Football and Winter Storm Fern Froze Theaters Nationwide
It wasn’t a weekend to head to the theaters for 100s of millions of Americans this past weekend, and it showed in box office numbers. There were also two NFL championship games to stay at home and watch as well. Let’s whip up a drink and take a look at the lackluster weekend and get rid of this hangover with this week’s Monday Morning Hangover Report.
Opening Pour
This weekend’s box office had one big villain and it wasn’t on the screen. Winter Storm Fern blanketed huge parts of the country, and reports say around 250 theaters totally closed during the storm. That and and Broncos/Patriots and Sea Hawks/Rams helped turn this into the quietest weekend of early 2026 so far, with the top 10 movies pulling in only about $44M.
Still, someone had to win. And in a “survive the weekend” kind of race, Mercy took the crown by default while Avatar: Fire and Ash finally gave up the throne after a long reign.
Top 5 Domestic Films
(Weekend estimates via Box Office Mojo)
-
Mercy – $11.1M
A #1 debut that screams “January weekend + bad weather.” Even the reviews reception were rough, which makes the win feel more like last movie standing. -
Avatar: Fire and Ash – $7.0M
Dethroned, but hardly dead. Domestically it’s cooling, yet it’s still doing serious business overseas. (it’s done over $1B…) -
Zootopia 2 – $5.7M
The definition of “legs.” Like four legged animals’ legs. Family titles can outlast weather, and this one continues to prove it. -
The Housemaid – $4.2M
A sturdy hold in a weekend where people simply did not leave their houses. -
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – $3.6M
A painful drop week-to-week, and the storm did it no favors.
Box Office $$ Recap
| Rank | Film | Weekend Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercy | $11.1M |
| 2 | Avatar: Fire and Ash | $7.0M |
| 3 | Zootopia 2 | $5.7M |
| 4 | The Housemaid | $4.2M |
| 5 | 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple | $3.6M |
Sources: Box Office Mojo weekend estimates and weekend coverage.
Highlights and Insights
Winter Storm Fern froze the box office.
When travel is dangerous, the power is out, and theaters are closing, the box office becomes a battle of “who can do anything at all.” That’s the headline here.
Football was a viable option.
Two great games really offered up some wild fun on Sunday.
Mercy “won,” but it’s a shaky victory.
An $11.1M opener at #1 is a win on paper, but both trades and reporters flagged soft audience and critic response. That usually means steep drops are coming once the weather clears.
Avatar finally blinked, but it’s still the heavyweight.
Even in a down weekend, Avatar staying near the top shows how much runway it has. Also, the global story remains strong even as the domestic pace slows.
The “who didn’t” list is basically everyone else.
This was not a weekend where the market could support multiple movies breaking out. Newer and smaller releases struggled to get oxygen, and even films with buzz were fighting the weather more than each other.
What’s Next
Expect a rebound when Fern heads to open waters.
A weather-suppressed weekend often gets a small “release valve” bounce the next frame as people finally venture out again.
Mercy’s Week 2 drop will tell the truth.
If it falls hard, that’s the market saying the #1 spot was weather and timing, not love.
Keep an eye on the next new challenger.
Entertainment Weekly flags Sam Raimi’s “Send Help” as a likely contender to shake up next weekend’s chart, which feels exactly right for late-January: give audiences a clean, high-concept reason to leave the house.
🍸🍿 Final Pour
This weekend wasn’t about taste, trends, or big cultural moments. It was about survival. Winter Storm Fern and the NFL turned the box office into a frozen pond, and Mercy happened to be the one skating upright when the buzzer sounded. If the weather clears, next weekend should look more like a real competition.
