Alex Garland's "Civil War" sparked debate. The picture also drew crowds to the theaters this weekend, earning $25.7 million in North America, according to studio projections Sunday.
A24, which made “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “The Iron Claw,” set a record with its biggest R-rated opening of the year. “Civil War” dethroned “Godzilla x Kong” at the box office. The Warner Bros. titan film has topped the charts for two weekends.
In “Civil War,” Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Cailee Spaeny play front-line journalists documenting a terrible U.S. conflict and trying to reach Washington, D.C. Garland, the author of “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation,” wrote the story about California and Texas uniting against a president who has abolished the FBI and sought a third term.
Although fictional, “Civil War” has sparked debates beyond film critics and traditional reviews since the first trailer. Stephen Marche and Michelle Goldberg wrote movie-related New York Times opinions this weekend. CNN, Politico were also covered.
The picture was expected to gross $15–$24 million throughout the weekend. The studio stated “Civil War” outperformed “from LA to El Paso.” Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas were the top three markets for the picture this weekend, according to EntTelligence. “The title alone is enough to spark a conversation in a year where political discourse is top of mind,” said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “They chose the perfect date. This movie is excellent for a calm month.”
The picture opened on 3,838 U.S. and Canadian screens, including IMAX. Its $50 million production budget, not including millions spent on marketing and promotion, makes it the studio's most expensive film. IMAX screenings of “Civil War,” on 400 huge screens, brought in $4.2 million, 16.5% of the domestic total.
Reviews are mostly positive. It has an 83% Rotten Tomatoes rating and 77% audience rating. Its CinemaScore was B-, suggesting potential word-of-mouth issues. “Civil War” may not have much competition in the weeks before “The Fall Guy” releases on May 3. “You must take all the metrics, including the competitive landscape,” Dergarabedian said.
However, the company, which rarely releases pictures statewide, scored a major win. Before “Civil War,” A24's highest launch was Ari Aster horror “Hereditary,” which made $13.6 million in 2018. “This won’t be a $200 million global blockbuster. The win is high-profile for A24, Dergarabedian remarked. “They’re a cutting-edge studio. They're known for excellence, risk-taking, and filmmaking. It's earned over time.”
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” which grossed $15.5 million in its third weekend, finished second with over $158 million domestically. Sony's “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” placed third in its fourth weekend with $5.8 million. It reached $160 million globally.
Universal and DreamWorks' “Kung Fu Panda 4” was fourth with $5.5 million in weekend six and “Dune: Part Two” was fifth with $4.3 million in weekend seven. Domestically, “Dune 2” has grossed $272 million.
The box office year-to-date comparisons also suffered this weekend. The second weekend of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” last year grossed $92 million. On the same weekend in 2023, the top 10 earned nearly $142 million, compared to $68.4 million this year. The year-to-date is back at 16% after “Dune: Part Two” helped recover.
“The box office has been a seesaw,” Dergarabedian remarked. “We all knew ‘Mario’ would make this a rough month for comps.’” Comscore estimates Friday-Sunday theater ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada. Final domestic figures are due Monday.
stay turned for development