Flight Risk has been delayed to 2025. The movie, which was directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay by Jared Rosenberg, stars Mark Wahlberg, Topher Grace, and Michelle Dockery. Mel Gibson’s Flight Risk is set to follow U.S. Marshall Madelyn Harris (Dockery) attempting to transport informant Winston (Grace), only to discover that the pilot of their small aircraft, Daryl Booth (Wahlberg), is a hitman who has been hired to eliminate Winston. However, the trio end up in danger and are forced to continue to fly together for their own survival.
Lionsgate has confirmed that Flight Risk has been delayed from its original theatrical release date of October 18, 2024 to January 24, 2025. This eliminates theatrical competition with the upcoming Parker Finn sequel Smile 2, a follow-up to the highest-grossing horror movie of 2022. On its new date, the Mark Wahlberg movie will be playing opposite the original thriller Valiant One, led by Outer Banks‘ Chase Stokes and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before‘s Lana Condor.
What The Flight Risk Delay Means For Lionsgate
The Company Has Had A 2024 Rough Patch
This delay for Flight Risk comes during a time when Lionsgate has had a one-two punch of high-profile box office disappointments. While their financial stake in both titles was mitigated in both cases, their name was attached to both Borderlands and The Crow. The former, which cost roughly $110 million, has so far earned just over $30 million worldwide. The latter, which cost $50 million, has only earned $18.5 million, though Lionsgate only purchased domestic distribution rights for $10 million.
While more than half of Borderlands’ production budget was reportedly covered by international licensing, this likely was not enough for the movie to turn a profit.
While The Crow will likely ultimately turn out to be an asset, the company probably wants to avoid a situation similar to the Borderlands box office, even though Flight Risk is likely at a much lower budget level. Moving the movie to January gives the release a much clearer path to success. In fact, it is now in the same window as the similar thriller Plane, which starred Gerard Butler and premiered on January 13, 2023 and made a profit, earning $74.5 million against a $25 million budget.
Our Take On The New Flight Risk Release Date
2025 Could Be A Rebound Year For Lionsgate
Not only could Flight Risk become a success in January, it could kick off a solid 2025 for Lionsgate. The company is poised to release a cavalcade of movies that should easily help them rebound from their late 2024 disappointments, including the upcoming Saw XI, the Dirty Dancing sequel, the action spinoff John Wick Presents: Ballerina, the long-awaited Now You See Me 3, and (in the U.S.) the music biopic Michael. With The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping set to follow in 2026, the future looks bright for their slate overall.
Source: Lionsgate
