A24's latest release, the dystopian thriller 'Civil War,' continues to reign supreme at the North American box office, holding onto the top spot for the second consecutive week. The film, directed by Alex Garland and starring Kirsten Dunst as a photojournalist navigating a divided United States, added $11.12 million to its earnings in its second weekend, bringing its total gross to $44.8 million. 'Civil War' has already secured a position among A24's top five highest-grossing films, despite being the distributor's most expensive project to date with a budget of $50 million.
The weekend saw the release of three new films, with 'Abigail,' a vampire horror film from Universal, taking the second spot at the box office. Despite opening slightly below expectations with $10.2 million, 'Abigail' garnered positive reviews from both critics and audiences, boasting an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 'B' CinemaScore. The film, based on Universal's classic 'Dracula's Daughter,' cost $28 million to produce and is expected to turn a profit during its theatrical run.
In fourth place, Lionsgate's 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' earned $9 million in its debut weekend. The action comedy, with a budget of $60 million, features a star-studded cast including Henry Cavill, Henry Golding, and Eiza González, and tells the fictionalized story of a covert British military group during World War II. The film will need strong international performance to justify its budget and avoid the fate of previous Guy Ritchie projects.
Rounding out the new releases, 'Spy x Family Code: White' landed in fifth place with $4.8 million in ticket sales. The animated action-comedy, based on the popular manga series 'Spy x Family,' received high praise from audiences, earning an 'A' CinemaScore and a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While its domestic performance was modest, the film has already amassed $45.8 million at the international box office.
Despite the influx of new releases, holdover titles 'Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire' and 'Kung Fu Panda 4' maintained their positions in the top rankings. 'Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire' earned $9.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its total domestic earnings to $171.6 million and global total to over $444 million. Meanwhile, 'Kung Fu Panda 4' secured the sixth spot with $4.6 million, reaching $179 million in North America and $480 million worldwide after seven weeks in theaters.
Overall, the weekend marked one of the lowest-grossing periods of 2024 at the domestic box office, with total revenues around $65 million. Year-to-date revenues are trailing behind 2023 figures by 20%, setting the stage for a challenging year in the film industry. The upcoming release of 'The Fall Guy,' starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, on May 3 is anticipated to kick off the summer movie season and inject new energy into theaters.
As the industry looks ahead to the summer blockbuster season, theater owners and analysts are eager for a resurgence in box office performance after a lackluster April. With hopes pinned on upcoming releases, the anticipation for a cinematic revival is palpable among industry insiders and moviegoers alike.
