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Weekend Box Office Snapshot: A Quiet Week with a Surprising Topper
Chris Pratt’s new sci‑fi thriller Mercy has nudged blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash from its six‑week throne, claiming the number‑one spot at the domestic box office in the final week of January 2026. The Amazon MGM release opened modestly but decisively, taking in $11.2 million in its first weekend — enough to lead the chart in a week when many theaters were shuttered across large swaths of the United States due to a severe winter storm.
The storm is an important caveat: the overall box office was notably subdued, and industry observers say Mercy’s win came in a low‑traffic environment and against relatively weak new competition. Even so, for a film that has received mixed to tepid critical notices, an $11.2M opening demonstrates the continued commercial pull of Chris Pratt as a marquee name and the hunger for mid‑budget genre fare.
How the Top Five Shook Out
Mercy — $11.2M (domestic opening): Amazon MGM’s latest leans into familiar sci‑fi tropes and Pratt’s affable action persona. Marketing emphasized spectacle and a late‑January release window, and while critics were split on plot and pacing, audiences still turned out. Mercy’s performance suggests that a recognizable star plus a clear genre promise can overcome lukewarm reviews, at least in a down box office week.
Avatar: Fire and Ash — $7M (this week), $1.379B (global to date): After six consecutive weeks at number one, James‑style epic Fire and Ash slipped to second. The long‑running holdover continues to bank huge international receipts, but its domestic legs are softening. Oscar nominations and prestige can buoy a film’s profile, but these days awards attention doesn’t necessarily produce a big boost in weekly ticket sales.
Zootopia 2 — $5.7M (this week), $1.744B (global): The animated sequel continues a remarkably steady run, adding millions this weekend and pushing its global tally even higher. Family films with cross‑generational appeal still perform reliably, especially during quieter weekends when parents plan an outing.
The Housemaid — $4.2M (this week), $295M (global): Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried’s performance drama remains a solid performer, with strong word‑of‑mouth and international legs that have brought it close to the $300M mark.
28Years Later: The Bone Temple — $3.6M (this week), $46.1M (global): The horror sequel’s second‑week figures point to underwhelming traction. After an initial burst, its box office momentum has lagged behind expectations for a franchise property.
New Openings and Reissues: Mild Gains
Return to Silent Hill debuted to $3.2M domestically — a small opening that also counts as its global total for now, since international release hasn’t begun. Horror remakes and franchise returns have had inconsistent success lately, and this week’s numbers reflect both the crowded horror marketplace and the impact of the weather.
Meanwhile, the theatrical reissue of The Lord of the Rings trilogy drew older fans back to cinemas: The Fellowship of the Ring reappeared in the top ten with roughly $2M, while The Two Towers and Return of the King each earned about $1.6M, landing them at spots 11 and 12 in the overall chart. Reissues like this underline the continuing appeal of event screenings, especially for nostalgic or franchise audiences.
Why Mercy Succeeded (Even if Partly)
Three factors combined in Mercy’s favor: Chris Pratt’s star recognition, a release date with less fierce competition, and the weather‑driven reduction in box office volume that made its $11.2M feel more consequential. Studios are increasingly strategic about early‑year openings, and Amazon MGM’s positioning of Mercy as a straightforward sci‑fi spectacle likely helped drive turnout among younger adult demographics.
Comparatively, Pratt’s box office profile — from family blockbusters to action franchises — mirrors how performers with cross‑genre appeal can carry new properties that might otherwise struggle with critics. Think of the way some mid‑range tentpoles have historically used a bankable lead to secure a reliable opening weekend.
"Mercy’s debut is a reminder that star power and timing still matter in a fractured marketplace," says film critic Anna Kovacs. "This wasn’t a sweeping victory so much as a savvy exploitation of a slow weekend — but it’s exactly the kind of result studios need to validate mid‑budget risk."
Industry Context: Trends to Watch
This week’s chart highlights a few ongoing trends: the staying power of global tentpoles (Avatar remains a billion‑dollar juggernaut overseas), the resilience of family animation, and the unpredictable returns for horror and franchise sequels. Weather events and distribution windows continue to shape weekly box office narratives, and reissues remain a low‑risk way to draw core fans back into theaters.
For audiences, the takeaway is simple: even in an era of streaming and hybrid releases, a recognizable name and a clear genre promise can still propel a film to the top of the box office — especially when the calendar and the climate line up in its favor.
A closing note: Mercy’s victory this week is a snapshot, not a forecast. How long it sustains interest will depend on audience reactions, word‑of‑mouth, and the upcoming slate. If nothing else, this weekend shows that the box office remains a dynamic place where surprises still happen, even amid snow and slow ticket sales.
Comments
datapulse
wow didnt expect Pratt to top Avatar, wild... weather probs did half the job but gotta admit a mid-budget sci fi pulling $11.2M is kinda impressive. curious if it sticks
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