In a weekend filled with cinematic excitement, Paramount’s revamped “Mean Girls” and Amazon MGM’s action-packed “The Beekeeper” are stealing the spotlight, delivering strong performances at the box office.
Mean Girls’ Fetch Opening
Paramount’s decision to pivot “Mean Girls” from a Paramount+ release to a theatrical one has proven to be a wise move. The film, directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., generated a buzz with a noteworthy $3.25M in previews. This includes Thursday’s 4 pm showings and early access screenings featuring the iconic “On Wednesdays We Wear Pink.”
The nostalgia-driven comedy is projected to rake in a solid $29M over the traditional three-day weekend and an impressive $33M across the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Women, especially those under 25, are turning out in force, constituting 71% of the audience. The film stands at a commendable 3.5 stars on Comscore Screen Engine’s PostTrak and enjoys a fresh rating of 70% from Rotten Tomatoes critics.
Comparatively, “Mean Girls” is slightly below the $3.5M earned by Paramount/Spyglass Media’s “Scream” during its previews two years ago, which ultimately reached a $30M three-day start.
The Beekeeper’s Buzzworthy Debut
Amazon MGM’s “The Beekeeper,” helmed by director David Ayer and starring action star Jason Statham, is creating a stir with $2.4M in previews. The film is set to captivate audiences over the four-day weekend, aiming for an impressive $20M total. With a Friday estimate of $7M and a projected three-day total of $17M, “The Beekeeper” is proving to be a solid contender.
Early indications from PostTrak highlight the film’s appeal to a male audience, with 65% of viewers being male. Overall, the movie enjoys a robust 4-star rating, and its R-rated action is hitting the right notes.
While “The Beekeeper” falls slightly below the preview figures of Statham’s “The Meg 2,” it outperforms Guy Ritchie’s “The Gentlemen,” showcasing promising prospects for its box office run.
MLK Weekend Landscape
Despite the promising starts for “Mean Girls” and “The Beekeeper,” this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend is expected to fall short of the previous year’s $124.8M box office. Last year’s success was driven by the fifth weekend of “Avatar: The Way of Water” and the second weekend of “M3GAN.”
The fifth weekend for “Wonka” is predicted to contribute between $8M-$9M over three days and $10M-$12M over four, while Sony’s romcom “Anyone But You” is anticipating a solid 4-day total of $9.5M.
Other Weekend Highlights
- “Migration”: Illumination/Universal’s “Migration” secures the fifth position with a Friday estimate of $1M, heading for a $6.3M four-day total and a cumulative end-of-MLK-day figure of $85.8M.
- “The Book of Clarence”: Legendary/Tri-Star’s “The Book of Clarence” faces a challenging start, garnering a Friday figure of $1M, with a 4-day total expected to be $3M.
- “Anyone But You”: Sony’s romantic comedy continues its successful run with a fourth Friday of $2.1M, projecting a 4-day total of $9.5M and reaching a cumulative total of $57.7M.
- “Night Swim”: Universal/Blumhouse’s “Night Swim” secured the fifth position yesterday, grossing an estimated $487K for a total of $14.5M in its first week.
As the weekend unfolds, “Mean Girls” and “The Beekeeper” are poised to dominate the box office, showcasing the enduring appeal of a high school classic and the action prowess of Jason Statham. While MLK weekend may fall short of the previous year’s heights, these releases set the stage for an exciting year in cinema.
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