Means Girls managed to maintain the top spot in its second weekend but it was mostly due to an extreme lack of competition during a slow January weekend.
Mean Girls grossed $11.7 million in weekend two, down 59.3 percent from the previous weekend. That’s a hefty drop but it should be noted that the box office was coming off a holiday weekend and drops following those frames tend to be a bit more steep. All signs pointed to the film being a bit frontloaded and given the movie’s so-so “B” CinemaScore from opening day audiences, a significant week two drop was likely in the cards.
Oddly enough, the Mean Girls musical adaptation is actually 19 percent ahead of the pace of the 2004 film but that gap should level out. The original movie grossed $86 million domestic by the end of its run and, despite pulling ahead right now, it’s unlikely the musical take will match that but it might come close. The upside is that it’s possible the film could repeat for a third weekend because the industry is void of a wide release until Argyle opens on Feb. 2. That’s unless our number two film doesn’t sneak ahead to claim the top spot in its third weekend. To date, Mean Girls has grossed $51.9 million domestically and $68.1 million worldwide.
Staying put in second place is The Beekeeper, which grossed $8.6 million, down 48.1 percent from last weekend. Again, not a bad hold coming off the holiday frame and it actually fared better in terms of its percentage drop than Mean Girls, so that’s promising for its chances to close the gap in weekend three to maybe dethrone the musical adaptation. This is the kind of action film that could thrive during the weak month of January and it’s doing just that. To date, the Jason Statham-led action flick has posted respectable numbers with $33.3 million domestically and $77.5 million at the global box office.
Wonka sits pretty once again in third place with a gross of $6.7 million, down a slim 20.7 percent from last weekend. Not only has Wonka proved to be the big hit of the Christmas holiday corridor but it has transitioned into the new year with grosses that have allowed the movie to leg it out in a big way. Should it maintain these small drops, reaching the $200 million mark at the domestic box office is not out of the question. Domestically, Wonka has pulled in $188.4 million and a truly impressive $534.2 million worldwide.
Up one spot to fourth place is Migration with a gross of $5.4 million. The film slipped just 12.4 percent which is very impressive coming off a holiday weekend. Migration will go down not as a huge hit from the holiday season but certainly a respectable one. $100 million domestic is in its sights as it has a running total to date of $95.5 million and $193.1 million globally.
Rounding out the top five is another success story from the 2023 holiday season and that’s Anyone But You, which grossed $5.4 million, down 24.2 percent from the previous weekend. The big news is that the film hit $100 million worldwide and has become the most successful R-rated romantic comedy since 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby ($211.9 million globally). Anyone But You has truly been a word-of-mouth hit and proved Sony Pictures right that they gave it a chance theatrically when rom-coms haven’t been a sure thing lately. To date, the film has grossed $65.3 million domestically and $101.3 million worldwide.
What are your thoughts on this weekend’s box office? Check back next weekend when it should look like more of the same as January is set to end with a whimper with no new wide releases on the docket.
Hello! My name is Gaius Bolling: movie, TV, and pop culture junkie! The industry has been in my veins since I was a kid and I have carried that on through adulthood. I attended Los Angeles Film Academy and participated in their screenwriting and editing program. From there, I have learned to hone my skills in the world of entertainment journalism. Some of my favorite genres include horror, action, and drama and I hope to share my love of all of this with you.
