Box Office: ‘Mean Girls’ So Fetch With $11.6 Million Opening Day, ‘Beekeeper’ Buzzing in Second

J. Kim Murphy
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Paramount’s “Mean Girls” musical is winning most popular at the domestic box office this weekend. The adaptation of the Broadway adaptation of the beloved 2004 comedy is off to a strong start, coming in ahead of the latest Jason Statham actioner “The Beekeeper.”

“Mean Girls” earned $11.65 million from 3,791 theaters across Friday and preview screenings, tracking to a four-day opening of $31.5 million through the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. That’s quite a substantial figure for a musical that was originally commissioned with plans to skip theaters and make a streaming debut directly on Paramount+. The studio changed its tune after test screenings.

More from Variety

From its first trailer, many viewers took notice that the marketing for the “Mean Girls” musical seemed to purposefully exclude song-and-dance numbers. Some ticketbuyers may have been caught by surprise to discover a big screen adaptation of a Broadway musical, as indicated by the middling “B” grade through research firm Cinema Score’s survey of early crowds. If “Mean Girls” can continue to drum up business in the weeks ahead, it should more than justify its $36 million production budget (with ticket sales that it would’ve waived completely had it debuted on streaming).

The new “Mean Girls” stars Angourie Rice as the homeschooled Cady, a role originated by Lindsay Lohan in the original film. Reneé Rapp reprises her Broadway role as the formidable Regina George, with a cast that also includes Bebe Wood, Avantika and original stars Tim Meadows and Tina Fey, who also wrote the screenplay for the original film and the musical.

Coming in at second, Amazon MGM’s “The Beekeeper” combed together a solid $6.7 million from 3,303 locations across Friday and previews. The David Ayer-directed conspiracy action movie also gets a revenue boost from Imax showtimes. A four-day finish in the high-teens seems likely, though there’s a shot at getting over $20 million too. It’s a solid result for the modestly budgeted thriller, which landed a “B+” grade on Cinema Score.

Statham stars as Adam Clay, a former espionage expert known as a Beekeeper, who embarks on a revenge mission and unravels a conspiracy against the public. Despite some online speculation, director Ayer denies that the film’s concept was inspired by Joe and Hunter Biden. Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, Emmy Raver-Lampman and Minnie Driver also star.

Also opening this weekend, the biblical satire “The Book of Clarence” seems crossed up, likely failing to rise above even $5 million across the four-day frame. Sony is putting out the Legendary production in 1,891 theaters. Helmed by rising director Jeymes Samuels and starring LaKeith Stanfield, the film premiered at last fall’s London Film Festival and has garnered only mildly positive reviews.

“Wonka” looks to slide to third place in its fifth weekend. The Warner Bros. release is looking at a figure in the low double-digits across the holiday frame, further boosting its domestic sum beyond the impressive $167 million it has already unwrapped. The Timothée Chalamet musical is still rowing along and will finish with more than $500 million worldwide.

Sony’s “Anyone but You” is rising in the charts, still holding strong in its fourth weekend of release. The romantic comedy added another $2.1 million on Friday, down just 35% from the $3.2 million it pulled in a week ago. After a quiet holiday debut, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s two-hander has proven to have some stellar word-of-mouth. The domestic total will exceed $50 million sometime Saturday.

Universal’s “Migration” looks to glide into fifth place, pecking at a four-day total north of $6.8 million. The avian animated adventure hasn’t lit up charts as much as other Illumination productions, but its more modest price tag and solid staying power have given it a lift.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.