Mark Wahlberg hijacks a plane for Mel Gibson

On By Littum

The end of the holidays heralds an event that is arguably even more monumental: the advent of the January movie season. If you’re the kind of cinephile who seeks out unapologetically wild action movies dominated by middle-aged movie stars (see: Gerard Butler’s “Plane” and its upcoming sequel “Ship”), the month often offers plenty of gems to find in the lull between major studio release seasons.

2025’s most notable January movie may end up being “Flight Risk,” Mel Gibson’s latest directorial outing, which stars Mark Wahlberg as a pilot tasked with transporting a U.S. Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) and a dangerous fugitive (Topher Grace) for a court case. But in a break from the heroic roles he usually plays, Wahlberg’s pilot is actually an assassin with an ulterior motive of his own. The two passengers soon find themselves trapped in the air with a dangerous pilot who creates a claustrophobic thriller set at 30,000 feet.

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“The audience will at first think, ‘Here comes Mark to do something to save the day, but no,” Wahlberg said in a press release. “Fifteen minutes into the movie, you realize it’s not what you thought it was going to be.”

“Flight Risk” was written by Jared Rosenberg and directed by Mel Gibson. The film’s executive producers include Alex Lebovici, Jenny Hinkey, Vicki Christianson, Nick Guerra, Paul J. Diaz, Petr Jákl, Russell Hollander, Jon Huddle, Patrick Josten, Walter Josten, Jarrett Mahoney, Christopher Woodrow, K. Blaine Johnston, Ryan Donnell Smith , Natasha Stassen and Allen Cheney.

“Flight Risk” marks Gibson’s first time behind the camera since 2016’s “Hacksaw Ridge,” which earned him an Oscar nomination for best director. The controversial filmmaker is currently prepping “The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection,” his long-awaited two-part sequel to “The Passion of the Christ,” which will follow Jim Caviezel’s Jesus as he travels to other realms during the three days between his crucifixion and ascension into Heaven. That movie is expected to begin production in early 2025 in Malta.

A Lionsgate release, “Flight Risk” is set to open in theaters on Friday, January 24. Watch the latest trailer below.