With no new wide releases this weekend, theater traffic is reaching a near halt to mark the end of January. “Mean Girls” looks to lead domestic charts once again, while the crop of freshly Oscar-nominated features look to extend their big screen runs armed with renewed new awards buzz. Universal’s release of Apple’s star-studded action-comedy “Argylle” will hope to make a splash and kickstart business next weekend.
Until then, Paramount’s “Mean Girls” is staying on top, projecting about $6.7 million over the three-day frame. That would mark the lowest-grossing No. 1 release since “Top Gun: Maverick” returned to the top slot with $6 million in its 15th weekend of release back in September 2022. Since then, there was also “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” which debuted to $8.5 million over Super Bowl weekend last year.
It marks another solid hold “Mean Girls,” which looks to push its domestic gross north of $60 million in the coming days. But after a somewhat muted holiday season, the marketplace is now quieter than its been in a long time.
“American Fiction” and “Poor Things” look to be the strongest beneficiaries of this week’s Oscar nomination announcements, with both films projecting an uptick in grosses from their previous outings. Amazon MGM’s “American Fiction” is expecting a 57% bump, while rivals project Searchlight’s “Poor Things” could climb 32% after adding another $850,000 on Friday. Both comedies hope to stay relevant to moviegoers in the weeks ahead of the March 10 awards ceremony.
Amazon MGM can also claim second place, with conspiracy actioner “The Beekeeper” projecting another $6.4 million in its third weekend of release. The Jason Statham vehicle looks to push its domestic haul to $40 million through Sunday.
“Wonka” is taking third, with the Warner Bros. release taking about $5 million. The Timothée Chalamet musical is inching closer to the $200 million mark in North America and should pass it before its run concludes. It would be the first film starring the 28-year-old actor to notch that achievement.
Sony’s “Anyone but You” looks to secure fourth place, showing yet another solid hold. After a quiet opening in December, the romantic comedy has beaten the odds and will push past $70 million in North America, continuing an impressive run.
Rounding out the top five, Universal’s “Migration” has crossed $100 million at the domestic box office. It’s another success story of the holiday aftermath, characterized by strong staying power past the New Year and into a quiet January.
