There's a new queen bee at the box office. Paramount's musical “Mean Girls” beat the competition with $32 million during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
Thanks to the enduring love for the original 2004 film, an insanely quotable touchstone that made October 3rd a national holiday, Mean Girls proves that the Plastics are still a box office hit. The movie musical cost just $36 million and was originally commissioned for Paramount+ before enthusiastic test screenings convinced the studio to bring it to the big screen.
Internationally, “Mean Girls” collected $6.5 million in 16 territories, less than half of its planned international footprint. The film opens in the UK and New Zealand next weekend, followed by other major territories.
Not surprisingly, 76% of ticket buyers were female and 60% were under 25 years old. They gave the film a mixed “B+” CinemaScore, which may have been because some of them didn't know it was a musical. (The studio intentionally downplayed the singing and dancing aspect in promotional materials.)
Paramount shared exit survey data showing that 75% of audiences knew it was a musical before purchasing a ticket, while 16% left the theater “disappointed” with the genre. “I don't think there was any surprise. “The audience knew what they were getting into,” says Chris Aronson, the studio’s sales manager. He believes the opening weekend results are a “testament to the longevity of Tina Fey's iconic property,” adding that “her contemporary touch resonated with moviegoers.”
Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. directed “Mean Girls,” based on the 2004 Broadway version of the film. Fey returned to write the script, which has a Gen-Z sheen but follows the original Cady story Heron (Angourie Rice takes on the role of Lindsay Lohan, while Renee Rapp portrays Regina George) returns to the US from Africa and navigates the terrifying jungle of high school.
“The Beekeeper,” an action thriller directed by David Ayer, opened in second place with an impressive $16.8 million over the weekend and an estimated $19.1 million through Monday. It also opened internationally with $20.4 million from 49 territories, for a worldwide tally of $39.1 million.
Moviegoers were more receptive than critics to “The Beekeeper,” which received a “B+” on CinemaScore and a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, Jason Statham plays Adam Clay, a former agent who sets out for revenge after his friend falls for a ruinous phishing scam and dies by suicide. Miramax produced and financed the film, so Amazon MGM (which acquired the North American rights) will only have to cover the cost of booking the film in domestic theaters.
“It's a strong start to a new action thriller,” said David A. Gross, who runs film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research and believes “The Beekeeper” will be a bigger draw overseas. “Action thrillers perform best in international markets, and Jason Statham is an established action star around the world.”
The other new release of the weekend could not be accessed. Sony and Legendary's biblical satire “The Book of Clarence” fell to ninth place with $3.1 million between Friday and Monday. It's a terrible start for the film, which has a $40 million price tag and requires a modest turnout to justify its budget.
Directed by Jeymes Samuel and starring LaKeith Stanfield, The Book of Clarence follows an unfortunate man who attempts to capitalize on the rise of Jesus Christ by claiming to be a new Messiah sent by God. Ticket sales at the international box office may struggle to recover. “The comedy and the subject matter are difficult to sell abroad,” says Gross.
Several holiday holdovers rounded out the box office results. “Wonka,” a fantasy musical starring Timothée Chalamet as an eccentric fictional chocolatier, took third place with $11 million in four days. The film was a real treat for both Warner Bros. and theater owners. So far it has grossed a whopping $178 million in North America and $500 million worldwide.
Sony's R-rated comedy “Anyone but You” continues to climb at the box office, landing at No. 4 with $8.5 million over the long weekend. The film, which cost $25 million and stars Sydney Sweeney and Starring Glen Powell, the film has recovered well after a slow start in North America. It earned $56.4 million domestically and $78 million worldwide.
Universal and Illumination's animated comedy “Migration” slipped to fifth place with $6.1 million over the weekend and an estimated $8.3 million through Monday. The film, which was released around Christmas, was successful, grossing $87.8 million in North America and $172 million worldwide.
Elsewhere, A24's Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest” grossed more than $1 million despite only playing on 25 screens. That's a solid result for a foreign language film set just outside Auschwitz. Loosely based on the 2014 novel by Martin Amis, “The Zone of Interest” follows a Nazi commander as he tries to build a dream life for his family right next to the concentration camp. Jonathan Glazer directed the film, which premiered at Cannes and appears to be in the running for awards. The nationwide rollout will continue over the next few weeks.
There's more to come…