The movie 'Civil War' by Alex Garland, which is about a bleak future in the U.S., remained the top movie at theaters for the second week in a row, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
The election-year movie 'Civil War' by A24, which has the biggest budget for the indie studio so far, made $11.1 million in ticket sales at 3,929 theaters over the weekend. The film, which cost $50 million to make, is set in a near-future U.S. where Texas and California have rebelled against a fascist president. It has earned $44.9 million in two weeks.
The movie's provocative plot, along with A24's advertising showing U.S. cities destroyed by war, helped keep 'Civil War' in the minds of moviegoers.
This weekend was slow for theaters, leading to concerns about the current tough year for Hollywood at the box office.
Before the weekend, it was expected that Universal Pictures' 'Abigail,' an acclaimed R-rated horror film about Dracula's daughter, would have the highest ticket sales. However, it came in second with $10.2 million in 3,384 theaters.
This was still a decent result for a movie that cost a modest $28 million to produce. 'Abigail,' a remake of the 1936 monster film 'Dracula's Daughter,' is about a 12-year-old girl who is taken by kidnappers who soon realize they made a mistake. The movie is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence production company.
The overall response for new wide releases was concerning, and it seems likely that there will be more weekends like this throughout 2024. The effect of last year's actors and writers' strikes, along with gaps in Hollywood's release schedule, made the situation worse.
Horror movies, which have been reliable moneymakers in theaters in recent years, have not been doing as well. According to David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, horror releases made $2 billion in worldwide sales in 2023.
Guy Ritchie's movie 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' premiered with $9 million in 2,845 theaters. This Lionsgate release, based on a true story and costing $60 million to make, stars Henry Cavill leading a World War II mission off the coast of West Africa.
Although Ritchie has had many box-office hits, his recent movies have struggled to attract large audiences. 'Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre' made $48 million against a $50 million budget, while 'The Covenant' made $21 million with a $55 million budget, both released last year.
One positive sign for 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' is that audiences liked it, giving the film an A-minus CinemaScore.
The anime 'Spy x Family Code: White' from Sony's Crunchyroll also found it difficult to attract audiences. Although the adaptation of the 'Spy x Family' manga TV series by Tatsuya Endo has been popular internationally, its debut in the U.S. with $4.9 million in 2,009 theaters was below expectations.
The most powerful movie in the world right now is “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” This Warner Bros. monster film has been leading ticket sales worldwide for the past month. It made an additional $9.5 million in the U.S. and $21.6 million internationally, bringing its total global earnings to $485.2 million over four weeks.
The estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to Comscore. The final domestic numbers will be available on Monday.
1. “Civil War,” earned $11.1 million.
2. “Abigail,” earned $10.2 million.
3. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” earned $9.5 million.
4. “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” earned $9 million.
5. “Spy x Family Code: White,” earned $4.9 million.
6. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” earned $4.6 million.
7. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” earned $4.4 million.
8. “Dune: Part Two,” earned $2.9 million.
9. “Monkey Man,” earned $2.2 million.
10. “The First Omen,” earned $1.7 million.
