Refresh for chart There’s not much going on at the weekend box office. Yes, point fingers at the dual strikes’ impact on the theatrical schedule, but it’s also January which typically counts a couple of the year’s lowest grossing weekends. The 3-day for all titles is looking at $68M, which is not only the first weak weekend of the New Year, but -8% off the same frame a year ago which did $72.4M. Per Box Office Mojo, the first two weekends of January respectively grossed $85.7M and $97M.

Paramount’s second weekend of Mean Girls at 3,826 theaters is looking at $11M, a 62% decline, for what will be a ten-day of $49.3M. Through ten days, new Mean Girls is pacing 17% ahead of 2004’s Mean Girls which finaled at $86M.

Amazon/MGM’s second frame of David Ayer’s Jason Statham movie, The Beekeeper, is second at 3,330 theaters with $8.3M, -50%, for a ten-day running total by EOD Sunday of $31M. Domestic endgame for Beekeeper is $45M, which is higher than early January meat-and-potatoes action pre Covid 2020 title, The Gentleman, which finaled at $36.4M.

There was only one wide release this weekend, Bleecker Street’s Ariana DeBose-Chris Messina-John Gallagher, Jr. international space station thriller about Russian and U.S. astronauts’ battle beyond the stars, I.S.S. At a $3.3M opening at 2,520 theaters, it’s easy for mainstream box office press to declare this a bomb, but here’s the post pandemic reality (and this even started before then, frankly) is that for those involved, it’s not always about a box office rally: Similar to the Lionsgate model, it’s about an appropriate P&A spend and low MG that will pull the title along in ancillary windows. Bleecker Street, post Covid, has been opening their wide entries in this box office vicinity. At an opening like this, revenue wise at the end of the day after all home windows, I.S.S. looks to make around $10M. Final B.O. will be between $5M-$7M. On this particular film, I.S.S. is a distribution deal for Bleecker Street, so they’re collecting a fee, and they aren’t on the hook for P&A spend. I.S.S. was always expected to opening in the low single digits.

Critics don’t like I.S.S. at 62% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and moviegoers leaving the theater weren’t excited that they were stuck on board giving it a C- CinemaScore and low 49% positive, and 27% definite recommend on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak. Those who decided to attend were 69% guys, with 47% between 18-34 and the biggest demo being 25-34 year olds at 30%. Diversity demos were 57% Caucasian, 25% Latino and Hispanic, 7% Black, 5% Asian and 5% Other. Bulk of pic’s ticket sales are in the West, Mountain and South Central with AMC Burbank the highest grossing venue with just over $8K.

Filling the gap in a marketplace without event films is the one weekend launch of Imax’s Queen Rock Montreal which is posting an estimated $1.72M at 387 auditoriums. Huge numbers in Canada, NY, LA and Minnesota we understand.

Opening limited this weekend at 125 theaters in 31 markets is NEON’s Ava DuVernay drama Origin, which was the highest tested movie in the distrib’s history. Pic is coming in with an estimated $833K (some see it in the low $700K range). Either way, at $5,6K to $6K-plus theater average, it’s at the high end of the distributors’ expectations, I understand. NEON booked key Black theaters in Baltimore, Chicago, and Atlanta. Some key local and national spots were booked. We’re hearing OK numbers in NY, LA, Atlanta and San Francisco.  The movie is 81% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Chart:

1.) Mean Girls (Par) 3,826 (+25) theaters, Fri $3.25M (-72%), 3-day $11M (-62%), Total $49.3M/Wk 2

2.) The Beekeeper (AMZ MGM) 3,330 (+27) theaters, Fri $2.44M (-64%) 3-day $8.3M (-50%), Total $31M/Wk 2

3.) Wonka (WB) 3,136 (-210) theaters, Fri $1.545M (-15%) 3-day $6.75M (-20%), Total $187.4M/Wk 6

4.) Anyone But You (Sony) 2,928 (-7) Fri $1.74M (-17%) 3-day $5.4M (-24%),Total $64.2M/Wk 5

5.) Migration (Ill/Uni) 3,094 (-130) theaters, Fri $1.1M (-4%) 3-day $5.3M (-15%), Total $94.6M/ Wk 5

6.) Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) 2,423 (-318) theaters, Fri $850K (-28%) 3-day $3.75M (-29%) /Total $114.2M/Wk 5

7.) I.S.S. (BST) 2,520 theaters, Fri $1.25M 3-day $3.3M/Wk 1

8.) Night Swim (Uni) 2,708 (-549) theaters, Fri $730K (-37%) 3-day $2.5M (-46%), Total $23.5M/Wk 3

9.) Boys in the Boat (AMZ MGM) 2,012 (+5) theaters, Fri $786K (-19%) 3-day $2.67M (-22%), Total $44M, Wk 4

10.) Poor Things (Sea) 1,400 (+820) Fri $575K (+26%), 3-day $2M (+13%)/Total $20.3M/Wk 7

Notables
Origin (NEO) 125 Theaters Fri $380K 3-day $833K/Wk 1

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