The release of Mark Wahlberg’s upcoming action film,Flight Risk, was delayed until January 2025, yet this change may not be as detrimental as it seems.Flight Riskwas gearing up to be Wahlberg’s third film of 2024. After starring inArthur the KingandThe Union, Flight Riskwas set to release in October.Flight Riskfollows a U.S. Marshall who is tasked with escorting a mob informantto a pivotal trial. However, the agent soon discovers that the man flying their plane is a hitman intent on killing the informant.
At first glance,the delay ofFlight Riskis a tough development. Notoriously, January is a difficult time for movies. Following the influx of releases during the holiday season, not many films premiere in January. Those that do often perform rather poorly. This usually has to do with the fact that theater attendance is poor at the beginning of the year, but also becausemovies released in January are usually studios' afterthoughts. These are typically movies that had disappointing screen tests or are simply expected to do a below-average job. Yet,Flight Riskmay still have a chance.
All 6 Upcoming Mark Wahlberg Movies Explained
Mark Wahlberg has remained a consistent box office draw for several decades and has plenty of upcoming movies for audiences to look forward to.
Flight Risk’s Delay To January Could Make It A Bigger Hit
How January Releases Have Changed
Despite the ongoing curse of January films,Flight Riskmay actually benefit from its new release date. As it turns out, movies released in January have seen an unexpected upturn in recent years. This trend began in 2023 with Gerard Butler’s action movie,Plane.On a budget of $25 million,Planemade an impressive $75 million at the box office. On top of that, it earned a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2024,Jason Statham’sThe Beekeeperdid even betterthan that. It made $152 million at the box office on a $40 million budget.
After the intense drama of major holiday releases, audiences may be craving a simple standalone action movie.
Based on these two cinematic successes, it seems like the tides may be turning on January movies, especially those in the action genre. After the intense drama of major holiday releases, audiences may be craving a simple standalone action movie. These movies don’t even need star-studded casts or big budgets. With just one recognizable star in the lead,these January action films can do quite well for themselves. It helps that they have no competition during their release either. They ultimately became the stars of the show in terms of theatrical releases.
Mark Wahlberg Needs Flight Risk To Be A Box Office Hit
Wahlberg’s “Rotten” Streak Explained
The success ofFlight Riskas a January movie is particularly important for Mark Wahlberg. Although Wahlberg has been consistently cranking out new projects, most of them have been poorly received. Of Wahlberg’s last 12 movies, only two had “fresh” Rotten Tomatoes scores. These films included 2018’sInstant Familywith a Certified Fresh 82% and 2024’sArthur the Kingwith 70%. Otherwise,Wahlberg’s films have been consistently disappointing. His Rotten Tomatoes scores have even gone as low as 7%. In this way, the success ofFlight Riskis pivotal for Wahlberg’s career.
38%
70%
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7%
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17%
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82%
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23%
Although he is an established actor,Wahlberg’s Rotten Tomatoes scoresstill have an effect on his career. If audiences view Wahlberg’s projects as inherent failures, they may stop watching them all together. This would put Wahlberg in a very dangerous situation, where he could make a truly great movie that no one is interested in watching. In this way,Flight Risk’sperformance is extremely important. If the movie does well, then it will prove that Wahlberg still has some creative juices left in him.Arthur the Kinghas laid the foundation, andFlight Riskneeds to keep the trend alive.
Will Flight Risk Be A Success?
Flight Risk Has Several Benefits
Of course, it is impossible to tell whetherFlight Riskwill do well when it premieres in January, but at this point, the movie definitely has some positives working for it. For one thing, the cast is fairly notable. Alongside Wahlberg,Flight Risk’scast includes Michelle Dockery ofDownton Abbeyfame and Topher Grace ofThat ’70s Show.Furthermore,Flight Riskis being directed by Mel Gibson. Gibson hasn’t directed since his hit war drama,Hacksaw Ridge.The most exciting aspect ofFlight Riskis that it was voted onto the “Black List” of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.
Created in 2004, the “Black List” is an annual survey which ranks the “most-liked” Hollywood screenplays that have yet to be produced.
Ultimately,Flight Riskhas many strengths that could make it a success in January 2025. If this does happen, it could be a major win for Mark Wahlberg. His career could see a necessary renaissance. It could also continue the surprising trend of action movies making a significant splash during the infamously poor January movie season. If all goes well,Flight Riskcould present a very exciting change in movies.
Flight Risk
Cast
Set in a high-stakes world of international espionage, Flight Risk (2025) follows an elite team of operatives tasked with preventing a global catastrophe. Amid mounting tensions, they unravel a complex conspiracy that challenges their loyalties and skills, leading to a race against time to avert disaster.
