2_IC_The Holdovers ⓒ

Source: Universal Pictures

‘The Holdovers’

The Beekeeper and Mean Girls were locked in a race for number one at the North American box office, although the more interesting results saw most of last week’s Oscar nominees surge after theatrical expansions or re-releases.

Amazon MGM Studios’ Jason Statham thriller The Beekeeper earned an estimated $7.4m and Paramount’s Mean Girls musical delivered $7.3m in their third weekends in a slow session overall. The studios will report final numbers on Monday when the box office winner will be determined.

Warner Bros’ Wonka ranked third on $5.9m for an excellent $195.2m in its seventh weekend, followed by Universal/Illumination’s Migration on $5.2m to cross $100m and settle on $101.3m after six sessions.

Sony’s R-rated Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell comedy Anyone But You rounded out the top five on $4.8m for $71.2m after eight.

Turning to the Oscar nominees, Searchlight Pictures’ Poor Things from Yorgos Lanthimos climbed four places to rank sixth on $3m after expanding from 1,400 into 2,300 locations, as box office increased by 43.1% over last weekend to reach $24.8m after eight weekends.

Ranking seventh after a five-place leap was Amazon MGM Studios’ American Fiction on $2.9m from 1,702 sites. Cord Jefferson’s satire expanded from 852 locations and box office climbed 65% to reach $11.8m after seven sessions.

Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama The Zone Of Interest expanded from 82 to 317 screens and vaulted six places to number 15, earning $1.1m as box office surged 142% to reach $3m after seven weekends. A24 said the majority of audiences across the top markets are aged under 35 but did not provide more specific data.

Ranking 16th after climbing nine slots in its 28th weekend was Universal’s Oppenheimer, the most nominated of all films on 13 nods. Christopher Nolan’s drama expanded from 254 into 1,262 theatres, earning $1m after a 284.1% box office leap to reach $328.2m.

Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy And The Heron in 17th place expanded the theatre count from 580 to 610 in its seventh weekend. GKids reported a $660,932 session for a $44.2m cumulative haul after a 21.8% drop.

Miyazaki’s animated feature nominee now ranks as the third highest anime of all time at the North American box office after it surpassed Pokemon The Movie 2000.

Focus Features’ The Holdovers from Alexander Payne sits in 18th place and expanded from 127 to 1,267 locations as $520,000 marked a 568% surge over last weekend’s box office and propelled the running total to $19.3m after 14 weekends.

Martin Scorsese’s drama Killers Of The Flower Moon from Apple, released theatrically via Paramount, climbed 21 places to number 24, after expanding from 16 to 941 sites in its 15th weekend. Box office vaulted 3,816% to $220,000 for a $67.6m running total.

Ranking 25th after a six-place climb was Justine Triet’s drama Anatomy Of A Fall from Neon, which expanded from 25 to 380 sites and grossed $211,500 after a 440% surge to reach $4.2m after 16 weekends.

A24 and Warner Bros did not report grosses for limited re-releases of Past Lives and Barbie, respectively.