The box office saw a surge in activity during the second weekend of 2024, as three new wide-release movies provided audiences with diverse options for their first cinematic experience of the year.
The Martin Luther King holiday, acknowledged as the unofficial commencement of moviegoing in the new year, witnessed new releases taking over from Christmas holdovers that had been running in theaters for four or five weeks.
This trend continued in 2024, with Mean Girls, The Beekeeper, and The Book of Clarence making a notable impact. The combined earnings for the initial three days of the extended weekend amounted to $100.6 million, a commendable result despite facing challenging weather conditions in the Midwest and Northeast. This marked a 4% decrease compared to last year’s $105.2 million, contributing to narrowing the deficit in 2024 compared to 2023. The previous weekend had witnessed an 18% decline in the box office compared to the corresponding weekend in 2023.
As anticipated, Paramount’s Mean Girls secured the #1 spot with an opening weekend gross of $28.0 million. This musical comedy, adapted for the screen from a 2018 Broadway musical (itself inspired by the original 2004 teen comedy film), outperformed the 2004 movie’s opening weekend earnings of $24.4 million. The original Mean Girls went on to accumulate $86.1 million in total domestic box office, becoming an instant classic with its humorous depiction of the intense conflicts within a group of high school girls. The 2024 rendition, arriving two decades later, aims to resonate with female audiences across multiple generations, similar to the approach taken by Barbie.
In the storyline, a newcomer makes a significant blunder by falling for the ex-boyfriend of the school’s most influential girl. Tina Fey, the writer of both movies, collaborates with fellow SNL alum Tim Meadows, while Jon Hamm contributes his comedic flair as a sex education teacher. Although the cast of teenagers is relatively unknown, the success of the 2004 movie propelled the careers of Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, and Rachel McAdams, suggesting potential recognition for the current ensemble.
That being said, the true breakout performances of the film were Aulii Cravalho who played Janis ‘Imi’ike (formerly known as Janis Ian) and Reneé Rapp, who played Regina George. Cravalho made her acting debut as the voice of the titular character in the 2016 Disney 3D computer-animated musical feature film Moana and Rapp is already well familiar with her role after playing Regina George on Broadway in the Mean Girls Musical from 2019-2020.
Over the holiday weekend, Mean Girls has garnered a 70% approval rating from critics and a 66% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This contrasts with the original, which achieved an 84% critics’ approval and a matching 66% audience grade. Anticipating sustained success in the upcoming weeks, particularly given the limited alternative options, there’s even a chance it might surpass the box office earnings of the 2004 movie.
With a production investment of $36 million, the film needs to achieve a worldwide gross of $90 million to turn a profit. The expectation is that the movie will continue to draw audiences and perform well in the coming weeks.
Securing the #2 spot, MGM’s The Beekeeper achieved a debut gross of $16.8 million. Jason Statham, renowned as one of the most industrious actors in the field, headlines the film, marking his fifth appearance on the big screen in the past ten months. With an extensive repertoire of roles, there arises a query about the potential exhaustion of our action hero’s inventive methods for dispatching adversaries.
In this latest venture, Statham embarks on a personal vendetta with far-reaching national consequences, having been exposed as a former operative within the clandestine and formidable organization known as “Beekeepers.” While the storyline may echo familiar themes, Statham boasts a devoted following. Despite critics offering a lukewarm reception, with a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences are rallying behind him with an impressive 94% approval rating. It’s a testament to an actor who remains steadfast in his chosen path, consistently delivering precisely what his fan base craves. The Beekeeper stands poised for a sustained presence near the summit of the box office charts in the weeks to come.
Claiming the #3 spot, Wonka saw a boost in its earnings with an additional $8.4 million, experiencing a 40% dip from the previous weekend. As it embarks on its fifth week, this cinematic standout, hailed as the premier movie of the Christmas season, has garnered $176.2 million during its 31-day theatrical journey. Warner Bros. took a significant plunge, investing $125 million in the film’s production, and the venture has proven lucrative, amassing a worldwide gross exceeding $500 million. Despite the challenges faced by movies in the DC Extended Universe, the studio has made a resounding comeback, with both Barbie and Wonka jointly accumulating over $2 billion in global box office revenue.
Sony’s Anyone But You continues to defy expectations, securing the #4 spot with $6.9 million in its fourth weekend. Despite a 29% drop from the prior weekend, it managed to ascend one spot on the charts—an impressive feat considering the competition from three new releases. This romantic comedy has flourished due to positive word of mouth, boasting an impressive 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes even though critics have deemed it 51% “rotten”. After 24 days, the film grossed $55.2 million domestically, mirroring the performance of Ticket to Paradise, the 2021 hit starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, holding the title of the highest-grossing rom-com since the start of the pandemic.
Anyone But You‘s success has sparked talks of a potential sequel and is expected to further propel the career of Sydney Sweeney (White Lotus, Euphoria). Her next film, Madame Web, is set to debut on Valentine’s Day in just four weeks.
The #5 spot was clinched by Universal’s Migration, which earned $6.2 million—a 38% drop from the previous weekend. Illumination’s animated feature has gathered $85.8 million over its 31-day theatrical run. While the consideration of an encore performance is on the table, animated films tend to endure if they establish the personality of their characters. However, in the last 12 months, only The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse seem destined for a sequel.
In its fourth week at the box office, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has fallen to sixth place with $108 million in domestic earnings, less than a third of the original film’s performance in 2018. Globally, the movie is facing challenges, struggling to surpass $400 million compared to the previous $1.15 billion. With a budget exceeding $200 million before marketing, there’s a possibility of incurring a financial loss for the film.
In its second weekend in theaters, Universal’s horror film Night Swim experienced a 60% decline, securing the #7 spot at the box office with approximately $4.6 million. George Clooney’s film The Boys in the Boat, another modestly budgeted original,took the #8 spot, earning $39 million so far.
The newly released Telugu film Guntar Kaaram (Prathyangira), which hit only 800 theaters, is expected to lead in the next three days after taking the #9 spot at the box office, showcasing the risk and potential reward of exploring more original content with an estimated earning of around $2.7 million.
Sony’s comedic religious parable, The Book of Clarence (financed by Legendary Pictures), featuring LaKeith Stanfield, emerged as the third new wide release. However, its performance landed at #10 with a modest gross of just $2.6 million.
REELated:
The Top 10 (3-day weekend)
1. Mean Girls (Paramount) NEW – Cinemascore: B; Metacritic: 59; Est. budget: $36 million
$28,000,000 in 3,791 theaters; PTA: $7,386; Cumulative: $28,000,000
2. The Beekeeper (MGM Amazon) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 54; Est. budget: $40 million
$16,789,000 in 3,303 theaters; PTA: $5,083; Cumulative: $16,789,000
3. Wonka (WB) Week 5; Last weekend #1
$8,380,000 (-40%) in 3,346 (-461) theaters; PTA: $2,504; Cumulative: $176,194,000
4. Anyone but You (Sony) Week 4; Last weekend #5
$6,940,000 (-29%) in 2,935 (-150) theaters; PTA: $2,365; Cumulative: $55,179,000
5. Migration (Universal) Week 4; Last weekend #4
$6,190,000 (-38%) in 3,224 (-488) theaters; PTA: $1,920; Cumulative: $85,756,000
6. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) Week 4; Last weekend #3
$5,265,000 (-50%) in 2,741 (-812) theaters; PTA: $1,921; Cumulative: $108,228,000
7. Night Swim (Universal) Week 2; Last weekend #2
$4,660,000 (-60%) in 3,257 (+7) theaters; PTA: $1,431; Cumulative: $19,170,000
8. The Boys in the Boat (Amazon MGM) Week 4; Last weekend #6
$3,525,000 (-37%) in 2,007 (-680) theaters; PTA: $1,756; Cumulative: $39,356,000
9. Guntar Kaaram (Prathyangira) NEW – Est. budget: $30 million
$(est.) 2,700,000 in 800 theaters; PTA: $3,375; Cumulative: $(est.) 2,700,000
10. The Book of Clarence (Sony) NEW – Cinemascore: B; Metacritic: 60; Est. budget: $40 million
$2,575,000 in 2,010 theaters; PTA: $1,281; Cumulative: $2,575,000
As we dive into the 2024 film year, we’re already in full swing, comparing our performance with the results from 2023. After the first week, the 2024 total box office is at 81% compared to the same period in 2023 and 60% compared to the figures from 2019.
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