The box office is abuzz with the success of the dystopian thriller 'Civil War,' which has made a strong debut by earning $10.7 million from 3,838 locations on its opening day and preview screenings. The film is on track to achieve a debut of around $26 million, marking the highest opening day gross ever for A24, surpassing the previous record set by 'Hereditary' in 2018.
'Civil War' has received a boost in sales from being shown in premium-large format auditoriums like Imax. The film, directed by Alex Garland, is also the most expensive project in A24's history, with production costs of $50 million, in addition to marketing and distribution expenses.
Despite receiving strong reviews, 'Civil War' has garnered mixed reactions from early ticket buyers, with the audience survey service Cinema Score giving it a B- grade. A24's top domestic grossers include acclaimed films such as 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' 'Uncut Gems,' 'Lady Bird,' and 'Talk to Me.'
In the meantime, 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' is expected to slide to second place after earning $3.9 million on Friday, marking a 52% decline from the previous week. The monster film is set to surpass $150 million domestically and has already grossed over $225 million overseas.
'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' is projected to secure third place at the box office, with Sony's supernatural comedy nearing the $100 million domestic mark. Universal's 'Kung Fu Panda 4' and 'Monkey Man' are also holding strong in the rankings, with the former eyeing a domestic total of $173.4 million and the latter projecting $4.5 million for its second weekend.
