Director Alex Garland's provocative “Civil War” not only ignited discourse, the film also inspired audiences to go to theaters this weekend, surpassing expectations, according to studio estimates on Sunday. Ticket sales in North America reached $25.7 million.
This is the biggest R-rated opening so far this year and also a record for Studio A24, which produced films such as “Everything Everywhere All at Once'' and “Iron Crow.'' “Civil War'' also stole “Godzilla vs. Kong'' from the top of the box office. Warner Bros.' Titan movie has held the No. 1 spot for the past two weeks in a row.
'Civil War' Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura and Kailie Spaney star as frontline journalists heading to Washington, D.C., to cover a devastating conflict in the United States in the near future. The minds behind “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation” imagine a United States where California and Texas are united against a president who disbanded the FBI and gave him a third term.
Though completely fictional, “Civil War'' has sparked discussion beyond the musings of film critics and traditional reviews since its first trailer. The New York Times published two opinion pieces related to the film this weekend. One by Stephen Marche and the other by Michelle Goldberg. Articles were also published on CNN and Politico.
Over the weekend, there were predictions that the film's opening price would be in the range of $15 million to $24 million. The studio said “Civil War” overperformed in markets “from Los Angeles to El Paso.” The film attracted more than 1.7 million viewers this weekend, with Los Angeles, New York and Dallas being the top three markets, data analysis firm EntTelligence reported.
“In a year where political discourse is paramount, the title alone is enough to spark a conversation,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. “And they couldn't have picked a better date. This movie is perfectly timed in a very quiet month.”
The film was released on 3,838 screens in the United States and Canada, including IMAX. It is the most expensive film ever made by the studio, with a production budget of $50 million, not including the millions spent on marketing and promotion.
“Civil War,” shown on 400 large screens, had an IMAX showing of $4.2 million, accounting for 16.5% of the domestic box office.
Reviews are generally positive. It currently has an audience rating of 77% and an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its CinemaScore was B-, which could indicate that reviews may not be strong going forward. However, that may not be the case with Civil War. “Civil War'' won't have any major competition for several weeks until “The Fall Guy'' opens on May 3.
“We need to consider all indicators holistically, including the competitive environment,” Dergarabedian said.
But it's a notable win for a studio that can't always release its films nationwide. Before Civil War, A24's biggest debut was Ari Aster's horror film Hereditary, which grossed $13.6 million in 2018.
“This isn't going to be a $200 million global blockbuster. But this is a very high-profile win for A24,” Dergarabedian said. “They're a studio that pushes the boundaries. They're a brand associated with a certain level of quality and filmmaking expertise that pushes boundaries and takes risks. It's paid off well over the years.”
In second place was Godzilla x Kong: New Empire, which earned $15.5 million in its third week of release, bringing its cumulative domestic box office revenue to nearly $158 million. Another “Empire” movie, Sony's “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” came in third with $5.8 million in its fourth weekend. It has now reached $160 million worldwide.
Rounding out the top five were Universal and DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda 4, which came in at No. 4 with $5.5 million in its sixth weekend, followed by Dune Part 2 with $4.3 million in its seventh weekend. Dune 2 has now grossed $272 million domestically.
Year-to-date box office comparisons also took a big hit this weekend. Last year, “Super Mario Bros. Movie'' brought in more than $92 million in its second weekend in theaters. During the same weekend in 2023, the top 10 accounted for more than $142 million, compared to $68.4 million this year. Although there was a slight recovery due to the success of “Dune Part 2,” year-to-date sales have returned to his 16%.
“It was a seesaw at the box office,” Dergarabedian said. “But we all knew this was going to be a tough month for comps because of Mario.”
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,” $25.7 million.
2. “Godzilla x Kong: New Empire,” $15.5 million.
3. “Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire,” $5.8 million.
4. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $5.5 million.
5. “Dune: Part 2,” $4.3 million.
6. “Monkey Man,” $4.1 million.
7. “The First Omen,” $3.8 million.
8. “The Long Game,” $1.4 million.
9. “Shrek 2,” $1.4 million.
10. “SUGA – Agust D Tour 'D-DAY' The Movie”, $990,881.