A24‘s big money gamble is paying off.
Civil War, the latest film from Ex Machina and Annihilation director Alex Garland, has a reported $50 million budget. That makes it A24’s most expensive movie ever, besting Beau Is Afraid‘s $35 million budget. The Ari Aster film didn’t do great at the box office (even though it’s a very good, at times great film), but Civil War is off to a strong start.
Civil War earned $2.9 million in Thursday previews. It’s expected to finish the weekend around $20 million, although, according to Variety, “some estimates are as high as $24 million and as low as $15 million, but even that would break the A24 record.” The current record-holder is Hereditary with $13.6 million.
An opening in the upper range could also unseat Warner Bros.’ Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, which has been No. 1 for the past two weeks at the box office.
Godzilla and Kong have nothing on Jesse Plemons.
Here’s the official plot synopsis: “From filmmaker Alex Garland comes a journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.”
Civil War, which stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Nick Offerman, is out in theaters (and IMAX screens) now.
(Via Variety)