Mean Girls is stronger than Jason Statham at the US box office

Wonka falls to the end of the podium, but reaches a new stage in its success: the musical comedy with Timothée Chalamet has passed 500 million dollars in revenue worldwide. (Source: Le Film Français)

Twenty years after the release of the original film, the Mean Girls return in the sequel Lolita In spite of myself, and the American public is there: the film has already grossed $28 million in 3,791 American theaters. It should logically cross the 30 million mark today, since this Monday is a holiday across the Atlantic (it’s Martin Luther King Day). It is certain, its 36 million budget will quickly be reimbursed.

And to think that Paramount initially wanted to release this sequel directly in streaming! Finally, Mean Girls 2 starts better than its predecessor, which sold 24.5 million during its first weekend in May 2004, then 86 million in all in the United States and finally 130 million worldwide.

Lolita in spite of myself 2 should therefore do better. This new success is mainly due to the female audience (76%) and young people, Variety specifying that 60% of people who bought a ticket for the film this weekend were under 25 years old.

What is Mean Girls, Lolita Despite Me, a rereading of the cult teen movie from 2004? (critical)

In the rest of the world, Mean Girls has already earned 6.5 million greenbacks in 16 territories, but the American site emphasizes that it is a slightly disappointing start – box office specialists predicted double that. Probably because it is not yet available in English-speaking countries where the first opus is very popular, such as the United Kingdom or New Zealand, where it will be released on Friday?

Did the fact that this sequel is a musical also work against it? Not really, explains the same site, since “the public knew what they were going to see, there were no good or bad surprises”, considers Chris Aronson, head of distribution at the studio, who did a survey on this subject and details that 75% of those questioned before going to see the film were aware that it was a musical. Even if its trailers showed few excerpts of singing or dancing.

“This good start is more due to the iconic film written by Tina Fey and its incredible longevityhe says, not underestimating his popularity with a new generation, who has seized the codes of Mean Girlsespecially on TikTok. “Its contemporary tone resonates well with today’s audiences”he concludes.

Another new addition to the top 10, The Beekeeper, starring Jason Statham, debuts in second place with $16.7 million collected in 3,307 theaters. It is well below Mean Girlsbut this action thriller is still considered a success.

The film by David Ayer (Fury, Suicide Squad) also earned an additional 20 million in the 49 other countries in which it was released. Which makes David A. Gross, consultant for the company Franchise Entertainment Research, say: “It’s a solid start to a new action film. These kinds of productions work best in the international market, and Jason Statham is an established star all over the world.” The British actor should here make up for the recent flop ofExpendables 4.

Finally, the last novelty of the weekend, The Book of Clarence, is ninth thanks to $2.5 million raised for 2010 copies. This religious film with Lakeith Stanfield, Jame McAvoy and Omar Sy is due to be released in France for Easter, but this start, which is far below expectations, suggests a failure. Maybe because it’s a comedy? The film follows an unlucky man seeking to take advantage of Jesus’ resurrection to make people believe that he is a Messiah sent by God. “Comedy mixed with this kind of subject is difficult to sell abroad”emphasizes Gross.

Among the continuities, Wonka falls from first to third place, but still remains a big success. After having throned for a month in the USA, the musical comedy with Timothée Chalamet adds 8.3 million to its counter, or 176 million in domestic. For its fifth week of operation, this blockbuster produced by Warner Bros also passes the $500 million mark in revenue worldwide.

Aquaman 2, released a week after it, crossed 100 million last weekend in North America, and has now reached 375 million in total. It’s better than the studio’s recent comic book adaptations (The Flash, Black Adam…), but this remains well below the crazy success of the first opus, which reached $1 billion in revenue in 2018. Since then, the studio has not done better thanks to the DCU: only Joker recorded an excellent score, but remaining apart from the main saga, which is currently being rebooted.

Wonka, Everything But You, Migration, Night Swim, The Boys in the Boat And Iron Claw hang on in the rankings, collecting between 6.7 and 2.4 million additional. The French Film also note the presence ofa new Pixar in theaters, Drunk, which has just been released to cinemas in the USA. Released directly on Disney+ three years ago, the animated film is 22nd in the top thanks to $429,000 collected from 1,350 screens. A strategy which will be renewed soon with Red alert Or Lucas from the same studio.

American ranking for the weekend of January 12 to 14, 2024: