411 Box Office Report: Mean Girls, The Beekeeper Retain Top Spots In Quiet Weekend

It was a lot of the same at the box office this weekend as Mean Girls led a number of holdovers for the #1 spot. The musical adaptation of the teen comedy brought in $11.7 million to lead the way for a second week. That’s a largely-expected 59% drop from the opening weekend. Mean Girls was marketed largely on nostalgia for the original film and while the reviews have been good on the whole, it was destined to be a frontloaded film.

To date, the musical has grossed a solid $50 million domestically and $66.2 million worldwide against a budget of $36 million. It’s headed toward a decent profit for Paramount Pictures, with a likely $75 million or more by the end of its run.

The Beekeeper also had a predicted fall as it was off 49% in its second weekend to $8.5 million. The Jason Statham action thriller brought its totals to $31.1 domestically and a very good $75.3 million worldwide. We don’t know much about the budget for this one yet, but it is expected to be fairly low and is likely in a profit stage for MGM already. It’s already the top-grossing Statham non-franchise film since 2008’s Death Race and will easily pass that film’s $36.3 million take in short order. It is looking likely to top $45 million stateside.

Wonka held on to the #3 spot in its sixth weekend with $6.4 million, down 24% from the previous frame. The prequel is a big hit for Warner Bros. with $187.2 million domestically and $531.8 million worldwide against a $125 million budget, and is still taking aim at a $200 million domestic total.

Anyone But You is proving itself to be the sleeper hit of the winter, as the romantic comedy was down just 24% to $5.4 million in its fifth weekend. The Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney vehicle has now totalled $64.2 million domestically and grossed the $100 million mark worldwide. As of now, it is tracking ahead of 2022’s Ticket To Paradise on course to becoming the top-grossing romcom since 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians. With a budget of just $25 million, Sony Pictures is taking home bank here and it could make it into the $80 million range or even higher.

Migration was down even less, slipping just 15% in its fifth week to $5.3 million. The animated family film now has $94.7 million domestically and $191.6 million worldwide against a $72 million budget, making Illumination and Universal very happy. It will probably top $110 million in the US and is a sizable hit.

Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom was down 30% in its fifth weekend for a $3.7 million frame. The final DCEU closer has now reached $114.2 million domestically and $396.2 million worldwide. The film has easily topped all DC films from last year, though its still trailing 2022’s Black Adam which finished at $168.3 million. The worldwide grosses are better in the rankings of DCEU films as its’ topped Black Adam’s $390.5 million, though this is its ceiling. All of this means little as it is not going to be profitable considering the $205 million budget plus hefty marketing. A $125 million domestic final seems to be the endgame.

Opening quietly at #7 was I.S.S. The space thriller from Bleecker Street brought in $3 million, about where it was expected to. While low, that reps the best start for a film from the studio since Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane started with $3.8 million in March of 2018.

Bleecker Street’s profits generally don’t come from theatrical, which tends to be more for promotion before the films make their way to home viewing. That’s almost certainly the case here, with the film garnering okay reviews (a 62% aggregated average on Rotten Tomatoes) but sketchy word of mouth (a C- CinemaScore). The movie won’t stay in the top 10 long and will close out at less $10 million – a loss against the $13.8 million budget, but fine enough for the studio’s financial strategy.

Night Swim continued to drift down the charts, down 42% in its third weekend to $2.7 million. The Universal & Blumhouse horror film is in fine shape with $23.8 million domestically and $36.9 million worldwide against a production cost of $15 million, but it’s not great by the measure of other recent January horror releases. It should end at around $30 million domestic.

George Clooney’s The Boys In the Boat was down 26% in its fourth weekend to $3.5 million. The sports drama has grossed $43.9 million domestically and $45 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. It should finish off with about $50 million in the US.

Poor Things expanded into more theaters and climbed back into the top 10, up 14% in its seventh weekend to $2 million. The Oscar-buzzed film is now at $20.4 million domestically and $33.7 million worldwide, not bad numbers particularly as it builds hype with the Oscar nominations set to be announced on Tuesday. The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed film could top $30 million domestically if things work out well for it. The budget was $35 million.

Next weekend should see Mean Girls on top once more, as there are no new major wide releases coming. Lionsgate has the Martin Freeman/Jenna Ortega thriller Miller’s Girl releasing but it is not expected to make much of a splash.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. Mean Girls – $11.7 million ($50 million total, $66.2 million WW)
2. The Beekeeper – $8.5 million ($31.1 million total, $74.3 million WW)
3. Wonka – $6.4 million ($187.2 million total, $531.8 million WW)
4. Anyone But You – $5.4 million ($64.2 million total, $100.2 million WW)
5. Migration – $5.3 million ($94.7 million total, $191.6 million WW)
6. Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom – $3.7 million ($114.2 million total, $396.2 million WW)
7., I.S.S. – $3 million ($3 million total, $3 million WW)
8. Night Swim – $2.7 million ($23.8 million total, $36.9 million WW)
9. The Boys In the Boat – $2.5 million ($43.9 million total, $45 million WW)
10. Poor Things – $2 million ($20.4 million total, $33.7 million WW)