Divide? Not for moviegoers. “Civil War” announces box office triumph. – Winnipeg Free Press

Alex Garland's provocative “Civil War” didn't just spark discourse. The film also inspired audiences to head to theaters this weekend, where it beat expectations and earned $25.7 million in North American ticket sales on Sunday, according to studio estimates.

It's the biggest R-rated opening of the year and a record for A24, the studio behind films like “All At Once” and “Iron Claw.” Civil War also dethroned Godzilla x Kong at the box office. Warner Bros. Titans has held the No. 1 spot for the past two weekends.

“Civil War” stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Kaylee Speni as front-line journalists who want to travel to Washington D.C. to cover the devastating conflict in the U.S. in the near future. The mind behind Ex Machina and Annihilation envisions a United States in which California and Texas disband the FBI and unite against a president who has appointed himself to a third term.

Despite being entirely fictional, “Civil War” has inspired debate since its first trailer, not limited to the thoughts of film critics and traditional reviews. This weekend, The New York Times published two reviews of the film, one by Stephen Marche and the other by Michelle Goldberg. CNN and Politico also had excerpts.

The film is expected to debut between $15 million and $24 million over the weekend. The studio said “Civil War” has outperformed in markets “from L.A. to El Paso.” Data analytics company EntTelligence reported that the film drew more than 1.7 million patrons this weekend, and that the top three markets were Los Angeles, New York and Dallas.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said: “In a year dominated by political discourse, just one headline is enough to drive a conversation.” “They couldn't have picked a better day. This film makes for a very good time in a very quiet month.”

The film opened on 3,838 screens in the US and Canada, including IMAX. It is the most expensive film ever made by the studio, with a production budget of $50 million, not counting the millions spent on marketing and advertising.

Playing on 400 large-format screens, “Civil War” IMAX screenings totaled $4.2 million, or 16.5% of the domestic total.

The reviews were mostly positive. It currently has a score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 77% with audiences. It had a CinemaScore of B-, indicating that sometimes word of mouth may not be strong going forward. But that may not be the case for “Civil War,” which won't have much competition in the next few weeks before “Fall Guy” opens on May 3.

“You have to take all the metrics together, including the competitive landscape,” Dergarabedian said.

But it's a significant win for a studio that doesn't always open its doors across the country. Prior to Civil War, A24's biggest debut was 2018's Ari Aster horror film Hereditary, which opened to $13.6 million.

“It's not meant to be a $200 million global blockbuster. But this is a very important victory for A24,” Dergarabedyan said. “They are a studio that pushes the envelope. They are associated with a certain level of quality and expertise in filmmaking, a brand that pushes boundaries and takes risks. It has paid off well over the years.”

In second place was Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, earning $15.5 million in its third weekend to bring its domestic total to $158 million. Another “Empire” film, Sony's “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” finished third with $5.8 million in its fourth weekend. Now it is 160 million dollars worldwide.

Rounding out the top five were Universal and DreamWorks' “Kung Fu Panda 4,” fourth with $5.5 million in its sixth weekend, and “Dune: Part II” with $4.3 million in its seventh weekend. “Dune 2” has now earned $272 million domestically.

This weekend's year-to-date box office comparisons also took a big hit. Last year, Super Mario Bros. The movie'' grossed over $92 million in its second weekend in theaters. The same weekend in 2023 brought in more than $142 million for the top ten, compared to $68.4 million this year. After recovering somewhat with the success of Dune: Part II, it fell to 16% from a year ago.

Dergarabedyan said: “The box office was a trial run.” “But we all knew it was going to be a tough month for compositions because of 'Mario'.”

Estimated ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, according to Comscore. The latest domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. “Civil War,” $25.7 million.

2. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, $15.5 million.

3. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire”, $5.8 million.

4. “Kung Fu Panda 4”, $5.5 million.

5. “Dune: Part Two,” $4.3 million.

6. “The Monkey Man,” $4.1 million.

7. “The First Sign,” $3.8 million.

8. “The Long Game,” $1.4 million.

9. Shrek 2, $1.4 million.

10. “SUGA – August D Tour 'D-DAY' The Movie, $990,881.