Mark Wahlberg used to be the King of January action films, a crown he passed on to Gerard Butler a couple of years back.

But “Flight Risk,” featuring a bug-eyed psychopathic turn by the Once and Always Markie Mark, a jokey thriller that half-hid the name of its “Apocalypto,” “Hacksaw Ridge” director in advertising (Mel Gibson), is about to give Second Tier Studio Lionsgate its second box office weekend win of 2025. Sure, $12 million isn’t going to make anybody Hollywood rich, and the picture dances on the edge of ludicrous. But in the dog days of January, it’ll do.

Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace also star in Hollywood Pariah Mel’s movie.

Gerard Butler and “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” delivered the other Lionsgate laurels a couple of weeks back, opening at a much more robust $15 million.

“Mufasa: The Lion King” looks to pull in $8.5 million to take second. It’s closing in on $220 million, cold comfort for a pointless prequel that didn’t crack the Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations’ top five.

The Keke Palmer/SZA/Katt Williams comedy “One of Them Days” is falling off less than might be expected to manage a third place $8 million.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is in the process of clearing another $5.5million to rack up fourth place. When you pile up $220 million on a sequel, that can only mean another sequel is in the works.

“Moana 2” got no real Oscar love and still managed a fifth place weekend with $4.3 million.

The best horror movie in theaters this weekend is on track to best the toothless “Wolf Man” for sixth place. Fingers crossed for Stephen Soderbergh and David Koepp’s ghost-story-from-the-ghost’s-eye-view “Presence,” which is a Neon limited release with Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan as the big “names” in the cast. It cleared $3.415 million to edge “Wolf Man” ($3.4).

I saw “Presence” in an empty Rural South cinema Thursday evening. Let’s hope the region gets a cinematic clue, at least.

Angel Studios’ latest apolitical family/faith-based (not really) audience outing, “Brave the Dark,” is on its way to a top 11 finish in the $2.5 million finish. A more uplifting message than well-written and acted — or entertaining, or expectations-defying — drama, it’s not turning into a breakout for star Jared Harris.

The rest of the top thirteen — “Wicked,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Nosferatu” — won’t make enough money to write home about, but the few Oscar contenders in theaters can expect a bounce. “A Complete Unknown” $3.1, edging “Den of Thieves 2” at $3 million. “The Brutalist” is three and a half hours long, and in the top ten with $2.873 million.

“Wicked” and “Nosferatu” are sitting at twelfth ($2.4) and thirteenth ($2.05)

Other nominated films from earlier last year will be re-released in the coming days to try and cash in on nominations galore

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