January has not traditionally been a month filled with great new movies. While awards season films may expand their release during this time to attract more attention, the selection of brand new movies can be quite limited. However, one advantage is that we often get a unique action movie during January. This is the month that brought us Liam Neeson’s unexpected turn as an action star in “Taken.” In January 2024, we will see one of our hardest-working modern action stars, Jason Statham, shine in the hilariously absurd “The Beekeeper.” But will the outlandish premise of this film be enough to entice moviegoers and turn it into a genuine box office success?
Director David Ayer’s latest film, “The Beekeeper,” is making a relatively modest start at the box office, expected to earn between $8 to $13 million during its opening weekend, according to Box Office Pro. However, it faces direct competition as “The Book of Clarence” is also set to open next weekend. In addition, Paramount’s musical adaptation of “Mean Girls” is anticipated to dominate the weekend, raking in $20 million or more. Nevertheless, the MLK holiday weekend has the potential to be fruitful for the right film, leaving room for more than one movie to succeed in this market.
This movie has a distinctive advantage because “The Beekeeper” is pretty much the only option available for those seeking a straightforward action film. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is already losing popularity, and it’s more of a superhero fantasy anyway. Additionally, Michael Mann’s “Ferrari” may attract a similar audience, but it hasn’t been performing well so far. While there are other movies currently playing in theaters, none of them would deter this movie from finding its audience.
“The Beekeeper” centers around the vengeful mission of a man, who happens to be an unconventional beekeeper. Unveiling his past as an operative for a secretive and powerful organization known as the “Beekeepers,” the film also features talented actors such as Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad, and Jeremy Irons.
Drawing comparisons to recent releases, it seems that this movie could potentially follow the trajectory of Statham’s “Wrath of Man.” The latter earned $8.3 million during its opening weekend and went on to reach $27.4 million domestically. Its international box office performance was more impressive, accumulating a substantial $76.4 million and bringing its global total to $103.9 million. Directed by Guy Ritchie and with a budget of $40 million, “Wrath of Man” achieved relative success.
Given that we do not know the budget for “The Beekeeper,” it is difficult to determine whether or not it will achieve similar success based on these projected numbers. However, it appears that “The Beekeeper” is not an extravagantly expensive film.
It is hoped that Ayer, known for his work on films like “Suicide Squad” and “Fury,” has managed to keep the budget for this movie at the same level or even lower. The film will be distributed by MGM, which is crucial. Now that MGM is under the ownership of Amazon, there may not be as much pressure for the movie to solely make a profit in theaters, as it will eventually be available on Prime Video. However, if this movie performs well, it will likely encourage MGM to produce more action films in the future.
