Flight Risk is Mel Gibson’s Lowest Box Office Opening in 30 Years (But Still Won the Weekend)

While the Mel Gibson-directed thriller Flight Risk didn’t set any records during its opening weekend at the box office, it still managed to secure the top spot on the charts. According to Deadline, the film is projected to gross between $11-12 million over its first three days. Despite being enough to win a late-January weekend against weak competition, that figure is the lowest domestic opening for a Gibson-directed feature since 1995’s Braveheart ($9.9 million). When compared to the Oscar winner’s other directorial efforts, Flight Risk ranks behind Hacksaw Ridge ($15.1 million), Apocalypto ($15 million), and The Passion of the Christ ($83.8 million).

Estimates indicate the rest of this weekend’s top five will be rounded out by Mufasa ($8 million), One of Them Days ($7.2 million), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 ($5.1 million), and Moana 2 ($4 million). The week’s other new arrival, Presence, has to settle for sixth place with $3.1 million. Wolf Man, which struggled at the box office last week in its debut, fell from third to seventh, adding $3 million.

Flight Risk is the first film Gibson has directed since 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge. Whereas that war drama received numerous accolades (including six Oscar nominations), Flight Risk was critically panned. Its 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes is the lowest for a Gibson-directed project. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as a hitman who hijacks an aircraft in an attempt to murder an FBI agent and a mob informant.

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At one point, Flight Plan was scheduled to release in October 2024 before Lionsgate moved it to January, which is historically a box office dumping ground. In the lead-up to the film’s release, moviegoers took to social media to share their thoughts on Wahlberg’s unhinged hairstyle in the movie, commenting that his balding look was suitably creepy.

The combination of Gibson and Wahlberg had potential to deliver a higher opening, but Flight Risk was never going to be much of a draw considering the reviews. If the word-of-mouth was more positive, perhaps it would be been a more attractive option for casual moviegoers. Flight Risk‘s performance essentially proves Lionsgate was smart to move it out of its earlier fall window, where it would have been quickly overshadowed by Venom: The Last Dance. By shifting it to January, the studio was trying to put it in a better position to succeed, hoping it could maybe take greater advantage of weak competition. The good news is Flight Risk has a $10 million budget, so there’s still a chance it could be profitable.

With Wahlberg struggling to bring sizable crowds to the multiplex, theater owners may be left waiting a few more weeks before there’s another considerable hit. The likes of Dog Man and Love Hurts may land with their target demographics, but neither is anticipated to be a major crossover success. Fortunately for the box office, Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World is on the horizon and is expected to have a lucrative run over the extended Presidents’ Day holiday weekend.