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 Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Phylicia Rashad, Jemma Redgrave and Jeremy Irons. When his kind-hearted landlady commits suicide after falling victim to a phishing scam, former "Beekeeper" operative Adam Clay 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 has grossed $152.7 million worldwide.

Plot
Retired school teacher Eloise Parker lives alone but has a tenant in her barn, Adam Clay, living a quiet life as a beekeeper. Eloise falls for a phishing scam that bankrupts her and steals $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 Adam is cleared and released, Verona tells him that the FBI was aware of the group that scammed her mother but they are difficult to track. Seeking justice for Eloise, Adam contacts the Beekeepers, a mysterious group, to find those responsible.

Adam receives an address for a call center run by Mickey Garnett. Adam scares off the employees and burns down 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 right hand fingers 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 his truck to his death and warns Derek that he is coming after him.

Derek informs former CIA director Wallace Westwyld, who is running security for Danforth Enterprises at the request of Derek's mother, Jessica, about Adam. Concerned, Wallace contacts current CIA Director Janet Harward in hopes of stopping Adam. Janet contacts the Beekeepers and learns that Adam has retired from the organization. After Adam kills the current Beekeeper, Anisette, sent to kill him, the Beekeepers declare neutrality. 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 Jackson Prigg that Adam is a Beekeeper, Verona and Matt 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. 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 Danforth, the President of the United States, due to her son using the stolen funds to finance her campaign. As Adam eludes capture, Wallace advises Derek to stay with his mother under Secret Service protection.

At Jessica'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 Jessica learns the truth from Prigg about her son's illegal activities. As Adam kills the mercenaries and Lazarus between him and the President's office, Jessica decides that she will tell him and the world the truth about Derek's scamming activities and his illicit use of a CIA data-mining computer program to do so. Enraged, Derek kills Prigg and takes his mother hostage. Wallace talks to Adam to persuade him to turn away at the last moment but fails after Adam breaks his finger. Adam eventually reaches Jessica's office, being quickly joined and surrounded 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 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.

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

Filming
Principal photography began in September 2022 in the United Kingdom. In October, Statham shot scenes at Tyringham Hall in Tyringham. In preparation for the film, which is depicted in the opening scenes, Statham learned several common methods of beekeeping and interacted with real bees. Filming wrapped that December.

Release
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) acquired the film's distribution rights in the United States in August 2022. In February 2023, Sky Cinema acquired the rights in the United Kingdom which StudioCanal handled the U.K. theatrical release on behalf of Sky Cinema. It was released by Amazon MGM Studios on January 12, 2024.

The Beekeeper was released on VOD and digital platforms on January 30, 2024, followed by a release on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on April 23, 2024.

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

Critical response
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

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". 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."