Jason Statham is currently experiencing one of his most successful box office performances as the leading man with The Beekeeper which earned $5.3 million this weekend, a mere 21% decrease. The film’s total domestic earnings now stand at $49.4 million, with international earnings reaching $73.1 million, bringing the global total to a strong $122.5 million. The movie is well on track to exceed the worldwide earnings of another Statham action film, Mechanic: Resurrection which garnered $125.7 million.
Statham has, of course, been in plenty of films as part of an ensemble, with his four highest-grossing films coming in the Fast and Furious franchise, in which he plays the character of Deckard Shaw. The next two in his top films are The Meg and Meg 2: The Trench in which he is the de facto leading man but also operates as part of a smaller ensemble that is bolstered by a strong and diverse presence, to help the film perform well overseas, especially in China, where the majority of the production money comes from for the films.
That just leaves The Mechanic and The Transporter series. Transporter 3 grossed $112 million worldwide, with the other films in the series failing to crack the $100 million mark, while 2021’s Wrath of Man earned $103 million. Another strongly performing week for The Beekeeper will see the film become the best in Statham’s career as a true leading man, proof that a fun script and bonkers action, combined with a charismatic and convincing leading man will always draw audiences no matter the topic.
What is ‘The Beekeeper’ About?
The movie sees Statham as a retired ‘beekeeper’, an elite covert agent with more than a few tricks, who steps into the limelight once more to right a few wrongs when a loved one ends up falling victim to Josh Hutcherson’s slimy villain. The film also stars Jeremy Irons in a supporting role. Critics have warmly received The Beekeeper, a response that might not have been anticipated given its distinct January movie feel. The film secured a 71% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes and received a B+ grade from CinemaScore, based on feedback from audiences on its opening day. In his positive review, Collider’s Nate Richard wrote, “Jason Statham and David Ayer more than deliver on this action premise, making for one of the most wild mainstream action movies to hit the big screen in a while.”
