Los Angeles, CA – The box office is experiencing the usual lull of January as the only new wide release film, “I.S.S.”, fails to make a significant impact. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the outer space thriller stars Ariana DeBose and Chris Messina as astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Despite the intriguing premise, “I.S.S.” drew only $1.2 million on its opening day and previews from 2,520 theaters.
The film, which was acquired by Bleeker Street last August, has received mostly negative reviews, and early audiences are equally unimpressed. Research firm Cinema Score gave “I.S.S.” a “C-” grade, while Rotten Tomatoes awarded it just 62%. Industry projections indicate that the film will reach a meager $3.3 million in its debut weekend.
In contrast, Paramount’s “Mean Girls” continues to dominate the box office, raking in $3.2 million from 3,826 theaters. The beloved movie musical is expected to add another $11 million over the weekend, bringing its domestic total to over $49 million.
Taking second place is “The Beekeeper,” a film by Amazon MGM. It earned $2.4 million on Friday from 3,330 locations, a 64% decline from the previous week. Directed by David Ayer, the action movie is projected to make approximately $8.4 million over the weekend.
Warner Bros.’ “Wonka” is holding onto third place, with an estimated $6.7 million in its sixth weekend of release. Starring Timothée Chalamet as the iconic chocolatier, the fantasy musical is predicted to surpass a domestic total of $187.4 million by Sunday.
Sony’s “Anyone but You” landed in fourth place, earning $1.7 million on Friday from 2,928 locations. The romantic comedy, starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, is expected to accumulate a weekend total of $5.4 million, bringing its domestic tally to $64.2 million.
Rounding out the top five is Universal’s “Migration,” which earned $1.1 million on Friday, only a 4% drop from the previous week. The Illumination animated adventure is projected to reach a three-day total of $5.3 million, pushing its domestic total to over $94 million.
In limited release, Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” opened this weekend and brought in $380,000 across 130 screens, according to industry rivals. While the box office remains lackluster overall, moviegoers will have to wait for upcoming releases to inject some excitement into the new year.