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Divisive? Not for moviegoers. 㽶ƵֱCivil War㽶Ƶֱ declares victory at box office.

Film imagines a U.S. where California and Texas unite against a corrupt president
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This image released by A24 shows Kirsten Dunst in a scene from 㽶ƵֱCivil War.㽶Ƶֱ (Murray Close/A24 via AP)

Alex Garland㽶Ƶֱs provocative 㽶Ƶֱ Civil War 㽶Ƶֱ didn㽶Ƶֱt only ignite the discourse. The film also inspired audiences to go to the cinemas this weekend where it surpassed expectations and earned $25.7 million in ticket sales in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It㽶Ƶֱs the biggest R-rated opening of the year to date and a record for A24, the studio behind films like 㽶ƵֱEverything Everywhere All At Once㽶Ƶֱ and 㽶ƵֱThe Iron Claw.㽶Ƶֱ 㽶ƵֱCivil War㽶Ƶֱ also unseated 㽶ƵֱGodzilla x Kong 㽶Ƶֱ from its perch atop the box office. The titan movie from Warner Bros. had held the No. 1 spot for the past two weekends.

㽶ƵֱCivil War,㽶Ƶֱ starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura and Cailee Spaeny as a front-line journalists in a near future covering a devastating conflict in the U.S. and trying to make their way to Washington, D.C. The story, written by Garland, who is also the mind behind 㽶ƵֱEx Machina㽶Ƶֱ and 㽶ƵֱAnnihilation,㽶Ƶֱ imagines a U.S. in which California and Texas have united against a president who has disbanded the FBI and given himself a third term.

Though entirely fictional, 㽶ƵֱCivil War㽶Ƶֱ has been inspiring debates since the first trailer that have extended beyond the musings of film critics and traditional reviews. This weekend, The New York Times ran two opinion pieces related to the movie, one by Stephen Marche and another by Michelle Goldberg. There were also pieces on CNN and Politico.

Going into the weekend, projections pegged the film to debut in the $15 to $24 million range. The film opened on 3,838 screens in the U.S. and Canada, including IMAX. It㽶Ƶֱs the most expensive movie that the studio has ever made, with a production budget of $50 million, which does not account for millions spent on marketing and promotion.

Before 㽶ƵֱCivil War,㽶Ƶֱ A24㽶Ƶֱs biggest debut was the Ari Aster horror 㽶ƵֱHereditary,㽶Ƶֱ which opened to $13.6 million in 2018. A24 doesn㽶Ƶֱt always open films nationwide out of the gates. The studio said 㽶ƵֱCivil War㽶Ƶֱ overperformed in markets 㽶Ƶֱfrom LA to El Paso.㽶Ƶֱ

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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press

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