The Big Picture

Mean Girls had a concerning 59% drop at the box office, but retained the top spot due to lack of competition. The film’s musical genre was underplayed in marketing, resulting in a so-so audience score and lower expectations. The original Mean Girls grossed $86 million domestically, making anything less than that a disappointment for the new film.

Mixed response from audiences meant that last week’s Mean Girls had a concerning 59% drop at the domestic box office this weekend. But no new competition ensured that the musical — an adaptation of the popular Broadway show, which in turn was based on the 2004 teen film — retained the top spot on the domestic chart. Mean Girls debuted to $28 million in its first weekend, and is projected to gross $11.7 million in weekend two, taking its running domestic total to exactly $50 million in 10 days of release.

Like the recent Wonka and The Color Purple, Mean Girls’ true genre was underplayed in marketing material, which was possibly the main reason behind its so-so B CinemaScore. The film also has a 65% audience score on the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as compared to the 70% approval rating that it received from critics. The original Mean Girls grossed $86 million domestically and $130 million worldwide two decades ago, and anything less than this would be considered a disappointment for the new film.

Director David Ayer’s The Beekeeper had a softer second weekend drop, grossing an estimated $8.3 million and taking its running domestic total past the $30 million mark in 10 days. The film exceeded expectations with a $16 million debut last week, on the back of some strong reviews and positive audience reception. The Beekeeper marks Ayer’s return to wide theatrical releases after 2016’s Suicide Squad — he has helmed a Netflix movie and a little-seen gangster film in the interim period — and another strong result for star Jason Statham, who was last seen in Meg 2: The Trench and Expend4bles.

All Five Spots Were Claimed by Holdovers this Weekend

Wonka added an estimated $6.4 million in its sixth weekend, taking its running total to just under $190 million. With the kind of legs that the movie has shown, a $200 million-plus domestic finish is all but guaranteed. Sony’s romantic comedy Anyone But You also kept over-performing. Starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, the film grossed an estimated $5.4 million in its fifth weekend, taking its running total to just under $65 million. This marks a mere 25% drop from last weekend, as the film makes strong strides toward a lifetime gross of over $75 million.

Rounding out the top five, ahead of the week’s sole new wide release, I.S.S., is Universal’s animated original Migration. The film grossed an estimated $5.3 million in its fifth weekend, taking its running domestic gross to a hair under $95 million. Migration will join the recent Trolls Band Together to pass the $100 million mark domestically very soon. Elsewhere, director Ava DuVernay’s Origin grossed $875,000 from just 125 theaters, while The Zone of Interest, Poor Things and All of Us Strangers expanded their theatrical footprint ahead of Oscar nominations week. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Mean Girls Cady Heron is a hit with the Plastics, an A-list girl clique at her new school when she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George. Release Date January 12, 2024 Director Samantha Jayne , Arturo Perez Jr. Studio(s) Paramount Players , Broadway Video , Little Stranger Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures