The Beekeeper (2024 film)

The Beekeeper is a 2024 American action thriller film directed

by David Ayer and written by Kurt Wimmer. The film stars Jason The Beekeeper
Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby
Naderi, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad and Jeremy Irons.

The Beekeeper was released in the United States by Amazon

MGM Studios under the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures label on
January 12, 2024. The film has grossed $103 million worldwide.

Plot
Retired schoolteacher Eloise Parker lives by herself in the
Massachusetts countryside, but she has a tenant in her barn,
Adam Clay, leading a quiet life as a beekeeper. One day, Eloise
falls for a phishing scam and is robbed of over $2 million, the
majority of which belongs to a charity organization she manages.
Devastated, she commits suicide. Clay finds her body and is
immediately arrested by FBI agent Verona Parker, Eloise's
daughter. After Eloise's death is ruled a suicide, Clay is released. Release poster
Verona tells him the group that robbed Eloise has been on the
FBI's radar for a while but is difficult to track. She is pessimistic Directed by David Ayer
that they will ever be brought to justice even if they are found. Written by Kurt Wimmer
Wanting justice for Eloise, Clay contacts the Beekeepers, a
Produced by Bill Block
mysterious group, to find the scammers responsible.
Jason Statham
Clay receives an address for the scammers: a call center run by David Ayer
Mickey Garnett. Clay scares off the employees and destroys the
building. Garnett informs his boss, technology executive Derek Chris Long
Danforth, who sends Garnett to kill Clay. A violent confrontation Kurt Wimmer
ensues where Clay kills Garnett's men and severs Garnett's
Starring Jason Statham
fingers. Garnett calls Danforth while stopped at a bridge,
informing him that Clay is a Beekeeper. Having followed Garnett, Emmy Raver-
Clay drags him off a bridge with a truck to his death and warns Lampman
Danforth that he is coming after him. Josh Hutcherson

Danforth informs former CIA director Wallace Westwyld, who is Bobby Naderi
currently running security for Danforth Enterprises at the Jemma
request of Derek's mother Jessica, about Clay. Concerned, Redgrave
Wallace contacts the current CIA director in hopes of stopping
Minnie Driver
Clay. The director contacts the Beekeepers and learns that Clay
has retired from the organization. The Beekeepers subsequently Phylicia Rashad
declare neutrality after Clay kills a Beekeeper sent to kill him. Jeremy Irons
Meanwhile, Verona and her partner, Matt Wiley, anticipate that
Cinematography Gabriel Beristain
Clay will deliver an assault on the Nine Points Center in Boston,
which oversees all of Derek's global scam call centers. After Edited by Geoffrey O'Brien
informing FBI Deputy Director Prigg that Clay is a Beekeeper, Music by David Sardy
they receive full funding.
Jared Michael
Wallace coordinates a group of ex-special forces personnel, Fry
revealing to them that the Beekeepers are a highly skilled and
Production Miramax
dangerous clandestine organization tasked with protecting the companies
United States, operating above and beyond governmental Cedar Park
jurisdiction. To have a chance at stopping Clay, Wallace orders Punch Palace
the group to secure the inside of the Nine Points Building, while Productions
the FBI places their own SWAT team around the perimeter.
Danforth's decision to not evacuate the employees enables Clay Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-
to quickly defeat the FBI SWAT team and infiltrate the building, Mayer[1] (through
taking down the manager, who reveals to Clay and the FBI that Amazon MGM
Danforth is his boss. Studios)
Release date January 12, 2024
Verona informs FBI Deputy Director Prigg that Danforth runs
both companies, which several US government agencies use. Running time 105 minutes[2]
Verona also brings up the point that not only will Clay attempt to
Country United States
kill Derek, but he may also kill Jessica, the president of the
United States, due to her association with the scam. As Clay Language English
eludes capture, Wallace advises Derek to stay with his mother Box office $103.4
under Secret Service protection. While at the president's million[3][4]
beachside mansion, Wallace hires a group of mercenaries, one of
whom previously had an encounter with a Beekeeper and lost his leg.

Near the entrance to the president's mansion, Clay climbs aboard the underside of a truck, switching
places with a Secret Service agent to blend in at a party being held there. Verona notices Clay, but as
he is about to be arrested, Clay activates bombs he placed on Secret Service trucks as a distraction to
enter the mansion.

Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Jessica learns the truth from Prigg about Derek's exploitation of a CIA
program during her presidential campaign. Jessica decides that when Clay 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. Clay fights his way to the president's office. Wallace talks to Clay to persuade him
to turn away at the last moment but fails. Clay eventually reaches her office, being quickly joined by
Verona and the rest of the FBI agents.

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

Cast
Jason Statham as Adam Clay[5]
Emmy Raver-Lampman as FBI Agent Verona Parker
Josh Hutcherson as Derek Danforth[6]
Jeremy Irons as Wallace Westwyld[6]
Jemma Redgrave as President Danforth
 Minnie Driver as Director Howard[5]
Phylicia Rashad as Eloise Parker[5]
Bobby Naderi as Agent Matt Wiley[6]
Enzo Cilenti as Rico Anzalone
Don Gilet as Deputy Director Prigg
David Witts as Mickey Garnett
Taylor James as Lazarus
Michael Epp as Pettis
Megan Lee as Anisette
Dan Li as Agent Kim
Sophia Feliciano as Kelly Krane

Production

Development

In August 2021, it was announced that Jason Statham would star in the film for Miramax, and would
also serve as a producer.[7] David Ayer signed on to direct in May 2022.[8]

Filming

Principal photography began in September 2022 in the United Kingdom.[1] In October, Statham shot
scenes at Tyringham Hall in Tyringham.[9] Filming wrapped that December.[10]

Release
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) acquired the film's distribution rights in the United States in August
2022.[1] In February 2023, Sky Cinema acquired the rights in the United Kingdom.[6] It was released
by Amazon MGM Studios on January 12, 2024.[11][5]

Reception

Box office

As of January 28, 2024, The Beekeeper has grossed $41.5 million in the United States and Canada,
and $61.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $103.4 million.[3][4]

In the United States and Canada, The Beekeeper was released alongside Mean Girls and The Book of
Clarence, and was projected to gross $17–19 million from 3,303 theaters in its opening weekend.[12] It
made $6.7 million on its first day, including $2.4 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to
debut to $16.6 million, finishing second behind Mean Girls.[13] The film made $8.5 million in its
second weekend and $6.7 million in its third weekend, remaining in second at the box office.[14][15]
Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 154 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."[16] 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.[17] Audiences polled by
CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by
PostTrak gave it an 84% overall positive score, with 63% saying they would definitely recommend the
film.[13]

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".[18]
Rogerebert.com, praising various aspects of the film, including its range of villains, regretted: "It's a
real shame that "The Beekeeper" isn't the righteous trash masterpiece that it keeps threatening to turn
into."[19]

References
1. Wiseman, Andreas (August 31, 2022). "Jason Statham-David Ayer Action Pic 'The Beekeeper'
Pre-Bought By MGM For U.S. & Some Of International" (https://deadline.com/2022/08/suicide-squ
ad-david-ayer-jason-statham-beekeeper-mgm-miramax-1235104064/). Deadline Hollywood.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20220909045852/https://deadline.com/2022/08/suicide-squ
ad-david-ayer-jason-statham-beekeeper-mgm-miramax-1235104064/) from the original on
September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
2. "The Beekeeper (15)" (https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-beekeeper-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde3
mjgy). BBFC. December 15, 2023. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20231215180951/http
s://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-beekeeper-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde3mjgy) from the original on
December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
3. "The Beekeeper (2024)" (https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt15314262/?ref_=bo_rl_ti). Box
Office Mojo. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
4. "The Beekeeper — Financial Information" (https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Beekeeper-The-(2
024)#tab=box-office). The Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
5. White, James (April 10, 2023). "Jason Statham Proves Vengeance Stings In The Beekeeper
Trailer" (https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/jason-statham-unleashing-vengeance-in-the-
beekeeper-trailer/). Empire. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20231010085339/https://www.e
mpireonline.com/movies/news/jason-statham-unleashing-vengeance-in-the-beekeeper-trailer/)
from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
6. Wiseman, Andreas (February 20, 2023). "Jason Statham-David Ayer Action Film 'The Beekeeper'
Sells To UK" (https://deadline.com/2023/02/jason-statham-david-ayer-movie-beekeeper-sky-uk-12
35264786/). Deadline Hollywood. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20230220083306/https://
deadline.com/2023/02/jason-statham-david-ayer-movie-beekeeper-sky-uk-1235264786/) from the
original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
7. D'Alessandro, Alexander (August 27, 2021). "Jason Statham To Star In Miramax's 'The Bee
Keeper' " (https://deadline.com/2021/08/jason-statham-to-star-in-miramax-movie-the-bee-keeper-1
234823345/). Deadline Hollywood. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20230521190522/https://
deadline.com/2021/08/jason-statham-to-star-in-miramax-movie-the-bee-keeper-1234823345/)
from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
 8. 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" (https://deadlin
e.com/2022/05/jason-statham-david-ayer-suicide-squad-beekeeper-movie-miramax-cannes-1235
017464/). Deadline Hollywood. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20221118042341/https://dea
dline.com/2022/05/jason-statham-david-ayer-suicide-squad-beekeeper-movie-miramax-cannes-12
35017464/) from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
9. Morton, Dennis (October 21, 2023). "Video shows Jason Statham filming blockbuster movie in
small Milton Keynes village" (https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/read-this/video-shows-jas
on-statham-filming-blockbuster-movie-in-small-milton-keynes-village-3888450). Edinburgh News.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20230314001624/https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.co
m/read-this/video-shows-jason-statham-filming-blockbuster-movie-in-small-milton-keynes-village-3
888450) from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
10. "2022 film and high-end TV productions shooting in the UK: latest updates" (https://www.screendai
ly.com/news/2022-film-and-high-end-tv-productions-shooting-in-the-uk-latest-updates/5171504.arti
cle). Screen Daily. December 6, 2022. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20221107172517/htt
ps://www.screendaily.com/news/2022-film-and-high-end-tv-productions-shooting-in-the-uk-latest-u
pdates/5171504.article) from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
11. Hipes, Patrick (October 4, 2023). "The Beekeeper Trailer: Jason Statham And David Ayer Action
Movie Flying Toward January Release" (https://deadline.com/video/the-beekeeper-trailer-poster-ja
son-statham-david-ayer/). Deadline Hollywood. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2023101119
4525/https://deadline.com/video/the-beekeeper-trailer-poster-jason-statham-david-ayer/) from the
original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
12. Rubin, Rebecca (January 10, 2024). "Box Office: Mean Girls Aims for Grool $30 Million Over
Holiday Weekend" (https://variety.com/2024/film/box-office/box-office-mean-girls-musical-opening-
weekend-estimates-1235866227/). Variety. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
13. D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 14, 2024). "Winter Storm Gerri Doesn't Cramp 'Mean Girls' Style
As Musical Heads For $32M Opening – Sunday Update" (https://deadline.com/2024/01/box-office-
mean-girls-mlk-2024-1235726596/). Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
14. D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 20, 2024). " 'Mean Girls' Has Edge During First Weak Weekend
Of 2024 – Saturday Box Office" (https://deadline.com/2024/01/box-office-mean-girls-weak-winter-
weekend-1235799017/). Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
15. D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 29, 2024). " 'Mean Girls' Smacks Down 'Beekeeper' After Fierce
Battle During Weak Weekend – Monday Box Office Update" (https://deadline.com/2024/01/box-offi
ce-mean-girls-beekeeper-1235806489/). Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
16. "The Beekeeper" (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_beekeeper_2024). Rotten Tomatoes.
Fandango Media. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
17. "The Beekeeper" (https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-beekeeper). Metacritic. Fandom, Inc.
Retrieved January 13, 2024.
18. Lee, Benjamin (January 11, 2024). "The Beekeeper review – Jason Statham's John Wick is
serviceable schlock" (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/11/beekeeper-movie-review-jaso
n-statham). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved
January 18, 2024.
19. Seitz, Matt Zoller. "The Beekeeper movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert" (https://ww
w.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-beekeeper-movie-review-2024). https://www.rogerebert.com/.
Retrieved January 18, 2024. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)

External links
Official website (https://mgm.com/movies/the-beekeeper) at MGM
 The Beekeeper (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15314262/) at IMDb

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