By Movie theaters experienced a steady weekend, relying on existing releases as no new films hit the big screen. Leading the North American box office in its third week was “The Beekeeper,” an action-packed film starring Jason Statham produced by Amazon and MGM Studios. Despite being down only 14% from the previous weekend, it managed to bring in $7.4 million, bringing its domestic total to $42.3 million. Impressively, the film has also raked in over $100 million worldwide.
Holding its ground in second place was Paramount’s musical adaptation of “Mean Girls,” which earned $7.3 million. After three weeks, the film has accumulated a total of $60.8 million in North America.
In the third spot, Warner Bros.’ “Wonka” continued to captivate audiences, adding $5.9 million during its seventh weekend. The musical, led by Timothée Chalamet, is steadily approaching the $200 million mark domestically, currently standing at $195.2 million in North America and a whopping $552 million worldwide.
Two other films wrapping up the top five were Comcast’s Universal and Illumination’s “Migration,” which crossed the $100 million milestone domestically with $5.1 million earned, and Sony’s romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” which brought its total to $71.2 million after receiving an additional $4.8 million.
While the box office numbers may have been underwhelming, especially due to various strikes affecting the industry, moviegoers found joy in the limited release options. According to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, the disruption to the release calendar created both challenges and opportunities within the ever-changing ecosystem of the film industry.
Furthermore, several notable films benefited from the lack of new releases. The Hindi-language action film “Fighter” made its debut in sixth place, earning $3.7 million. Additionally, the re-release of “Godzilla Minus One” in black and white for a week helped it secure a spot in the top 10. Lastly, various awards contenders thrived amidst the slower box office weekend.
Moviegoing Weekend Boosted by Oscar Nominations
The first moviegoing weekend following the Oscar nominations proved to be a fruitful one. While many of the top contenders are already available for streaming at home, some films still in theaters experienced a sizable surge in ticket sales, thanks to the buzz surrounding their nominations.
“American Fiction” Sees a 65% Boost
Amazon and MGM’s “American Fiction,” which received five Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Jeffrey Wright, saw a significant 65% increase in its seventh week at the box office. The film raked in $2.9 million in ticket sales, capitalizing on its nomination success.
Strong Performance of “Poor Things”
“Poor Things,” distributed by Searchlight and nominated for an impressive 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Emma Stone, experienced a commendable 43% surge from the previous weekend. The film generated an estimated $3 million in revenue. Globally, “Poor Things” has now accumulated an impressive $51.1 million.
Rising Above the Noise
Box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian emphasized the significance of high-quality Oscar contenders standing out among the competition. He stated that due to it being a relatively quieter weekend, these films were able to make a lasting impact in the top 10 box office rankings.
Expansion of “The Zone of Interest”
A24’s “The Zone of Interest,” which received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Jonathan Glazer, expanded its release to 317 screens. The film earned $1.1 million during this pivotal weekend. Notably, the majority of the audience in key markets were under the age of 35.
Continuing Success for “Oppenheimer” and “The Holdovers”
Universal’s leading Oscar nominee, “Oppenheimer”, played in 1,262 theaters, adding another million dollars to its total earnings this weekend. Meanwhile, Focus Features expanded the release of Alexander Payne’s acclaimed film “The Holdovers” to 1,140 screens. This film is also available for streaming on Peacock, and it garnered an estimated $520,000. With these additional earnings, “The Holdovers” has now accumulated a running total of $19.3 million domestically and an impressive $31.2 million globally.
Top 10 Box Office Rankings
Here are the estimated ticket sales for the weekend at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
- “The Beekeeper” – $7.4 million
- “Mean Girls” – $7.3 million
- “Wonka” – $5.9 million
- “Migration” – $5.1 million
- “Anyone But You” – $4.8 million
- “Fighter” – $3.7 million
- “Poor Things” – $3 million
- “American Fiction” – $2.9 million
- “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” – $2.8 million
- “Godzilla Minus One” – $2.6 million
Comments