Alex Garland’s dystopian thriller Civil War scored the biggest North American opening weekend in A24’s history and became the company’s first to debut at number one as it arrived on an estimated $25.7m.
Delivering A24’s biggest debut weekend since Hereditary arrived on $13.6m in 2,964 sites, the story of a journalist, played by Kirsten Dunst, who reports on an unfolding crisis in a divided America not only exceeded box office predictions of $20m, but overperformed in markets ranging from Los Angeles to El Paso in Texas.
Arriving on 3,838 theatres, the $50m production was also the company’s widest release from the outset.
This was also the biggest opening by an R-rated film for the year to date. A24’s highest-grossing release is the multiple Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once, which opened in 10 theatres and finished its run on $77.2m.
Civil War became the latest release to over-index on Imax, earning $4.2m or 16.5% of its box office from a footprint of 400 screens representing 10% of the number one film’s entire theatre count.
Overall box office trails 2023 by the same stage by approximately 16%.
Elsewhere in the top 10, last weekend’s champion Warner Bros/Legendary’s Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire fell to second place after a 50.5% to $15.5m for a $157.9m running total after three weekends.
Dev Patel’s Monkey Man dropped 59.5% in its second session through Universal, falling from number two to number six on $4.1m for $17.8m, and 20th Century Studio’s The First Omen dropped 54.7% from fourth to seventh in its second weekend and stands at $14.6m.
Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is on its way to crossing $100m and held firm at number three to reach $96.9m after four sessions, followed by Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 on $173.7m after six, while Warner Bros/Legendary’s Dune: Part Two climbed up one slot to number five in its seventh weekend and stands at $272.1m.
Besides Civil War, three other films entered the top 10 led by Mucho Mas Media’s golf drama The Long Game starring Dennis Quaid and Jay Hernandez on $1.4m at number eight through Emick; Universal’s re-release of Shrek 2 from DreamWorks Animation at number nine on $1.35m; and K-Pop concert film SUGA: Agust D Tour ‘D-Day’ The Movie at number 10 on $$990,881.
Nicolas Cage thriller Arcadian arrived at number 14 on $481,000 in 1,100 sites through RLJE, while Sundance entry Sasquatch Sunset opened at number 21 through Beecker Street on $93,005 in nine theatres.
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