“Mercy” Challenges “Avatar: Fire and Ash” for Box Office Dominance
The domestic box office saw a shift this weekend as Amazon MGM’s new sci-fi thriller, “Mercy,” starring Chris Pratt, emerged as a strong contender, perhaps ending the five-week reign of “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” “Mercy” earned an remarkable $5 million on its opening day from 3,468 locations and is projected to gross $12.6 million by Sunday.
The film presents a compelling premise: Chris Pratt plays Chris Raven, a detective accused of his wife’s murder, facing a high-stakes trial in a near-future setting. With only 90 minutes to prove his innocence before an AI judge, portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson, Raven must navigate a desperate race against time. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, known for his work in the screenlife genre, and written by Marco van Belle, “Mercy” offers a unique and suspenseful cinematic experience.
While “Mercy” makes a strong debut, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” continues to perform well, adding $1.7 million on its sixth Friday. The James Cameron-directed sequel is estimated to bring in $7.1 million this weekend, bringing its North American total to $378 million. Despite its continued success, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is poised to relinquish its top spot before completing its seventh week in theaters – a feat achieved by the original “Avatar” and “The Way of Water,” both of wich surpassed $2 billion in global earnings.
Further down the charts, Lionsgate’s thriller “The Housemaid” continues to be a sleeper hit, grossing $1.48 million on Friday and projected to reach $115 million domestically by the weekend’s end. The success of the film, adapted from freida McFadden’s novel, has already spurred plans for a sequel starring Sydney Sweeney, with Paul Feig returning as director.
Rounding out the top five are Disney’s animated sequel “zootopia 2,” earning $1.4 million on its ninth Friday and projected to reach a domestic total of $401 million, and Sony’s zombie thriller ”28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” which has experienced a softer opening than anticipated, adding $1.2 million domestically on its second friday and is expected to reach $21 million total.
Worth a look