Busy Philipps plays Mrs. George in Paramount Pictures' Mean Girls.
Jojo Whilden/Paramount
The domestic box office has entered a winter shutdown as theater owners and studios grapple with a slowdown in production due to last year's labor strikes and resulting production delays.
Over the weekend of January 19-21, Paramount's musical “Mean Girls” remained in first place in its second run with an estimated $11.7 million from 3,826 locations, for a domestic total of $50 million corresponds. The Tina Fey-penned musical plummeted more than the filmmakers would have liked, down 59 percent.
The only major new release was Bleecker Street's “ISS,” a thriller about feuding astronauts on their rival space stations. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the film stars Ariana DeBose and Chris Messina.
ISS, playing in 2,250 locations, nearly crashed to earth with a $3 million domestic debut, landing at No. 7. The film could have a second life in home entertainment and do solid business in some foreign markets . One downside, however, was that the film was hit with a C-CinemaScore.
Back in the upper echelons of the Top 10, Jason Statham's Amazon/MGM-led “The Beekeeper” remained at No. 2 in its second year with $8.5 million from 3,330 theaters, for a domestic tally of 31.1 million equivalent to US dollars. An additional $14.2 million was earned overseas, bringing the total abroad to $44.2 million and $75.2 million worldwide.
Warner Bros.' Holiday hit Wonka held on at No. 3 with $6.4 million domestically from 3,316 locations, for an impressive domestic tally of $187.2 million. Worldwide, it earned an even better $344.6 million, giving it a global tally of $531.8 million.
Will Gluck and Sony's romantic comedy “Anyone But You” is still firmly at No. 4 as it surpassed $100 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy since “Bridget Jones' Baby” in 2016, not adjusted for inflation. The film helps prove that romantic comedies are still a viable cinematic experience, rather than the dominance of streaming.
Illumination and Universal's original animated film “Migration” rounded out the top five with $5.3 million from 3,094 theaters in North America, for a domestic total of $94.7 million and $191.6 million worldwide.
Neon and Ava DuVernay's “Origin” scored its first big break at the box office after an Oscar-qualifying run in Los Angeles and New York last month. The film grossed a solid $875,000 from 125 locations, averaging $7,000 per location.
“Origin,” starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, is a loose adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s volume “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.” The film explores the story behind the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist's comprehensive theory of American racism. The ensemble cast also includes Jon Bernthal and Niecy Nash-Betts. “It’s heartwarming to see this film resonate with audiences and come to fruition,” said Elissa Federoff, head of distribution for Neon.
Elsewhere in the specialty market, “Searchlight” celebrated a milestone as Oscar hopeful “Poor Things” passed the $20.4 million mark, a veritable small fortune for an indie film these days. “Poor Things,” “Origin” and “American Fiction” are among the indie films hoping for a box office boost when they receive top Oscar nominations Tuesday morning.