More to come.
Jan. 26, 7:55 a.m. Updated with revised grosses.
This story was originally published Jan. 25 at 8:47 a.m.Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every daySign up for THR news straight to your inbox every daySubscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterSend us a tip using our anonymous form.

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mel-gibson-box-office-flies-1236117955/