Hold onto your seats, movie fans, because the box office just got a whole lot more interesting! After a five-week reign, Avatar: Fire and Ash has finally been dethroned, but not by a critical darling—it’s Mercy, a Chris Pratt-led sci-fi thriller with a jaw-dropping 21% Rotten Tomatoes score, that’s taken the top spot. But here’s where it gets controversial: does a dismal critical reception matter when audiences are still showing up? And this is the part most people miss—Mercy’s victory comes during what’s shaping up to be the lowest-grossing weekend of the year, thanks to winter storms keeping viewers at home. So, is this a genuine win, or just a fluke?
Updated on January 25, 2026, at 11:55 AM EST, this story comes from Brennan Klein, a senior news writer at Screen Rant and host of the Attack of the Queerwolf podcast. Klein, who’s been covering pop culture for over a decade, breaks down the numbers and the drama behind this unexpected shift.
Mercy, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, follows a detective (Chris Pratt) with just 90 minutes to prove his innocence to an AI judge (Rebecca Ferguson). Despite its high-concept premise, the film has been savaged by critics, earning a mere 21% on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet, it’s projected to pull in $11.2 million domestically over its opening weekend, enough to knock Avatar: Fire and Ash down to second place with a projected $7 million haul—a steep 50% drop from its previous weekend.
Avatar: Fire and Ash, the 2025 sequel from James Cameron, had been dominating the box office since its December 19 debut, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide. While it won’t match the seven-week streaks of its predecessors, it’s still on track to break into the all-time Top 20 highest-grossing films. But Mercy’s rise raises questions: Can a critically panned film sustain its momentum? And what does this mean for the future of sci-fi blockbusters?
Here’s the kicker: Mercy reportedly cost $60 million to make, with a break-even point estimated at $150 million. Even if it follows the trajectory of The Creator, another recent sci-fi film, it might only reach $95 million globally. So, is this a victory or a cautionary tale?
The rest of the Top 5 chart is equally intriguing. Zootopia 2 holds strong at No. 3 with $5.7 million, while The Housemaid sits at No. 4 with $4.2 million. Meanwhile, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple plummeted from No. 2 to No. 5 with a brutal 71% drop, raising doubts about its ability to recoup its $63 million budget.
Further down the chart, Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, fell from No. 5 to No. 6 despite its nine Oscar nominations, and Return to Silent Hill underperformed with a $3.2 million debut, failing to capitalize on its video game legacy.
Looking ahead, Mercy’s reign may be short-lived. With Send Help, a Sam Raimi survival thriller, tracking to debut over $10 million next weekend, the top spot is already up for grabs. But the bigger question remains: Are audiences prioritizing spectacle over substance, or is Mercy simply a product of its timing?
What do you think? Is Mercy’s success a sign of changing viewer preferences, or just a blip in the box office radar? Let us know in the comments!
For more insights like this, sign up for Brennan Klein’s weekly box office newsletter at Screen Rant and stay ahead of the cinematic curve.
