Jason Stathamhas starred in two hit action movies in the past couple of years —The BeekeeperandA Working Man— and simple statistics determine which one is more deserving of a sequel.Statham is one of the last remaining box office starswho don’t need to rely on I.P. like Marvel superheroes and can actually attract a crowd to a theater. At a time when most non-franchise action movies flop, audiences are still turning up to see Statham on the big screen.
Statham’s latest action vehicle,A Working Man, has dethroned theSnow Whiteremake at the box office. His new revenge thriller has toppled a giant mega-budget Disney property on the box office charts, proving that Statham is even more popular than the original Disney princess. After the success ofA Working Man, it seems likely to get a sequel. Butmaybe Statham’s last action movie,The Beekeeper, should get a sequel first. The stats make it clear that one deserves a sequel more than the other.
A Working Man’s Box Office & Rotten Tomatoes Scores Compared To The Beekeeper
The Beekeeper Got A Warmer Reception From Critics & Audiences
WhileA Working Manhas been a hit with both critics and audiences,The Beekeeperdid even better.The Beekeepercaught everyone by surprise. It’s a ridiculous movie with a ridiculous premise, but it’s also a ton of fun.It earned an impressive “fresh” critics’ score of 71%on Rotten Tomatoes, and an even more enthusiastic 92% from audiences.A Working Man’s audience score isn’t too far behindThe Beekeeperwith 89%, butit has a much lower critics’ score of 51%, below the “rotten” threshold.
71%
92%
$16.5 million
51%
89%
$15.2 million
B
The Beekeeperfared better at the box office, too, grossing $16.5 million domestically on its opening weekend (viaDeadline).A Working Man’s own opening weekend isn’t far off, with $15.2 million, butThe Beekeeperhad great legs and ended up with a very strong multiplier.A Working Manshould still end up being a success, but the weaker reviews will make it more difficult to repeatThe Beekeeper’s lifetime gross of $162 million.The Beekeeperfared better on CinemaScore, too.A Working Manearned a respectable CinemaScore of B, butThe Beekeeperslightly outdid it with a B+.
A Working Man Could Get A Sequel, But The Beekeeper 2 Would Be Better
Both Have Franchise Potential
BothThe BeekeeperandA Working Manhave franchise potential.The Beekeeperhas some fascinating worldbuildingand the first movie just scratched the surface, whileA Working Manis adapted from a book series with a bunch of other entries. But in terms of box office performance and critical reception (and simply what sounds more exciting as a viewer),The Beekeeper 2would be the betterJason Stathamsequel. Thankfully,The Beekeeper 2is already in development, with Timo Tjahjanto attached as director.
