‘Like a Boss’ Makes Modest Debut at Weekend Box Office

Like a Boss (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

Like a Boss brought laughter to the weekend box office, yet the response from ticket buyers was lukewarm.

The Paramount Pictures release starring Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne opened in fourth place, after bringing in an estimated $10 million from 3,078 theaters across North America. That added up to a per location average of $3,249, according to Comscore.

The R-rated comedy centers on best friends Mia and Mel (Haddish and Byrne), who start a beauty company together but end up in over their heads financially. Salma Hayek, Billy Porter, Jennifer Coolidge, Ari Graynor, Natasha Rothwell, Jessica St. Clair and Karan Soni also star.

Haddish is best known for her breakout role in Girls Trip (2017), and Byrnes co-starred in Bridesmaids (2011) — two hugely popular female-led ensemble comedies. While Girls Trip opened with $31.2 million and Bridesmaids took in $26.2 million in its debut, Like a Boss premiered with just a percentage of what those films earned.

Still, with a modest $29 million production budget, Like a Boss could turn a profit. Although it will have to overcome scathing reviews from critics who handed the film a 21 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, and described it as “rude,” “crude” and “cringe-worthy.”

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The comedy tied for fourth place with critically acclaimed drama Just Mercy, which also pulled in $10 million. Now in its third weekend, the criminal justice drama expanded from four theaters to 2,375 for a per location average of $4,211.

The film entered the weekend with strong reviews, an 82 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, and could see its fortunes improve if it picks up any Oscar nominations tomorrow morning.

Just Mercy follows the true story of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a black man wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a white woman in rural Alabama. Attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) fights to prove McMillian’s innocence and save him from the electric chair.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the Warner Bros. release is based on Stevenson’s bestselling memoir by the same name. Foxx picked up a Best Supporting Actor SAG nomination for his performance in the film.

1917 (Credit: Universal Pictures)

1917, another awards season contender, blew the competition away. The World War I epic expanded from 11 theaters to 3,434 this weekend, and finished at the top of the box office.

After being named Best Drama Picture at last weekend’s Golden Globes, the Sam Mendes-directed drama brought in a stellar $36.5 million.

The Universal Pictures release follows two young British soldiers played by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, who are given a seemingly impossible mission to cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers.

In second place, Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker slipped one spot after three weeks at the top of the box office. This weekend, it took in another $15.1 million for a North American total of $478.2 million through Sunday.

Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level earned $14 million for a third place finish. As previously mentioned Like a Boss and Just Mercy tied for fourth, although Boss is expected to edge slightly ahead when final box office numbers are tallied Monday.

Box Office for Jan. 12, 2020. (Credit: Comscore)