Why 'Fire & Ash' Dominated the Box Office Despite a Snowstorm—You Won't Believe the Shocking Numbers!

NEW YORK – A powerful winter storm swept across much of the United States last weekend, resulting in Hollywood's quietest box office performance of the year. The Amazon MGM sci-fi thriller “Mercy” claimed the top spot with an estimated $11.2 million in North America, knocking “Avatar: Fire and Ash” from its month-long reign.

The storm, which affected hundreds of theaters from Texas to Maine, left over 140 million Americans under winter storm warnings, severely impacting movie attendance. However, even without the inclement weather, analysts believed that the weekend's box office figures were unlikely to be impressive.

“Mercy,” a $60 million production featuring Chris Pratt as a man on trial before an AI judge in a near-future setting, debuted to harsh reviews, garnering only 20% on Rotten Tomatoes and a lukewarm “B-” CinemaScore from audiences. Despite these challenges, it was sufficient to dethrone James Cameron's latest installment in the Avatar saga, which slipped to second place, earning $7 million.

While “Avatar: Fire and Ash” struggles to maintain its domestic box office momentum, it continues to draw international audiences, collecting $28.1 million overseas in its sixth weekend. However, its domestic performance lags significantly behind previous installments. The original Avatar (2009) grossed $2.9 billion, while its 2022 sequel, “The Way of Water,” reached $2.3 billion. In contrast, “Fire and Ash” has accrued over $1 billion internationally, but its domestic total of $378.5 million falls short of expectations.

The trend of diminished box office returns post-Oscar nominations was also evident. The films leading Thursday's nominations — “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” — had already concluded their theatrical runs. Nevertheless, a few nominees still saw encouraging business. Chloé Zhao's “Hamnet,” nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, took in $2 million during its first weekend in wide release. The Shakespeare drama, featuring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, has gradually expanded its theater presence over two months, now totaling $17.6 million domestically and $42.1 million worldwide.

Another Oscar contender, “Marty Supreme,” directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, continues to perform well, raking in $3.5 million in its sixth weekend and surpassing the $100 million mark globally, with $86.2 million domestically.

In contrast, newer releases faced an uphill battle. The horror film “Return to Silent Hill,” the latest entry in the franchise that began with the 2006 original, opened with a disappointing $3.2 million. While the first two films were released by Sony and Open Road, this installment was distributed by Iconic Events.

Similarly, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” which opened last weekend to an underwhelming $13.3 million despite favorable reviews, plummeted by 71% in its second weekend, taking in just $3.6 million.

Other new releases also struggled for traction. “H Is For Hawk,” featuring Claire Foy, grossed only $150,000 from 472 theaters, while Sony's “Clika,” about a migrant worker aspiring to be a musician, managed a mere $1.2 million across 522 locations.

As the box office landscape continues to shift, the following are the top 10 movies by domestic box office performance from Friday through Sunday, according to Comscore:

1. “Mercy,” $11.2 million.
2. “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” $7 million.
3. “Zootopia 2,” $5.7 million.
4. “The Housemaid,” $4.2 million.
5. “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” $3.6 million.
6. “Marty Supreme,” $3.5 million.
7. “Return to Silent Hill,” $2.7 million.
8. “Hamnet,” $2 million.
9. “Lord of the Rings,” $2 million.
10. “Primate,” $1.7 million.

As the industry braces for an unpredictable season, this weekend's box office results underscore the challenges facing Hollywood in a changing landscape.