JamesG
01-26-2026, 09:21 AM
Mercy Ends Avatar: Fire and Ash Five-Weekend Reign with $11 Million Debut
by Rebecca Rubin
Jan. 25, 2026
Chris Pratt’s sci-fi thriller Mercy collected $11.2 million in its North American debut, enough to end the five-weekend reign of James Cameron’s behemoth Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Though not a blockbuster result, it’s an impressive tally considering the massive winter storm that’s currently blanketing a large portion of the U.S. with snow. Warnings of frigid temperatures, high winds and blizzards have been issued across 37 states, from Texas to Maine, resulting in major theater closures across the country.
Unsurprisingly, this ranks as the lowest collective weekend of the year with roughly $60 million across all films, down roughly 9% from the same period in 2025.
Mercy didn’t perform well at the international box office (where, of course, severe weather conditions weren’t an excuse) with $11.6 million from 80 markets, bringing the global tally to $22.8 million.
Avatar: Fire and Ash slid to second place with $7 million over the weekend.
After six weekends of release, Fire and Ash has earned $378 million in North America and $1.378 billion globally.
Disney’s animated juggernaut Zootopia 2 remained at No. 3 with $5.7 million in its ninth weekend of release. The animated sequel has remained a box office force since Thanksgiving with $401 million domestically and $1.744 billion globally.
It remains the highest-grossing animated Hollywood film of all time, ahead of Inside Out 2 ($1.69 billion).
Another new release, Return to Silent Hill, couldn’t crack the top five and debuted in the No. 7 slot with $3.2 million from 1,850 locations. That’s dramatically behind the first two films in the psychological horror series, 2006’s Silent Hill ($20 million debut) and 2012’s sequel Silent Hill: Revelation ($8 million debut).
Sony released the initial film, which ended up grossing $100 million worldwide, while the now-defunct Open Road backed the follow-up, which tapped out with just $55 million.
A24’s Marty Supreme, which landed 9 Oscar nominations, added $3.5 million from 2,021 venues over the weekend. Those ticket sales mark a 32% decline from the prior frame, the smallest drop in the top five.
The film has grossed $86.2 million in North America and more than $105 million globally.
Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet generated $2 million from 1,996 theaters in its first weekend of nationwide release.
The Shakespearean drama, which scored 13 Academy Award nods, has earned $17.6 million domestically and $42 million globally after several weekends in limited release.
https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/box-office-mercy-ends-avatar-fire-and-ash-reign-1236639941/
January 23-25, 2026: Weekend Studio Estimates
1. Mercy $11,100,000
2. Avatar: Fire and Ash $7,000,000 / $378,492,585
3. Zootopia 2 $5,700,000 / $401,427,846
4. The Housemaid $4,200,000 / $115,451,843
5. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple $3,600,000 / $20,750,529
6. Marty Supreme $3,546,857 / $86,299,295
7. Return to Silent Hill $3,252,000
8. Hamnet $2,000,000 / $17,628,190
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (re-release) $2,000,000 / $5,940,331
10. Primate $1,640,000 / $23,502,877
by Rebecca Rubin
Jan. 25, 2026
Chris Pratt’s sci-fi thriller Mercy collected $11.2 million in its North American debut, enough to end the five-weekend reign of James Cameron’s behemoth Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Though not a blockbuster result, it’s an impressive tally considering the massive winter storm that’s currently blanketing a large portion of the U.S. with snow. Warnings of frigid temperatures, high winds and blizzards have been issued across 37 states, from Texas to Maine, resulting in major theater closures across the country.
Unsurprisingly, this ranks as the lowest collective weekend of the year with roughly $60 million across all films, down roughly 9% from the same period in 2025.
Mercy didn’t perform well at the international box office (where, of course, severe weather conditions weren’t an excuse) with $11.6 million from 80 markets, bringing the global tally to $22.8 million.
Avatar: Fire and Ash slid to second place with $7 million over the weekend.
After six weekends of release, Fire and Ash has earned $378 million in North America and $1.378 billion globally.
Disney’s animated juggernaut Zootopia 2 remained at No. 3 with $5.7 million in its ninth weekend of release. The animated sequel has remained a box office force since Thanksgiving with $401 million domestically and $1.744 billion globally.
It remains the highest-grossing animated Hollywood film of all time, ahead of Inside Out 2 ($1.69 billion).
Another new release, Return to Silent Hill, couldn’t crack the top five and debuted in the No. 7 slot with $3.2 million from 1,850 locations. That’s dramatically behind the first two films in the psychological horror series, 2006’s Silent Hill ($20 million debut) and 2012’s sequel Silent Hill: Revelation ($8 million debut).
Sony released the initial film, which ended up grossing $100 million worldwide, while the now-defunct Open Road backed the follow-up, which tapped out with just $55 million.
A24’s Marty Supreme, which landed 9 Oscar nominations, added $3.5 million from 2,021 venues over the weekend. Those ticket sales mark a 32% decline from the prior frame, the smallest drop in the top five.
The film has grossed $86.2 million in North America and more than $105 million globally.
Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet generated $2 million from 1,996 theaters in its first weekend of nationwide release.
The Shakespearean drama, which scored 13 Academy Award nods, has earned $17.6 million domestically and $42 million globally after several weekends in limited release.
https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/box-office-mercy-ends-avatar-fire-and-ash-reign-1236639941/
January 23-25, 2026: Weekend Studio Estimates
1. Mercy $11,100,000
2. Avatar: Fire and Ash $7,000,000 / $378,492,585
3. Zootopia 2 $5,700,000 / $401,427,846
4. The Housemaid $4,200,000 / $115,451,843
5. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple $3,600,000 / $20,750,529
6. Marty Supreme $3,546,857 / $86,299,295
7. Return to Silent Hill $3,252,000
8. Hamnet $2,000,000 / $17,628,190
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (re-release) $2,000,000 / $5,940,331
10. Primate $1,640,000 / $23,502,877