It was only a matter of time before something challenged James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire And Ash. The film dominated the box office when it was released in mid-December, and for weeks, we’ve been waiting for a movie that could take the #1 spot. While Nia DaCosta’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple came close last Sunday, it ended up in a virtual tie. Now, after six weekends at the top, a new film has finally taken over: Timur Bekmambetov’s Mercy is now the highest-grossing movie domestically.
The new sci-fi film starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson didn’t have a blockbuster opening weekend, but it still managed to become the top movie in the US and Canada. See the complete Top 10 list below, and stick around for my thoughts on how it performed.
| TITLE | WEEKEND GROSS | DOMESTIC GROSS | LW | THTRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mercy* | $11,100,000 | $11,100,000 | N/A | 3,468 |
| 2. Avatar: Fire And Ash | $7,000,000 | $378,492,585 | 1 | 3,150 |
| 3. Zootopia 2 | $5,700,000 | $401,427,846 | 3 | 2,930 |
| 4. The Housemaid | $4,200,000 | $115,452,000 | 4 | 3,007 |
| 5. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple | $3,600,000 | $20,751,000 | 2 | 3,506 |
| 6. Marty Supreme | $3,546,859 | $86,299,296 | 5 | 2,021 |
| 7. Return To Silent Hill* | $3,200,000 | $3,200,000 | N/A | 1,850 |
| 8. Hamnet | $2,000,000 | $17,628,000 | 16 | 1,996 |
| 9. The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring | $2,000,000 | $325,680,679 | 7 | 1,703 |
| 10. Primate | $1,640,000 | $23,503,000 | 6 | 2,145 |
Mercy Defies Bad Buzz And Wins The Box Office On A Slow Weekend
Let’s be honest, the movie Mercy opened with a lot of negative reviews. I didn’t enjoy it – my review gave it only one and a half stars – and I wasn’t alone. Many other film critics agreed that the story had significant flaws. However, plenty of movies open to bad reviews and still become box office hits, and Mercy is proving to be one of them.
The new movie Mercy didn’t have a huge opening weekend. According to early numbers from The Numbers, it debuted in third place among new 2026 releases, earning less than both 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ($12.5 million) and Primate ($11.2 million). However, Mercy still managed to reach #1 because ticket sales for Avatar: Fire And Ash are declining. So, while Mercy topped the charts, it was more due to fortunate timing than overwhelming popularity.
The new Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson movie has earned about the same amount overseas ($11.6 million) as it has in the US, bringing its total worldwide earnings to $22.8 million. Given the film is likely to quickly lose viewers in theaters, especially domestically, this isn’t a strong opening. Variety reports the movie cost $60 million to produce (excluding marketing costs). While it won’t be a complete failure, it’s not starting off with impressive numbers for a mid-budget science fiction film.
While Chris Pratt usually attracts big audiences to theaters, his new film, Mercy, didn’t perform as well. However, it’s important to note that Mercy isn’t based on a well-known franchise like Marvel, Jurassic World, Super Mario Bros., or Garfield. Recently, most of Pratt’s films have gone straight to streaming services – like The Electric State on Netflix and The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime Video. To find a comparable theatrical release, you’d have to go back to his 2016 film, Passengers.
Despite a modest $14.9 million opening weekend – and being released in a different time for movie theaters – that film, which starred Jennifer Lawrence, eventually earned $100 million in the US and $302.2 million globally. A similar success is unlikely for Mercy.
There aren’t any blockbuster movie releases this Friday, though I’ll share more details shortly. However, I expect we’ll still see a new film take the number one spot, as I predict the newest movie directed by Timur Bekmambetov will experience a significant drop in viewership next week.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Takes A Terrible Slide In Its Second Weekend
I’m predicting Mercy might struggle in its second weekend in theaters, mainly because people aren’t enjoying it as much as expected. While critics and audiences generally disagree (Rotten Tomatoes scores differ by 61 points), the film isn’t resonating with viewers either – it received a “B-” grade from audiences surveyed by CinemaScore.
A lack of excitement can kill a new feature, but positive buzz isn’t always a guarantee of success. A good example of this is the current situation with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Despite being the most critically praised of the new movies released in 2026 so far, the latest horror sequel isn’t performing well at the box office. After a disappointing opening weekend where it landed in second place, ticket sales have plummeted by 71%. Over the last three days, the film only earned $3.6 million domestically, bringing its total earnings in the US to $20.8 million.
While 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is performing somewhat better internationally, its total worldwide earnings currently stand at $46.1 million. This is only $16 million more than the original 28 Years Later earned domestically during its opening weekend last summer, despite having had 10 days in release. The first film ultimately grossed $150 million worldwide.
Months After Its Debut, Zootopia 2 Is Still Hitting New Milestones
Despite a generally disappointing weekend for new releases, there’s good news regarding Zootopia 2. Released over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2025, the film has now been playing in theaters for nine weeks and remains surprisingly strong, currently holding third place in the domestic Top 10. It has officially surpassed $400 million in North American box office revenue.
Zootopia 2 is still the top-performing movie domestically, surpassing Avatar: Fire And Ash. Only two films released last year—Jared Hess’ A Minecraft Movie ($424.1 million) and Dean Fleischer-Camp’s Lilo & Stitch ($423.8 million)—earned more in the U.S. and Canada. While it might be challenging, Zootopia 2 could potentially surpass both of those films.
This weekend, the biggest new movie hitting theaters is Send Help, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. It’ll be interesting to see how it does against Mercy and Avatar 3. Check back with TopMob next week to find out how it performed!
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2026-01-25 23:13