NEW YORK — Alex Garland's eerie American dystopian film “Civil War” maintained its top spot in theaters in its second week of release, studio estimates showed Sunday.
A24 Election Year Gamble was the indie studio's biggest-budget film in history, selling $11.1 million in tickets from 3,929 theaters over the weekend. The $50 million film, set in a near-future United States where Texas and California have joined the rebellion against a fascist president, grossed $44.9 million in two weeks.
Its provocative setting and A24's marketing, which included images of war-torn American cities, kept “Civil War” top of mind for moviegoers.
However, it was a painfully weak weekend in movie theaters. This is sure to heighten concerns about Hollywood's sluggish box office revenue.
“Abigail,'' Universal Pictures' critically acclaimed R-rated horror film about Dracula's daughter, was expected to lead ticket sales heading into the weekend. It came in second place with $10.2 million from 3,384 theaters.
Still, it was a decent result for a movie that cost a modest $28 million to make. A remake of the 1936 monster movie Dracula's Daughter, “Abigail'' tells the story of a 12-year-old girl kidnapped by a kidnapper who soon realizes that her hostage choices were wrong. The film was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillette, and produced by Radio Silence.
Even more concerning is the overall lackluster response to a small number of new wide releases, and the possibility of more similar weekends throughout 2024. Last year's actor and screenwriter strikes had a long-lasting impact on the movie pipeline, making the hole in Hollywood even worse. Release schedule.
Horror movies have been one of the most reliable cash cows in theaters in recent years, but so far they haven't been doing business as automatically as they once were. Horror titles accounted for $2 billion in global sales in 2023, according to David A. Gross, who runs consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly War premiered with $9 million in 2,845 theaters. Henry Cavill commands a World War II mission off the coast of West Africa in Lionsgate's film, based on a true story that reportedly cost $60 million to make.
Ritchie has produced a number of hits, including the live-action version of “Aladdin'' and two Sherlock Holmes films, but his recent films have struggled to reach large audiences. Lionsgate's spy comedy “Operation Fortune: Luz de Guerre” grossed $48 million on a $50 million budget, while MGM's “The Covenant,” also released last year, cost $55 million to make. It grossed $21 million against the dollar.
The silver lining for “The Ungentlemanly Ministry of War”: Viewers loved it. The film received an A-minus on CinemaScore.
Sony's Crunchyroll-produced anime “Spy x Family Code: White” also struggled to stand out from viewers. The film adaptation of Tatsuya Endo's original manga television series “Spy x Family'' has already become a hit among movie fans overseas, but box office revenue from 2,009 theaters in the United States fell short of expectations with $4.9 million.
But the most powerful film globally remains Godzilla x Kong: New Empire. Warner Bros.' monster movies have been driving ticket sales around the world for the past month. It also added $9.5 million domestically and $21.6 million overseas, bringing its four-week worldwide total to $485.2 million.
Estimated ticket sales from Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final national figures will be released on Monday.
1. “Civil War,” $11.1 million.
2. “Abigail,” $10.2 million.
3. “Godzilla x Kong: New Empire,” $9.5 million.
4. “The Ungentlemanly Ministry of War,” $9 million.
5. “Spy x Family Code: White” $4.9 million.
6. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $4.6 million.
7. Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire, $4.4 million.
8. “Dune: Part 2,” $2.9 million.
9. “Monkey Man,” $2.2 million.
10. “The First Omen,” $1.7 million.