Hollywood just experienced its slowest weekend of the year, and Mother Nature deserves much of the blame.
A massive winter storm forced approximately 250 theaters to shutter from Texas to Maine, leaving more than 140 million Americans under winter storm warnings.
Even without the weather disruption, the weekend’s slate of new releases was underwhelming at best.
Amazon MGM’s sci-fi thriller “Mercy” managed to claim the top spot with a modest $11.2 million, finally ending “Avatar: Fire and Ash’s” monthlong reign at number one.
Critical Failure Doesn’t Stop Box Office Victory
“Mercy” arrived in theaters with the kind of reviews that typically sink a film’s prospects. Critics savaged the $60 million thriller, giving it a dismal 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Audiences weren’t much kinder, awarding the Chris Pratt vehicle a lackluster “B-” CinemaScore. The film follows Pratt’s character as he stands trial before an artificial intelligence judge in a near-future setting.
Despite the poor reception, “Mercy” benefited from being the weekend’s only major new release during a historically slow period for cinema attendance.
Avatar’s Domestic Disappointment Continues
James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” slipped to second place after holding the top spot for four consecutive weeks. The Disney release earned $7 million domestically in its sixth weekend.
While international audiences continue showing up—the film collected $28.1 million overseas this weekend—domestic performance tells a different story.
The third Pandora epic has accumulated $378.5 million domestically and surpassed $1 billion internationally. These numbers sound impressive until compared to its predecessors.
The 2009 original grossed a staggering $2.9 billion worldwide, while 2022’s “The Way of Water” reached $2.3 billion. “Fire and Ash” isn’t approaching either figure, signaling potential franchise fatigue among North American moviegoers.
Oscar Nominees Show Staying Power
The traditional “Oscar bump”—when Academy Award nominations drive audiences back to theaters—has largely disappeared from modern Hollywood. Leading nominees “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” finished their theatrical runs long before Thursday’s nominations were announced.
However, several nominated films demonstrated surprising resilience this weekend.
Hamnet Expands Successfully
Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” earned eight Oscar nominations, including best picture. The Shakespeare drama starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal collected $2 million during its first weekend of wide release.
The film has been strategically expanding its theater count over two months, reaching $17.6 million domestically and $42.1 million globally.
Marty Supreme Crosses Major Milestone
Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” secured nine Oscar nominations and earned $3.5 million in its sixth weekend. The A24 release starring Timothée Chalamet recently crossed $100 million worldwide.
Its domestic total now stands at $86.2 million, representing one of the year’s genuine success stories for mid-budget filmmaking.
New Releases Struggle Across the Board
“Return to Silent Hill” debuted with just $3.2 million despite being the third installment in a horror franchise that began with 2006’s “Silent Hill.”
Unlike its predecessors distributed by Sony and Open Road, this low-budget entry was released by Iconic Events, potentially limiting its theatrical reach.
“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” experienced a catastrophic second-weekend collapse. After opening to a disappointing $13.3 million last week, the Sony release directed by Nia DaCosta plummeted 71% to just $3.6 million.
This steep decline occurred despite positive critical reviews, suggesting audiences rejected the film based on word-of-mouth or simply stayed home.
Complete Box Office Failures
Other new releases barely registered at the box office:
- Roadside Attractions’ “H Is For Hawk” starring Claire Foy earned only $150,000 from 472 theaters
- Sony’s “Clika,” following a migrant worker with musical dreams, managed just $1.2 million across 522 locations
These anemic results highlight the challenges facing mid-budget dramas and niche releases in today’s theatrical landscape.
Weather Woes Compound Industry Challenges
According to data firm Comscore, 250 theaters remained closed throughout the weekend due to severe weather conditions. This represents a significant portion of North American exhibition capacity.
With over 140 million Americans under winter storm warnings, even moviegoers with access to open theaters likely chose to stay home rather than brave dangerous conditions.
The combination of weak new releases and weather disruptions created a perfect storm for Hollywood’s worst weekend performance of the year.
Industry analysts will be watching closely to see whether next weekend’s box office rebounds or if this represents a deeper trend of declining theatrical attendance heading into spring.