Argylle off To Slow Start at the Box Office

Argylle is off to a slow start at the box office, though it’s still tracking high enough to win its opening weekend. Argylle is set to earn $16.5 million over its first three days, which is likely less than what Apple was hoping for when they purchased the Matthew Vaughn-directed film, with its star-studded ensemble cast, for $200 million. The film earned a C+ CinemaScore and weak reviews, sporting a “rotten” 35% approval rating on . ComicBook.com’s Patrick Cavanaugh awarded Argylle a score of 2-ouf-of-5 stars in his film review, calling the movie “uninspired” and “overlong.” He writes:

“Surprisingly, Argylle does make good on boasting that it came from a twisted mind, though this is more a reflection on the overall narrative and its many twists and turns, which burgeoning cinephiles will likely appreciate more than those well-versed in the genre. All the various loose threads of the film’s winding journey mostly pay off from a story standpoint, we just wish some of the more bloated scenes and sequences could have been trimmed and the characters could have been a bit more inventive to make that journey far more enjoyable. With Argylle, Vaughn delivers something that will feel quite familiar to his previous efforts, yet its PG-13 tone and embrace of CGI make for a toothless experience that can’t quite be salvaged even by this impressive cast. There are glimpses of genuine glee, but they are too few and far between to salvage the experience as a whole.”

The Beekeeper, Wonka, Migration, and Mean Girls fill out the top five on the box office chart this weekend. The full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend is in the works.

1. Argylle

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $16.5 million

Reclusive author Elly Conway writes best-selling espionage novels about a secret agent named Argylle who’s on a mission to unravel a global spy syndicate. However, when the plots of her books start to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, the line between fiction and reality begin to blur.

Matthew Vaughn directed Argylle from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Henry Cavill, Sofia Boutella, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson. 

2. The Beekeper

• Week Four
• Weekend: $5.1 million
• Total: $49.3 million
  

One man’s brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after it’s revealed he’s a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as Beekeepers.

David Ayer directed The Beekeeper from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer. It stars Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad, and Jeremy Irons.

3. Wonka

• Week Eight
• Weekend: $4.7 million
• Total: $201 million
  

Armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, young chocolatier Willy Wonka manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time.

Paul King directed Wonka from a screenplay he co-wrote with Simon Farnaby, based on characters created by Roald Dahl. The film stars Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Natasha Rothwell, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant.

4. Migration

• Week Seven
• Weekend: $4.2 million
• Total: $106.2 million

A family of ducks decides to leave the safety of a New England pond for an adventurous trip to Jamaica. However, their well-laid plans quickly go awry when they get lost and wind up in New York City. The experience soon inspires them to expand their horizons, open themselves up to new friends, and accomplish more than they ever thought possible.

Benjamin Renner directed Migration, with co-director Homsy, from a screenplay written by Mike White. The film’s voice cast includes Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, and Danny DeVito.

5. Mean Girls

• Week Four
• Weekend: $3.85 million
• Total: $66.2 million
  

New student Cady Heron gets welcomed into the top of the social food chain by an elite group of popular girls called the Plastics, ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George. However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend, she soon finds herself caught in their crosshairs.

Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. directed Mean Girls from a screenplay by Tina Fey. The film is based on the Mean Girls Broadway musical, itself based on the original Mark Waters comedy film of the same name from 2004, which was based on Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes. The film stars Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auliʻi Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika, Bebe Wood, Christopher Briney, Jenna Fischer. and Busy Philipps, Tina Fey, and Tim Meadows.

6. Anyone But You

• Week Seven
• Weekend: $3.27 million
• Total: $76 million

Despite an amazing first date, Bea and Ben’s initial attraction quickly turns sour. However, when they unexpectedly find themselves at a destination wedding in Australia, they pretend to be the perfect couple to keep up appearances.

Will Gluck directed Anyone but You from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ilana Wolpert, adapting and modernizing the William Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing. Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell star in the film.

7. The Chosen Season 4

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $4.7 million

Clashing kingdoms. Rival rulers. The enemies of Jesus close in for the kill while His followers struggle to keep up, leaving Him to carry the burden alone. Season 4 promises to deliver where last season’s incredible walking on water finale left off.

Dallas Jenkins created The Chosen. It stars Jonathan Roumie, Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Noah James, and George H. Xanthis.

8. American Fiction

• Week Eight
• Weekend: $2.19 million
• Total: $14.9 million

Monk is a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

Cord Jefferson directed American Fiction, which is an adaptation of the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett. The film stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, and Keith David.

9. Poor Things

• Week Nine
• Weekend: $2.1 million
• Total: $28.1 million

Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Yorgos Lanthimos directed Poor Things from a screenplay by Tony McNamara, based on the 1992 novel Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health Officer by Alasdair Gray. It stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael.

10. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

• Week Seven
• Weekend: $1.8 million
• Total: $120.6 million

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrived in theaters on December 22nd, when an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Randall Park as Stephen Shin. Jani Zhao will play new character Stingray, Indya Moore will play Karshon, and Vincent Regan will play Atlan, who was previously portrayed by Graham McTavish in Aquaman.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is directed by James Wan, with a script from David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Producers include Wan and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran.