'The Beekeeper' and 'Mean Girls' Butt Heads for No. 1 at Another Slow Box Office

Movie

The Jason Statham-led action thriller leads slightly ahead with less than $200k apart from the new musical teen comedy film, which topped the domestic chart for the second time last weekend.

Jan 29, 2024

AceShowbiz - "The Beekeeper" and "Mean Girls (2024)" have created an intense showdown amid another quiet weekend at box office. The two movies butt heads for No. 1 on the North American chart as the industry has not regained its momentum in early 2024.

The Jason Statham-led action thriller leads the race slightly ahead with an estimated $7.4 million on its third weekend. It was down only 14% from the previous weekend and brings its domestic total to $42.3 million so far. Globally, it has crossed $100 million.

"The Beekeeper" switches places with the new "Mean Girls" movie, which is down to No. 2 after topping the domestic chart for two weeks straight. It added an estimated $7.3 million on its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $60.8 million.

With less than $200k apart, it's a tight race between those two movies for the top spot. As of Sunday morning, the musical teen comedy film was pacing 11% better than "The Beekeeper", so the former could have then upper hand in the end, according to Deadline.

At No. 3, "Wonka" stays steady with approximately $5.9 million, dropping just 12% from the last weekend. It has so far earned $195 million domestically and $356.9 million overseas for a worldwide total of $552.1 million.

Editors' Pick

"Migration" and "Anyone But You" are also unmoved at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively. Universal and Illumination's animation added an estimated $5.2 million to its domestic gross, while the R-rated romantic comedy bagged another $4.8 million in North America this weekend.

"Overall, it's a very slow weekend in terms of sheer box office but a fantastic weekend to be a moviegoer," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "The strikes created a lot of headwind, but the disruption to the release calendar is creating opportunities and potential. It's an ever-changing ecosystem."

David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, weighed in, "[Attendance in] 2024 is going to be uneven during the first half.. The actors' strike ended 11 weeks ago. The industry cannot snap its fingers and deliver giant movies on a dime. They will return over time, and the release schedule will fill out."

"To have high-quality Oscar contenders rise above the noise is really important," Dergarabedian added of "Poor Things", which continues to climb up in the top 10 after receiving boost from its award wins. "Because it's a quiet weekend, these films were really able to make their mark in the top 10."

Top 10 of North American Box Office (Jan. 26-28, 2024):