Jason Statham has officially started 2024 on a high note with his action-adventure The Beekeeper. The film has registered a box office collection of $75 million worldwide and offers all the promises to hit the $100 million mark soon. Helmed by David Ayer, this simple Good vs. evil story had everyone’s full attention.
The film surpassed Mean Girls’ $66 million and claimed the spot for the highest-grossing film of 2024. While this is director David Ayer’s first success in a post-pandemic world, the film has been loved globally.
The Beekeeper, released on January 12, 2024, cemented its position on the box office charts in the second week. It now rakes in $31 million in the domestic market and has collected $45 million overseas, which includes $9.5 million from China, $5.6 million from the Middle East, $5.5 million from Germany & Austria, $2.5 million from Mexico, and $2.7 million from the UK.
Jason Statham has surpassed the lifetime collection of its underwhelming film Expend4bles, which collected $51 million worldwide. Coming to David Ayer, the film is his redemption at the box office after 2016’s Suicide Squad.
The Beekeeper’s next target is a $100 million club, and here are five reasons that scream a definitive yes for the film to achieve this number.
The Audience & Critics RatingThe action-adventure has received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. It is trending globally at number 6 on IMDb’s most popular films list, with a rating of 6.8. Meanwhile, it scores 70% on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 93%.
The Simplistic ApproachThe storyline is so simple and easy that even kids can get it. Involving the world of scams and bringing an appropriate message along helped it cater to a wider set of audiences. Even simple fights grabbed the maximum attention. And while the film decodes to be or not to be, it definitely worked the idea of being simple and direct.
The John Wick-ish WorldNow, it might be an exaggeration to compare The Beekeeper to Keanu Reeves‘ $1 billion franchise John Wick, but it does take solid inspiration in parts from Chad Stahelski’s neo-noir action world. Moreover, The Beekeeper has all the potential to offer a freshly baked Jason Statham franchise full of meaningful action, which has raised the audience’s interest in the film.
Superseded The ExpectationsWhen the trailer of the film dropped, no one imagined it to be this brilliant. So, it immediately clicked with the audiences when it turned out far better than the expectations, superseding the anticipation with a brilliant and strong storyline, putting the action sequences with context – a rarity in films high on action.
Statham’s One Man ArmyJason Statham is a one-man army in The Beekeeper, and thus, the audiences root for him endlessly. There is no Statham film that does not qualify the minimum requirements of an entertainer, and this one action film passes with distinction.
The Beekeeper has tapped into the opportunity of less number of releases in January 2024. While it will continue to be on top of the box office charts this week as well, it would be interesting to see how dynamics would change the next Friday.
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
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