Mel Gibson’s ‘Flight Risk’ lands atop North America box office

MEL Gibson’s new action film Flight Risk has topped the North American box office, taking in an estimated US$12 million on a slow winter weekend, industry analysts said on Sunday (Jan 26).

The Lionsgate movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace in a story about a US marshal transporting a mobster-turned-informant across the Alaskan wilderness. The flight proves bumpy when the pilot is revealed to have an ulterior motive.

“This is a good opening for an original action thriller,” said analyst David A Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. Though reviews have been “poor”, he said, “business should be good in all parts of the world”.

Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King slipped to second spot, earning an estimated US$8.7 million. Its domestic take stands at US$221.1 million, and it has sold US$405 million in tickets abroad.

Also dropping one spot, to third, was Sony comedy One of Them Days, at US$8 million. Keke Palmer and singer SZA star in the Issa Rae-produced film, playing roommates scrambling to pay rent or face eviction after a boyfriend squanders their money.

Holding steady at fourth, in its sixth weekend out, was Paramount’s animated Sonic the Hedgehog 3, at US$5.5 million.

And remaining in fifth was Disney animation Moana 2. It took in US$4.3 million in its ninth weekend out and should soon become the ninth-biggest animated film of all time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

Presence (US$3.42 million)

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Wolf Man (US$3.4 million)

A Complete Unknown (US$3.1 million)

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (US$3 million)

The Brutalist (US$2.9 million). AFP