Director David Ayer’s surprise hit The Beekeeper is continuing to pull audiences to theaters, even after a month-and-a-half of release. Having debuted during the notoriously unreliable January window, The Beekeeper earned positive reviews and even better response at the box office. Now nearing the end of its theatrical run, the movie is guaranteed to cross the major milestone of $150 million worldwide as it heads towards a physical media release. The movie has already been released for purchase and rent on PVOD platforms.
With a domestic gross of $63 million, and a further $86 million coming from overseas markets, the film’s cumulative global haul currently stands at $149.6 million. It will pass the $150 million mark in a matter of days. The Beekeeper has been unexpectedly resilient at the box office, registering minimal drops since its January debut. It grossed $16 million domestically in its first weekend, finishing second, and has since refused to drop by more than 50% in any of its seven weekends of release.
The movie has also proven to be particularly popular in China, having grossed over $16 million there. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how popular star Jason Statham is in the Middle Kingdom. He experienced major success last year with Meg 2: The Trench, a China co-production that grossed nearly $400 million globally. But the action star also suffered pandemic-era setbacks in the form of Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and Expend4bles. Delivering a solo hit would no doubt do good for his bankability.
Could ‘The Beekeeper’ Be Turned Into a Franchise?
The Beekeeper’s success should also help turn the tides in Ayer’s favor. The filmmaker was on the path to rare critical and commercial success before Suicide Squad’s troubled production and post-release controversy derailed his career to a degree. He hadn’t directed a wide theatrical release since 2016 before The Beekeeper buzzed into theaters, nor had either of his two interim releases — Bright and The Tax Collector — been appreciated critically.
The Beekeeper, on the other hand, scored a “fresh” 71% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with the audience score standing at an even more positive 92%. Fans seemed to appreciate the film’s goofy thrills and non-requirement of any franchise foreknowledge. The Beekeeper follows the vengeful quest of a covert operative who is activated into action following the death of an acquaintance. Also starring Emmy Raver-Lampman, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad, Jeremy Irons, and Josh Hutcherson, The Beekeeper remains the top-grossing Hollywood film of 2024. You can watch the film in theaters and at home, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.