Thanks to massive hits like Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Chris Pratt is one of the highest-grossing lead actors in Hollywood history. His movies have brought in a lot of money at the box office over the years, but there’s one thing his biggest blockbusters have in common; they’re all based on pre-existing, popular IP. Pratt hasn’t had nearly as much luck headlining original films that bank on his screen presence to draw audiences in. This is what made Pratt’s latest effort, the sci-fi thriller Mercy, such an interesting box office test. People were curious to see if Pratt’s A-list status was enough to make the movie a draw.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t. According to Variety, Mercy grossed just $11.2 million domestically in its opening weekend. While that was enough to dethrone Avatar: Fire and Ash as the box office champion (Avatar had won five consecutive weekends), there isn’t much to celebrate here. That $11.2 million figure is the lowest opening for Pratt as a leading man, failing to top the $14.8 million posted by Passengers back in 2016. Pratt has appeared in other films that had lower opening weekends, but in those instances, he either had a smaller supporting part and was clearly not the main draw (Her) or the film played in a limited number of theaters (The Kid).
Can Mercy Rebound at the Box Office After Low Opening?
Image Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
It isn’t surprising to see Mercy open with such a low debut. Despite featuring recognizable names like Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the film had a few factors working against it. For starters, Mercy was widely panned by critics. It has a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 20%, continuing an unfortunate streak for Pratt’s non-Marvel live-action films. Word of mouth wasn’t strong, and when you factor in the winter storm making its way across several states this weekend, Mercy was going to be a hard sell for general moviegoers. With the inclement weather, the prospects for even an acclaimed studio tentpole likely would have taken a hit.
Box office business during the early part of the year is typically slow, but despite that, it’s unlikely Mercy can turn things around. In order for a film to bounce back from a low debut like this, it needs strong legs, which Mercy won’t have. Due to the largely negative reception, it lacks the buzz needed to keep bringing audiences to the theater. There are also some other high-profile titles on the way, including the Sam Raimi horror flick Send Help, which could prove to be more appealing options (depending on critical response). If Mercy was being praised as a timely exploration of AI in modern society, then perhaps it could rebound after the weather clears up. But as it stands, it’s probably going to slide down the charts now.
Amazon MGM Studios was definitely hoping for a stronger turnout, but the low box office for Mercy isn’t the end of the world. As a high-concept genre picture with familiar faces, this has all the makings of becoming the latest box office disappointment that finds success on streaming. Whenever Mercy‘s theatrical run is over and the film hits Prime Video, Amazon could then reap the benefits of their investment, as people will be adding it to their watchlists. This doesn’t completely make up for the fact that Mercy is flopping in theaters (marketing and distribution still costs a lot of money), but it’ll make this kind of performance easier to swallow.
As for Pratt, it won’t be long until he’s truly back at the top of the box office charts, riding high with another top earner. This spring sees the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, sequel the 2023’s $1 billion animated hit. It’s widely expected The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be one of the biggest hits of 2026, perhaps matching or surpassing its predecessor’s haul. Pratt also has a Marvel future to look to and remains in contact with his friend James Gun about a role in the DC Universe, so he could eventually become the biggest box office star in the world.
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