Welcome to the Weekend POURcast
Welcome to the Weekend POURcast, CocktailsAndMovies.com’s boozy guide to the box office. Every Friday, we take a look at what happened last weekend (Winter Storm Fern, NFL Championship games), break down this week’s major wide releases hitting theaters, highlight the films most likely to drive ticket sales, flag the biggest new movies landing on streaming, and offer our best read on how the weekend box office will shake out by Sunday night. And note any new made for streaming titles.
Last Weekend in Review: Weather, not audiences, won the box office
Last weekend (January 23rd–25th) was another reminder that January box office results often come down to logistics, not interest.
Severe winter weather across large parts of the U.S. in the form of ice, snow and general stay-at-home weather suppressed turnout, keeping overall grosses quieter than a church. Mercy managed to open #1, but with softer-than-expected numbers, while Avatar: Fire and Ash continued its long, steady descent after weeks atop the chart. Zootopia 2 once again proved family films have endurance regardless of season, quietly anchoring the top five.
The takeaway was clear: audiences didn’t reject moviegoing. They just stayed home.
That sets the stage for a potential rebound this weekend.
New in Theaters: Major Wide Releases
Opening wide in North American this weekend.
Send Help
Sam Raimi’s new horror thriller is the weekend’s most talked-about opener, and for good reason. Raimi’s name still means something to genre fans, and early tracking suggests strong interest from audiences hungry for a clean, scary theatrical experience after a weather-dampened weekend.
Horror has historically played well in January, and Send Help feels positioned as a true event release rather than filler. This is the movie most likely to define the weekend.
Shelter
Jason Statham does what January action movies are supposed to do: show up, punch things, and collect money.
Shelter is a full, wide release aimed squarely at adult audiences who want a straightforward, star-driven action thriller. Statham remains one of the most reliable January box office draws, and with no competing action opener this weekend, Shelter has a clear lane to perform.
This is not a sleeper. This is a pillar.
Tafiti: Across the Desert
The lone new family-friendly wide release this weekend. Tafiti: Across the Desert gives parents a fresh option after weeks dominated by holdovers like Zootopia 2.
Animated releases don’t need massive openings to matter. Strong matinees and steady weekend play could make Tafiti a quiet but important contributor to the overall box office.
Melania also opens (crickets)
Melania, directed by Brett Ratner, has received largely negative feedback and faced significant pre-release backlash. Critics and viewers labeled it a “propaganda” piece or a “Hollywood farce,” citing slow pacing, intense review-bombing, and weak initial ticket sales. Despite some praise for its visual style, the film is largely regarded as a box office flop. Still, there are a lot of ICE agents with nothing to do and a boss who might “suggest” they see a movie with their $40,000 sign-up bonuses.
Box Office Prognostications (Thursday Previews – Sunday)
Assuming that the weather cooperates this weekend and with no football and good weather, here’s how the weekend is most likely to land:
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Send Help – $24
The genre buzz and Raimi factor give it the edge. -
Shelter – $17
A very real shot at number one if horror audiences skew cautious. -
Mercy – $6
Week two drop, but last weekend’s storm-softened debut helps the optics. -
Avatar: Fire and Ash – $4
Still hanging around, still doing business. -
Zootopia 2 – $3
Family legs remain undefeated.
If anything surprises upward, it’s Shelter. Or Melania, if people go for that The Room feel. (Could make $5 million and that would make some very insufferable). If anything surprises downward, it’s because January weather decided to be January again.
New on Streaming: Big Movie Drops Only
Keeping this tight and meaningful.
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The Wrecking Crew (Prime Video)
Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista headline this action-comedy, making it the biggest at-home movie release of the weekend. -
Miracle: The Boys of ’80 (Netflix)
A high-profile sports documentary that’s already drawing strong attention.
The Final Pour
That’s all from the Weekend POURcast. This weekend finally feels like a proper January box office test. A major horror release, a reliable action star opening wide, and a fresh family option give theaters real ammunition after a weather-muted stretch.
If audiences show up, Send Help and Shelter could turn this into the strongest weekend of the year so far. If not, at least we’ll know it wasn’t for lack of options.
Next week, we’ll see which one actually earned the crown.
