BOX OFFICE: “Mean Girls” still rule, “Beekeeper” stings again, “I.S.S.” Crashes on Liftoff

A dead weekend for new releases, mostly gassed out existing titles and really cold weather in a lot of the country made this corner of January a non starter at the cinema.

“Mean Girls” is adding another $11 million and change to its running tally, and Deadline.com projects that the musical remake won’t pass the original Tina Fey film’s box office take from 20 years ago and thus will fall well short of $100 million, all in.

Jason Statham’s best-reviewed franchise starter in nearly 20 years and his first decent hit in ages, “The Beekeeper” is pounding away to another $8.4 million.

Wonka” is a certified holidays-and-beyond blockbuster, rolling up another $6.4.

And the winter’s honest to Pete sleeper has to be the R-Rated. Sydney Sweeney rom-com “Anyone But You,” racking up (ahem) another $5.4 million almost a month into its run.

Bleecker Street had the weekend almost all to itself for its half-decent sci Fi space war parable “I S.S.” Lacking a big name in the cast — Oscar winner Ariana DeBose isn’t yet “box office” — it was never going to blow up. But $3 million and change is a disaster, no matter how “the witness protection program of film distribution” and Deadline.com spin it. Just a tiny bit more effort and this solid and impressive if not terribly surprising thriller could have maxed-out in the $10 million range.

Neon’s “Origins” isn’t an awards contender but in limited release Ava Duvernay’s smart sermon on race and “caste” is making noise on a per screen basis. It’s not entertaining or moving enough to play in the provinces, but those tolerant of her slack, meandering directing style will get what she intended out of it.

@boxofficepro gets the final word.

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About Roger Moore

Movie Critic, formerly with McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Orlando Sentinel, published in Spin Magazine, The World and now published here, Orlando Magazine, Autoweek Magazine
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