The past weekend saw a significant dip in the overall theatrical marketplace, with no new studio wide entries due to strikes. This situation is likely to result in a new low for the box office, either lower than the $51.8 million recorded in 2023 or the $35 million in 2022. Last week’s box office already hit a year-to-date low of $67.2 million, down 11% from the previous year, and this weekend is expected to further deepen the slump. Surprisingly, neither a winter storm nor weather conditions are to blame for this decline.
Two films, Paramount’s “Mean Girls” and Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Beekeeper,” are competing for the number one position in their third weekends. “The Beekeeper” managed to outperform “Mean Girls” in daily grosses on Monday ($802,000), Tuesday ($1.25 million), and Thursday ($770,000) last week. The pink-clad girls will experience a 45% drop from the previous weekend, but they will still retain a strong presence in 3,544 theaters, accumulating a running total of $59.9 million. On Friday, “Mean Girls” is projected to earn $1.85 million, representing a 43% decline. Similarly, the action film starring Jason Statham, showing in 3,337 venues, is predicted to have a third Friday of $1.7 million, a 29% decrease from the previous week. By Sunday, it is expected to have a total of $41.2 million, a decline of 26%.
Warner Bros.’ “Wonka” remains strong in its seventh weekend, earning $5.8 million across 3,014 theaters, a mere 14% decrease from the previous week. Its running total has now reached an impressive $195 million. Illumination/Universal’s animated film “Migration,” which skeptics placed bets against during the holiday season, is projected to surpass $101 million in domestic revenue by the end of its sixth weekend. On Friday, the film is estimated to earn $1 million across 2,962 theaters, resulting in a 3-day total of $4.9 million and a 10% decline. “Wonka” and “Migration” hold the third and fourth positions, respectively, solidifying their spots amidst a lackluster weekend.
Sony’s “Anyone but You,” a romantic comedy starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, enters its sixth weekend with a 3-day total of $4.8 million, down 11% from the previous week. The film has accumulated a commendable domestic total of $71.1 million across 2,885 locations. This achievement surpasses that of “Ticket to Paradise,” another post-pandemic romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney, which ultimately earned $68.2 million in the U.S./Canada.
The lack of new studio wide entries, combined with ongoing strikes, has resulted in a new low for the weekend box office. Despite the challenging circumstances, films like “Mean Girls,” “The Beekeeper,” “Wonka,” “Migration,” and “Anyone but You” have managed to maintain their audience and contribute to the overall box office performance. As the industry grapples with current challenges, it will be interesting to see how upcoming weeks unfold and whether the box office can rebound from this slump.