The weekend box office numbers are in, and it’s clear that not much excitement is happening at the theaters. There are a couple of factors at play here. Firstly, the ongoing strikes in the industry have disrupted the theatrical schedule, leading to a lack of new releases. Secondly, January is notoriously known for having some of the lowest-grossing weekends of the entire year. As a result, the overall 3-day box office for all titles is projected to be around $68 million. This is not only the weakest weekend so far this year, but it’s also 8% lower than the same period last year, which saw a total of $72.4 million in box office revenue.
Mean Girls’ Second Weekend
Paramount’s Mean Girls, in its second weekend at 3,826 theaters, is projected to earn $11 million, marking a significant 62% decline compared to its opening weekend. Despite the drop, the film is still performing relatively well with a ten-day gross of $49.3 million. In fact, it is pacing 17% ahead of the 2004 original Mean Girls, which had a final box office tally of $86 million. This is promising for the studio and shows that there is still an audience interested in this beloved franchise.
Following closely behind Mean Girls is Amazon/MGM’s The Beekeeper, directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham. The film, playing in 3,330 theaters, is expected to earn $8.3 million in its second weekend. While this represents a 50% decline, the film is still on track to reach a ten-day total of $31 million. Looking ahead, The Beekeeper is projected to have a domestic endgame of $45 million, surpassing The Gentleman from Guy Ritchie, a similar action film released in early January 2020, which ultimately grossed $36.4 million.
An Unremarkable New Release
The weekend saw the release of Bleecker Street’s I.S.S., a thriller set on the international space station, starring Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, and John Gallagher Jr. Despite opening in 2,520 theaters, the film only managed to bring in $3.3 million. Mainstream box office experts are quick to label this as a bomb, but the post-pandemic reality has reshaped the expectations for film distribution. For Bleecker Street and other studios adopting a similar strategy, it’s not solely about the theatrical box office numbers but also about strategic marketing spend and maximizing revenue opportunities in ancillary markets. With this in mind, I.S.S. is predicted to make around $10 million in total gross after all home windows are accounted for. The final box office tally is projected to be between $5 million and $7 million. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and lackluster ratings from moviegoers, the film’s distribution deal allows Bleecker Street to collect fees without taking on significant advertising costs.
Queen Rock Montreal Fills the Gap
In a weekend with few event films, Imax’s Queen Rock Montreal stepped in to fill the gap. Playing in 387 auditoriums, the concert film is estimated to have earned $1.72 million. The film saw impressive numbers in Canada, New York, Los Angeles, and Minnesota, proving that there is still an appetite for live performances captured on the big screen.
NEON’s Ava DuVernay drama, Origin, had a limited release in 125 theaters across 31 markets. Despite its limited scale, the film has received high praise and was the highest-tested movie in the distribution company’s history. Origin is estimated to have earned $833,000, possibly even reaching the low $700,000 range. With a theater average of $5,600 to $6,000, the film is exceeding expectations. NEON strategically booked key Black theaters in cities like Baltimore, Chicago, and Atlanta, as well as securing placements in other prominent national and local spots. Early reports indicate that the film is performing well in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and San Francisco. The certified fresh rating of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes further boosts the film’s prospects.
The weekend box office got off to a slow start in the new year. The lack of new releases, combined with the traditionally low-grossing nature of January, resulted in a lackluster overall performance. However, some films like Mean Girls and The Beekeeper are still holding up relatively well. The new release I.S.S. may not have set the box office on fire, but its unique distribution strategy allows for revenue opportunities beyond the theatrical run. Other films like Queen Rock Montreal and Origin are finding their audiences, albeit on a smaller scale. As the year progresses, it will be interesting to see how the box office landscape evolves and whether audiences will continue to return to theaters in significant numbers.