Mel Gibson’s ‘Flight Risk’ is No. 1 at Box Office, ‘The Brutalist’ Expands

FILE - Mel Gibson, right, interacts with crowd members as he leaves a Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony for actor Vince Vaughn, on Aug. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE - Mel Gibson, right, interacts with crowd members as he leaves a Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony for actor Vince Vaughn, on Aug. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
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Mel Gibson’s ‘Flight Risk’ is No. 1 at Box Office, ‘The Brutalist’ Expands

FILE - Mel Gibson, right, interacts with crowd members as he leaves a Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony for actor Vince Vaughn, on Aug. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE - Mel Gibson, right, interacts with crowd members as he leaves a Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony for actor Vince Vaughn, on Aug. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

Critics lambasted it and audiences didn’t grade it much better. But despite the turbulence, Mel Gibson’s “Flight Risk” managed to open No. 1 at the box office with a modest $12 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
On a quiet weekend, even for the typically frigid movie-going month of January, the top spot went to the Lionsgate thriller starring Mark Wahlberg as a pilot flying an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) and fugitive (Topher Grace) across Alaska. But it wasn’t a particularly triumphant result for Gibson’s directorial follow-up to 2016’s “Hacksaw Ridge.” Reviews (21% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (a “C” CinemaScore) were terrible.
President Donald Trump recently named Gibson a “special ambassador” to Hollywood, along with Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone.
Going into the weekend, Hollywood’s attention was more focused on the Sundance Film Festival and on Thursday’s Oscar nominations, which were twice postponed by the wildfires in the Los Angeles region, The Associated Press reported.
The weekend was also a small test as to whether the once more common Oscar “bump” that can sometimes follow nominations still exists. Most contenders have by now completed the bulk of their theatrical runs and are more likely to see an uptick on VOD or streaming.
But the weekend’s most daring gambit was A24 pushing Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” a three–and-a-half-hour epic nominated for 10 Academy Awards, into wide release. Though some executives initially greeted “The Brutalist,” which is running with an intermission, as “un-distributable,” Corbet has said, A24 acquired the film out of the Venice Film Festival and it’s managed solid business, collecting $6 million in limited release.
In wide release, it earned $2.9 million — a far from blockbuster sum but the best weekend yet for “The Brutalist.”
The audience was downright miniscule for another best-picture nominee: RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys.” Innovatively shot almost entirely in first-person POV, the Amazon MGM Studios release gathered just $340,171 in 540 locations after expanding by 300 theaters.
Coming off one of the lowest Martin Luther King Jr. weekends in years, no new releases made a major impact.
Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence,” a well-reviewed horror film shot from the perspective of a ghost inside a suburban home, debuted with $3.4 million in 1,750 locations. The film, released by Neon and acquired out of last year’s Sundance, was made for just $2 million.
The top spots otherwise went to holdovers. The Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” in its sixth weekend of release, scored $8.7 million to hold second place. After starting slow, the Barry Jenkins-directed film has amassed $626.7 million globally.
“One of Them Days,” the Keke Palmer and SZA led comedy from Sony Pictures, held well in its second weekend, dropping just 32% with $8 million in ticket sales. In recent years, few comedies have found success on the big screen, but “One of Them Days” has proven an exception.



Beyonce Delivers a Rousing Kickoff to Her 'Cowboy Carter' Tour

Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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Beyonce Delivers a Rousing Kickoff to Her 'Cowboy Carter' Tour

Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Singer Beyonce launched her "Cowboy Carter" stadium tour on Monday, rolling through "Texas Hold 'Em" and other country-inspired hits and sharing the stage with her two daughters.

Beyonce opened the nearly three-hour show at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles with "American Requiem," appearing in an all-white cowboy outfit with long fringe on the sleeves as dancers in red performed around her, Reuters said.

For her cover of Dolly Parton classic "Jolene," Beyonce sat on a lighted horseshoe that floated above the crowd. She rode a gold mechanical bull for "Tyrant" and flew through the air in a red car while holding an American flag for "16 Carriages."

Beyonce's 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, joined the backup dancers for several songs, including "Ya Ya" and "America Has a Problem." She strutted down a long runway to lead a dance to "Deja Vu," flipping her hair as she turned to walk back.

Seven-year-old Rumi Carter appeared on stage while Beyonce performed the lullaby "Protector." She waved both hands to the crowd and turned around to give her mom a hug.

"Cowboy Carter" earned Beyonce her first album of the year Grammy in February. It was viewed by experts and fans as a reclamation and homage to an overlooked legacy of Black Americans within country music and culture.

"I want to thank all of those who came before me that allowed me to be on this stage today," Beyonce said at Monday's show. "I want to thank you my fans for allowing me to make this album. Thank you for giving me the creative liberty to challenge myself."

Beyonce also performed hits including "Formation,Cuff It" and "Crazy in Love" from previous albums.

The tour, called the Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour, is scheduled to run through July in the US and Europe.

Many fans went all in on the cowboy theme, wearing Western hats, cowboy boots and rhinestone-studded denim. Beyonce thanked the crowd before ending with the song "Amen."

"I feel so overwhelmed," Beyonce said.