The Beekeeper (2024 film)

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The Beekeeper
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Ayer
Written byKurt Wimmer
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGabriel Beristain
Edited byGeoffrey O'Brien
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byAmazon MGM Studios
Release date
  • January 12, 2024 (2024-01-12)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million
Box office$152.7 million

The Beekeeper is a 2024 American action thriller film directed by David Ayer and written by Kurt Wimmer. The film stars Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Phylicia Rashad, Jemma Redgrave and Jeremy Irons. When his kind-hearted landlady dies by suicide after losing her charity's funds to a phishing scam, Adam Clay, a former "Beekeeper" operative, sets out on a brutal campaign for revenge upon those responsible.

The Beekeeper was released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios under the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer label on January 12, 2024. The film grossed $152.7 million worldwide, making it the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2024.

Plot[edit]

Retired school teacher Eloise Parker lives alone but has a tenant in her barn, Adam Clay, living a quiet life as a beekeeper. One day, Eloise falls for a phishing scam that bankrupts her and steals over $2 million from a charity fund she manages. Devastated, she commits suicide. Adam discovers her body and is immediately arrested by FBI agent Verona Parker, Eloise's daughter. After being cleared and released, Verona tells Adam the group that robbed her mother has been on the FBI's radar for a while but is difficult to track. Seeking justice for Eloise, Adam contacts the Beekeepers, a mysterious group, to find the scammers responsible.

Adam receives an address for the scammers: a call center run by Mickey Garnett. Adam scares off the employees and destroys the building. Mickey informs his boss, technology executive Derek Danforth, who sends Mickey to kill Adam. A violent confrontation ensues where Adam kills Mickey's men and severs Mickey's fingers on his right hand with a bandsaw. Mickey calls Derek while stopped at a bridge, informing him that Adam is a Beekeeper. Having followed Mickey, Adam drags him off the bridge with a truck to his death and warns Derek that he is coming after him.

Derek informs former CIA director Wallace Westwyld, who is currently running security for Danforth Enterprises at the request of Derek's mother, Jessica, about Adam. Concerned, Wallace contacts current CIA Director Harward in hopes of stopping Adam. Harward contacts the Beekeepers and learns that Adam has retired from the organization. The Beekeepers subsequently declare neutrality after Adam kills the current Beekeeper, Anisette, sent to kill him. Verona and her partner, Matt Wiley, anticipate that Adam will deliver an assault on the Nine Star United Center in Boston, which oversees all of Derek's global scam call centers. After informing FBI Deputy Director Prigg that Adam is a Beekeeper, they receive all the support they ask for.

Wallace coordinates a group of ex-special forces personnel, revealing to them that the Beekeepers are a highly skilled and dangerous clandestine human intelligence organization tasked with protecting the United States, operating above and beyond governmental jurisdiction. To have a chance at stopping Adam, Wallace orders the group to secure the inside of the Nine Star Building, while the FBI places their own SWAT team around the perimeter. However, Derek's refusal to evacuate the employees enables Adam to quickly defeat the FBI SWAT team and infiltrate the building. After wiping out all of Wallace’s ex-special forces group, Adam proceeds to interrogate manager Rico Anzalone, who reveals that Derek is his boss.

Verona informs Prigg that Derek runs both companies, which several US government agencies use. Verona also brings up the point that not only will Adam attempt to kill Derek, but he may also kill Jessica, the President of the United States, due to her association with the scam. As Adam eludes capture, Wallace advises Derek to stay with his mother under Secret Service protection.

At the president's beachside mansion, Wallace hires a group of mercenaries, including Lazarus, who lost a leg during a previous encounter with a Beekeeper. Adam infiltrates the mansion, while the President learns the truth from Prigg about her son's exploitation of a CIA program during her presidential campaign. She decides that when Adam approaches, she will tell him and the world the truth about Derek's use of the program. Enraged, Derek kills Prigg and takes his mother hostage. Adam fights his way to the President's office, killing the mercenaries and Lazarus in the process. Wallace talks to Adam to persuade him to turn away at the last moment but fails. Adam eventually reaches Jessica's office, being quickly joined by Verona, Matt, and the rest of the FBI agents.

Verona tries to dissuade Adam from killing Jessica and Derek. Derek attempts to kill his mother, but Adam kills him first and escapes through a nearby window and onto the beach. Despite Verona having a clear shot, she decides not to shoot Adam. He flees with the aid of the underwater gear he had hidden on the beach.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

In August 2021, it was announced that Jason Statham would star in the film for Miramax, and would also serve as a producer.[2] David Ayer signed on to direct in May 2022.[3]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography began in September 2022 in the United Kingdom.[4] In October, Statham shot scenes at Tyringham Hall in Tyringham.[5] Filming wrapped that December.[6]

Release[edit]

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) acquired the film's distribution rights in the United States in August 2022.[4] In February 2023, Sky Cinema acquired the rights in the United Kingdom.[7] It was released by Amazon MGM Studios on January 12, 2024.[8][9]

The Beekeeper was released on VOD and digital platforms on January 30, 2024.[10]

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

The Beekeeper grossed $66.2 million domestically (United States and Canada) and $86.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $152.7 million,[11] against a budget of "$40 million or less".[12] It spent its first eight weeks in the Top 10 at the domestic box office, peaking at No. 1 in its third week.[13]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 170 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Cheerfully undemanding and enjoyably retrograde, The Beekeeper proves that when it comes to dispensing action-thriller justice, Statham hasn't lost his sting."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[15]

A review in The Guardian says the non-shooting scenes are rushed and both Rashad and Driver are underused, and describes it as "a solid, low-stakes, medium-reward new year's effort".[16] RogerEbert.com's Matt Zoller Seitz praised various aspects of the film, including its range of villains, but regretted: "It's a real shame that 'The Beekeeper' isn't the righteous trash masterpiece that it keeps threatening to turn into."[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Beekeeper (15)". BBFC. December 15, 2023. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  2. ^ D'Alessandro, Alexander (August 27, 2021). "Jason Statham To Star In Miramax's 'The Bee Keeper'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 5, 2022). "'Suicide Squad' Filmmaker David Ayer To Direct Jason Statham In Miramax's Action Pic 'The Beekeeper' — Cannes Market Hot Package". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (August 31, 2022). "Jason Statham-David Ayer Action Pic 'The Beekeeper' Pre-Bought By MGM For U.S. & Some Of International". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Morton, Dennis (October 21, 2023). "Video shows Jason Statham filming blockbuster movie in small Milton Keynes village". Edinburgh News. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "2022 film and high-end TV productions shooting in the UK: latest updates". Screen Daily. December 6, 2022. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  7. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 20, 2023). "Jason Statham-David Ayer Action Film 'The Beekeeper' Sells To UK". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 4, 2023). "The Beekeeper Trailer: Jason Statham And David Ayer Action Movie Flying Toward January Release". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  9. ^ White, James (April 10, 2023). "Jason Statham Proves Vengeance Stings In The Beekeeper Trailer". Empire. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  10. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (February 5, 2024). "From Migration to The Beekeeper, VOD Charts Suggest Viewers Are Willing to Wait for Lower Rental Prices". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  11. ^ "The Beekeeper". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 20, 2024.Edit this at Wikidata
  12. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (January 14, 2024). "'Mean Girls' Drives $100 Million Box Office Weekend, but It May Be the Last One Until March". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  13. ^ "The Beekeeper | Domestic Weekly". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  14. ^ "The Beekeeper". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 20, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  15. ^ "The Beekeeper". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Lee, Benjamin (January 11, 2024). "The Beekeeper review – Jason Statham's John Wick is serviceable schlock". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  17. ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (January 11, 2024). "The Beekeeper movie review & film summary (2024)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.

External links[edit]

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