Key Takeaways
- The winter storm that blanketed a large part of the country led to the quietest weekend of the year at the box office, with some 250 theaters forced to close.
- "Mercy" dethroned "Avatar: Fire and Ash" from the No. 1 spot with $11.2 million in North America.
- "Avatar: Fire and Ash" has now cleared $1 billion internationally, but its domestic haul ($378.5 million) is well off the pace of the other two films.
- The "Oscar bump" that films once saw following nomination is largely a thing of the past, but a handful of nominees saw strong business, including "Hamnet" and "Marty Supreme".
- Newer releases struggled, with "Return to Silent Hill" opening with $3.2 million and "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" dropping 71% in its second weekend.
Introduction to the Weekend Box Office
The weekend box office was expected to be quiet, and the winter storm that blanketed a large part of the country only added to the slow pace. With some 250 theaters forced to close, from Texas to Maine, according to data firm Comscore, and over 140 million Americans under winter storm warnings, moviegoing was severely depressed. Despite this, "Mercy", a $60 million thriller starring Chris Pratt, was able to dethrone "Avatar: Fire and Ash" from its month-long perch atop the box office, taking in $11.2 million in North America.
The Performance of "Mercy" and "Avatar: Fire and Ash"
"Mercy" arrived with withering reviews, with only 20% of critics giving it a positive review on Rotten Tomatoes, and an equally poor reception from audiences, with a "B-" CinemaScore. However, this was still enough to take the top spot, pushing "Avatar: Fire and Ash" to second place with $7 million. While "Avatar: Fire and Ash" is starting to peter out domestically, it remains a top draw overseas, taking in $28.1 million internationally in its sixth weekend. The film has now cleared $1 billion internationally, but its domestic haul ($378.5 million) is well off the pace of the other two films in the series.
The Impact of the Oscars on Box Office Performance
The "Oscar bump" that films once saw following nomination is largely a thing of the past. The lead movies in Thursday’s nominations, "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another", long ago completed their theatrical runs. However, a handful of nominees saw strong business, including Chloé Zhao’s "Hamnet", which collected $2 million in its first weekend of wide release, and Josh Safdie’s "Marty Supreme", which earned $3.5 million in its sixth weekend of release. "Hamnet" has been in theaters for two months, steadily increasing its theatrical footprint, and is up to $17.6 million domestically and $42.1 million worldwide.
The Performance of New Releases
Newer releases struggled over the weekend, with "Return to Silent Hill" opening with $3.2 million, and "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" dropping 71% in its second weekend, taking in $3.6 million. Other new releases also flopped, including Roadside Attractions’ "H Is For Hawk", which took in just $150,000 from 472 theaters, and Sony’s "Clika", which managed only $1.2 million in 522 locations. The top 10 movies by domestic box office were dominated by established releases, with "Mercy" taking the top spot, followed by "Avatar: Fire and Ash", "Zootopia 2", and "The Housemaid".
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the winter storm that blanketed a large part of the country led to a quiet weekend at the box office, with "Mercy" taking the top spot and "Avatar: Fire and Ash" sliding to second place. While some nominees saw strong business, newer releases struggled, and the "Oscar bump" that films once saw following nomination is largely a thing of the past. The top 10 movies by domestic box office were dominated by established releases, and it remains to be seen how the box office will perform in the coming weeks. With final domestic figures being released Monday, the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, will provide a clearer picture of the weekend’s box office performance.
