“‘Mercy’ Earns $5 Million on Opening Day Downloads”
Amazon MGM’s sci-fi thriller “Mercy” dominated the domestic box office on its opening day, earning an impressive $5 million. This film, led by Chris Pratt, is one of the significant new releases of the weekend. “Mercy” is set to challenge the long-standing success of “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which has been at the top of the North American charts for five consecutive weekends.
Performance of “Mercy” on Opening Day
“Mercy” was released in 3,468 locations and is projected to gross around $12.6 million by the end of the weekend. In the film, Chris Pratt stars as Chris Raven, a futuristic detective facing trial for the murder of his wife, portrayed by Annabelle Wallis. The film poses a high-stakes scenario where an AI judge, played by Rebecca Ferguson, allows him only 90 minutes to prove his innocence or face execution.
Impact on “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
The success of “Mercy” comes as “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” directed by James Cameron, earned $1.7 million on its sixth Friday, projecting a total weekend gross of approximately $7.1 million. This would elevate its domestic earnings to around $378 million. Unless “Mercy” alters the trend, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is likely to lose its box office crown by the end of its sixth weekend, a first for the franchise.
Comparison with Previous “Avatar” Films
- The first “Avatar” and “The Way of Water” maintained their No. 1 status for seven weeks.
- Both films grossed over $2 billion globally.
Other Box Office Performers
In third place for Friday was Lionsgate’s thriller “The Housemaid,” which grossed $1.48 million, reaching a domestic total of about $115 million by the weekend’s end. This sleeper hit has outperformed its $35 million budget, leading to plans for a sequel featuring Sydney Sweeney and director Paul Feig.
Top Five Films of Friday
- 1. Mercy: $5 million (Opening Day)
- 2. Avatar: Fire and Ash: $1.7 million
- 3. The Housemaid: $1.48 million
- 4. Zootopia 2: $1.4 million, with a projected $5.9 million for the weekend
- 5. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: $1.2 million, expected to earn $4.2 million
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” continues to perform well, expected to push its total to $401 million domestically. Conversely, Sony’s “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” has struggled, operating with a $63 million budget and anticipated to add only $4.2 million this weekend.
