Update: article has been updated to reflect that the year-to-date box office is currently running behind last year’s, not ahead of it, as originally reported.
#1 = Mean Girls
Paramount’s musical remake of 2004’s high school comedy earns some mean green, with a $28.0M debut. That’s +14% above 2004’s original Mean Girls = $24.4M.
Compared to the most recent musical comedy adaptation, from just last month, the new Mean Girls opens -28% below December’s Wonka = $39.0M.
2024 will aim to match or exceed both 2022 and 2023 at the box office. So although they’re hardly genre comparisons, it’s worth noting how Mean debuts versus the top opening for each of the prior two January months:
- -8% below 2023’s M3GAN = $30.4M
- -6% below 2022’s Scream = $30.0M
Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Mean Girls co-directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. here:
#2 = The Beekeeper
MGM’s R-rated action thriller was sweet as honey with a $16.8M opening.
That’s just above the final total for Jason Statham’s most recent action movie, 2023’s Expend4bles = $16.7M. It’s also slightly more than double that title’s $8.0M opening.
Beekeeper opens above almost every other action movie starring Jason Statham from the past dozen years, excluding installments from his three main franchises: The Fast and the Furious, The Expendables, and The Meg.
- +47% above 2011’s The Mechanic = $11.4M
- +79% above 2011’s Killer Elite = $9.3M
- 2.0x 2021’s Wrath of Man = $8.3M
- 2.1x 2012’s Safe = $7.8M
- 2.2x 2016’s Mechanic: Resurrection = $7.4M
- 2.3x 2013’s Parker = $7.0M
- 2.4x 2013’s Homefront = $6.9M
- 5.3x 2023’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre = $3.1M (and 2.5x that title’s $6.4M final total)
Audience demographics
Beekeeper’s crowd was an estimated:
- 62% male
- 44% white, 20% Hispanic, 18% black, and 10% Asian
- Gave the film a “B+” CinemaScore
#3 = Wonka
In its fifth frame, Warner Bros.’ fantasy musical fell -40% to $8.3M.
The film originally debuted on top, then fell to the runner-up slot against the opening of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, before regaining the lead in its third and fourth frames.
Wonka has now earned $176.1M total through 31 days.Through the same point in release, that’s running:
- -4% below 2005’s non-musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory = $183.9M
- +13% above 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns = $154.7M
- +46% above 2014’s Into the Woods = $120.4M
- +67% above 2017’s The Greatest Showman = $105.4M
#4 = Anyone But You
Last weekend, Sony Pictures’ romantic comedy actually increased +11% to $9.5M, earning its best weekend to date on its third frame—exceptionally rare for a movie which opened wide.
While it came in fifth place last weekend, it actually came in first place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Now in its fourth frame, it falls -29% to $6.9M, still +15% above its $6.0M opening weekend.
It’s now earned $55.1M through 24 days. That’s running either ahead of or almost even with several major romantic comedies from the past five years, despite opening far below each of them:
- +18% above June’s No Hard Feelings = $46.5M, far better than its -60% opening
- +11% above 2019’s What Men Want = $49.7M, far better than its -67% opening
- Only -2% below 2022’s Ticket to Paradise = $56.3M, far better than its -63% opening
#5 = Migration
In its fourth frame, Universal’s Illumination animated title drops -38% to $6.1M.
It’s now earned $85.7M through 24 days. Versus other comparable 2023 animated titles through the same point in release, that’s:
- -21% below June’s Elemental = $109.6M
- -8% below August’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem = $93.5M
- +3% above November’s Trolls Band Together = $82.9M, despite opening -60% below
- +65% above November’s Wish = $51.8M
Versus some other animated comps from recent holiday seasons, Migration is also running:
- -24% below December 2021’s Sing 2, also from Illumination = $112.8M
- -10% below 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish = $96.0M
#6 = Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
In its fourth frame, the Warner Bros. superhero sequel “lost” -50% to $5.2M.
For comparison? 2018’s original Aquaman spent all its first three frames on top then fell to runner-up in its fourth frame. Kingdom’s first three frames ranked first, second, third, and now sixth place.
Kingdom has earned $108.2M through 24 days. Through the same point in release, that’s running below the original Aquaman, but better than several comparable albeit notoriously underperforming 2022 or 2023 superhero movies:
- -62% below December 2018’s original Aquaman = $287.9M
- -28% below 2022’s Black Adam = $150.5M
- +2% above June’s The Flash = $105.2M
- +34% above November’s The Marvels = $80.7M
- +69% above August’s Blue Beetle = $63.7M
- +91% above March’s Shazam!: Fury of the Gods = $56.5M
#7 = Night Swim
Last weekend, the Universal Pictures and Blumhouse horror failed to cut through the water with a $11.7M debut, on the lower end of Blumhouse horror titles.
Now in its sophomore frame, it fell to the deep end of the pool with a steep -60% drop to $4.6M.
Compared to prior Blumhouse titles which opened in the same $10M to $16M range, that’s steeper than:
- 2011’s Insidious = -29%
- 2021’s The Forever Purge = -43%
- 2015’s The Gift = -45%
- 2016’s Ouija: Origin of Evil = -49%
- 2015’s The Lazarus Effect = -50%
- 2014’s Oculus = -57%
- 2015’s Unfriended = -61%
However, Swim at least fell more mildly than February 2020’s Fantasy Island = -65%.
Compared to the the two main January horror releases from each of the past two years, Swim also falls more steeply than:
- 2023’s M3GAN = -40%
- 2022’s Scream = -59%
#8 = Guntur Kaaram
Prathyangira Cinemas’ Indian Telugu-language action drama opens to $4.1M.
That’s -27% below Prathyangira Cinemas’ December 2023 release last month Salaar: Cease Fire — Part 1 = $5.6M.
#9 = The Boys in the Boat
In its third frame, Amazon MGM Studios’ inspirational sports drama sinks -37% to $3.5M.
After opening midweek on a Monday for Christmas Day, Boat has earned $39.3M through 21 days.
Compared to other similar inspirational sports dramas of the 21st century, through the same point in release, Boat is running ahead of:
- 2.3x 2016’s Race = $17.1M
- +97% above 2021’s American Underdog = $19.9M
- +62% above 2014’s When the Game Stands Tall = $24.1M
- +47% above 2009’s Invictus = $26.6M
- +33% above 2014’s Million Dollar Arm = $29.5M
- +8% above 2006’s We Are Marshall = $36.3M
However, it’s running behind:
- -1% below 2010’s Secretariat = $39.7M
- -15% below 2005’s Cinderella Man = $46.3M
- -16% below 2006’s Invincible = $47.0M
- -24% below 2004’s Miracle = $51.8M
- -45% below 2013’s 42 about Jackie Robinson = $72.1M
- -47% below 2003’s Seabiscuit = $74.9M
#10 = The Book of Clarence
Sony Pictures’ alternate-history historical comedy opens to $2.5M.
This film was always going to be a tough sell to mainstream audiences, while its 2,010 theaters ranked as only the #8 widest in the current marketplace.
Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with The Book of Clarence writer-director Jeymes Samuel here:
Outside the top 10
American Fiction
After playing for several weeks in limited release, Amazon MGM Studios’ satirical dark comedy expanded to a moderate 625 theaters and $1.9M.
That’s still less than one-sixth the reach of the widest release in the marketplace.
The film, featuring an all-black main cast, posted an estimated audience of 50% white, 32% black, 11% Hispanic, and 4% Asian.
Poor Things
In its sixth frame, and following its Golden Globe Award wins last Sunday for Best Picture Musical/Comedy and Best Actress for Emma Stone, Searchlight Pictures’ strange comedy declined a mild -8% to $1.8M.
It’s now earned $17.3M total, though that seems unlikely to match writer-director Yorgos Lantihimos’ and star Emma Stone’s 2018 The Favourite with $34.3M.
Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Poor Things cinematographer Robbie Ryan here:
Soul [theatrical release]
Disney / Pixar finally theatrically released their 2020 animated film, which originally premiered exclusively streaming on Disney+, to only $429K.
Playing in 1,350 theaters, only around one-third the 4,000+ screens the film surely would have played on had it played in cinemas originally.
Two other streaming-exclusively Pixar titles, 2022’s Turning Red and 2021’s Luca, will be theatrically released on February 9 and March 22 respectively.
Weekend comparisons
Total box office this weekend comes in around $98.8M.
Here’s how this weekend compares to last weekend, the same weekend last year, and the same weekend in the last pre-pandemic year of 2019:
|
Weekend |
Total |
This weekend is: |
Leader |
|
Last weekend |
$84.8M |
+16% |
Wonka [fourth frame / third at #1] = $14.0M |
|
Same weekend in 2023 |
$103.0M |
-4% |
Avatar: The Way of Water [fifth frame] = $32.8M |
|
Same weekend in 2019 |
$119.6M |
-17% |
The Upside = $20.3M |
YTD comparisons
Year-to-date box office stands around $320.4M.
Here’s how that compares to last year and the last pre-pandemic year of 2019:
|
Year |
YTD total |
2024 YTD now: |
After last weekend: |
Trend |
|
2023 |
$353.2M |
-9.3% |
-8.7% |
Down |
|
2019 |
$456.8M |
-29.9% |
-35.6% |
Up |
Top distributors
Here are the current rankings of the “Big Five” distributors plus two others which have crossed the $10M mark.
This early on in the year, mid-level distributors such as Amazon MGM Studios and A24 are actually above some of the “Big Five,” at least for now.
Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:
-
- Warner Bros.: $88.6M
- Universal + Focus Features: $55.2M
- Amazon MGM Studios: $37.8M
- Sony Pictures + Sony Classics + Crunchyroll + Affirm: $33.8M
- Paramount: $28.0M
- A24: $13.7M
- Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight + Star: $11.1M
Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:
| Title | Estimated weekend | % change | Locations | Location change | Average | Total | Weekend | Distributor |
| Mean Girls | $28,000,000 | $3,791 | $7,386 | $28,000,000 | 1 | Paramount | ||
| The Beekeeper | $16,789,000 | $3,303 | $5,083 | $16,789,000 | 1 | Amazon MGM | ||
| Wonka | $8,380,000 | -40% | $3,346 | -471 | $2,504 | $176,194,000 | 5 | Warner Bros. |
| Anyone But You | $6,940,000 | -29% | $2,935 | -120 | $2,365 | $55,179,000 | 4 | Sony Pictures |
| Migration | $6,190,000 | -38% | $3,224 | -488 | $1,920 | $85,756,000 | 4 | Universal |
| Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | $5,265,000 | -50% | $2,741 | -812 | $1,921 | $108,228,000 | 4 | Warner Bros. |
| Night Swim | $4,660,000 | -60% | $3,257 | 7 | $1,431 | $19,170,000 | 2 | Universal |
| Guntur Kaaram | $4,100,000 | $800 | $5,125 | $4,100,000 | 1 | Prathyangira Cinemas | ||
| The Boys in the Boat | $3,524,897 | -37% | $2,007 | -680 | $1,756 | $39,356,000 | 3 | Amazon MGM |
| The Book of Clarence | $2,575,000 | $2,010 | $1,281 | $2,575,000 | 1 | Sony Pictures | ||
| The Iron Claw | $2,400,878 | -47% | $1,591 | -801 | $1,509 | $29,178,125 | 4 | A24 |
| American Fiction | $1,906,000 | 93% | $625 | 511 | $3,050 | $5,221,205 | 5 | Amazon MGM |
| The Color Purple | $1,900,000 | -59% | $1,178 | -2,040 | $1,613 | $57,850,000 | 3 | Warner Bros. |
| Poor Things | $1,807,000 | -8% | $580 | -170 | $3,116 | $17,330,307 | 6 | Searchlight [Disney] |
| The Boy and the Heron | $1,099,247 | -40% | $610 | -300 | $1,802 | $41,687,518 | 6 | GKIDS |
| Godzilla Minus One | $853,000 | -51% | $605 | -445 | $1,410 | $50,719,917 | 7 | Toho International |
| The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes | $582,000 | -68% | $733 | -695 | $794 | $164,970,255 | 9 | Lionsgate |
| Ferrari | $570,000 | -77% | $662 | -1,459 | $861 | $17,449,105 | 3 | Neon |
| All of Us Strangers | $474,000 | 10% | $120 | 78 | $3,950 | $1,533,678 | 4 | Searchlight [Disney] |
| Trolls Band Together | $450,000 | -65% | $618 | -519 | $728 | $101,176,000 | 9 | Universal |
| Soul | $429,000 | $1,350 | $318 | $429,000 | 1 | Disney | ||
| Oppenheimer | $327,000 | 21484% | $139 | 112 | $2,353 | $326,435,000 | 26 | Universal |
| The Zone of Interest | $237,976 | 176% | $25 | 19 | $9,519 | $939,362 | 5 | A24 |
| Wish | $213,000 | -74% | $395 | -505 | $539 | $63,030,619 | 8 | Disney |
| Memory | $100,000 | 49% | $151 | 137 | $662 | $288,166 | 4 | Ketchup Entertainment |
| The Holdovers | $83,000 | -23% | $100 | -53 | $830 | $18,635,000 | 12 | Focus Features [Universal] |
| Radical | $40,500 | 160% | $16 | -4 | $2,531 | $8,713,267 | 11 | Pantelion Films |
| Anselm | $31,650 | -21% | $24 | 8 | $1,319 | $281,096 | 6 | Janus Films |
| Inshallah a Boy | $6,000 | $1 | $6,000 | $6,000 | 1 | Greenwich |
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