“Mean Girls”, the highly anticipated musical remake of the 2004 cult classic film, held onto its #1 spot at the North American box office for the second weekend in a row amid an overall slow January lineup. However, weak numbers in its sophomore frame raise questions about the movie’s longevity and whether today’s audiences connect with the musical format.
“Mean Girls” Beats Lackluster Competition But Drops Over 50%
According to studio estimates Sunday, “Mean Girls” brought in $11.7 million from 3,413 locations in its second weekend, easily finishing first. However, that is a steep drop of 54% from its $25.9 million debut weekend numbers.
While the Tina Fey-produced musical still claimed victory, it faced little competition, highlighting a quiet January at the box office as studios recover from the holiday rush and Oscar hopefuls angle for awards attention.
Holdovers like “The Beekeeper” starring Jason Statham at No. 2 with $10.8 million and the Jay-Z produced drama “Book of Clarence” in third with $7.9 million round out the top three. But all dropped significant amounts – “Beekeeper” slid 56% and “Book of Clarence” fell 61% from the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
In total, the top 12 earned about $68 million, the quietest weekend of the year so far. January is typically a slow month as moviegoers catch up on acclaimed films and studios reassess strategy.
“There’s no way to slice or dice this, this is just a slow weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “This is typical of the January slowdown after the holiday season.”
Table 1: Top 5 Films for Jan 20-22, 2024 Weekend
| Title | Weekend Gross | # of Theaters | Total Gross | Drop from Last Weekend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Girls | $11.7 million | 3,413 | $50 million | -54% |
| The Beekeeper | $10.8 million | 3,565 | $32.1 million | -56% |
| Book of Clarence | $7.9 million | 2,713 | $19.2 million | -61% |
| Anyone But You | $5.5 million | 3,020 | $5.5 million | N/A (new) |
| ISS | $5.3 million | 3,042 | $18.3 million | -66% |
ISS refers to “Infinite Storm” starring Naomi Watts. Source: Comscore
Musical Format in Question as “Mean Girls” Legs Uncertain
The 2024 “Mean Girls” musical is a risky, high stakes project for Paramount Studios and director Tina Fey, seeking to draw upon millennial nostalgia for the original and introduce the story to a new Gen Z audience.
It remains unclear whether the film can draw continued interest past its built-in fanbase. Second weekend drops over 50% raise questions about how long “Mean Girls” can stay atop the charts. Studios deliberately do not promote films’ musical numbers to avoid turning off potential moviegoers. Some analysts say that hurts word of mouth.
“There’s still a bias against movie musicals,” said Jeff Bock, Exhibitor Relations senior box office analyst. “Many audiences hear musical and run the other direction.”
Upcoming releases like Universal’s “Wonka” with Timothee Chalamet look to continue the hot streak of musicals at the box office. But it’s success likely hinges on drawing in viewers beyond fans of the musical genre.
International Box Office Numbers Solid Overseas
While facing a mediocre second frame domestically, “Mean Girls” is seeing much stronger results internationally. It debuted day-and-date in 18 markets abroad, earning $17.2 million from 15,000 screens in its first weekend.
The United Kingdom led with a No. 1 launch of $5.4 million, followed by Australia ($3.1 million) and Germany ($2.5 million). Taiwan, Italy, Brazil and Mexico also saw No.1 openings while Korea started at No. 2.
This represents a good start for the $50 million budgeted musical. With rollout continuing across Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific in subsequent weekends, analysts see potential forMean Girls to leg out better overseas.
What Comes Next for “Mean Girls” and Movie Musicals
“Mean Girls” has grossed $50 million domestically after 10 days of release. The film needs to stick around American multiplexes to justify its $50 million budget. Most musicals see sharp second weekend declines, but “Mean Girls” will try to stabilize next weekend.
Oscar nominations on Jan 24 could provide awards season visibility and box office bumps for musicals like “Wonka” and Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed remake of “West Side Story.”
February will see more mass-audience appeals like Marvel’s “Ant-Man 3” starring Jonathan Majors and director Peyton Reed’s romantic comedy “Rom-Com” with Margot Robbie and Christian Bale. Whether audiences show up for the singing and dancing still remains a big question in Hollywood.
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