Alex Garland's dystopian action movie "Civil War" debuted last Friday in theaters nationwide and did so in style. The feature film follows the story of a journalist, played by Kirsten Dunst, during a chaotic conflict in future America. It grossed more than $25.7 million on its opening weekend, according to data provided by Box Office Mojo.
The film thus becomes A24's highest-grossing feature film as well as the most expensive movie made by the film studio, which was also behind projects such as "Beau Is Afraid," "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" and "The Lobster." Making "Civil War" cost $50 million, $20 million of which went to promotion and marketing.
Los Angeles and San Francisco viewers anxious to see 'Civil War'
However, it managed to earn back half of its budget in just one weekend thanks, in part, to the number of moviegoers who decided to go see the film in Los Angeles; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Phoenix; Austin, Texas; San Diego and Denver.
In these locations, notes Deadline, viewers flocked to see "Civil War." El Paso, Texas; Waco, Texas; Oklahoma City; Albuquerque, N.M., and Charlottesville, Va., also saw a spike in people heading to movie theaters.
David A. Gross, from film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, explained to Variety that this caused Alex Garland's film to get off to "an excellent opening for a dystopian thriller":
This is an excellent opening for a dystopian thriller. The story is not directly partisan, but it’s provoking partisan feelings. It’s a fine balance to strike. Audiences are emotionally engaged, and that’s impressive for a thriller.
The earnings for "Civil War" will increase once the film reaches the rest of the global market. In Latin America, it is scheduled for release on Thursday, April 18. In Spain, the film will be released on Friday, April 19.
