Civil War issued a rally cry and moviegoers answered it at the box office.
The thriller, which imagines a dystopian near-future in the United States, won the battle its first week in theaters, earning more than $25.7 million dollars, according to Box Office Mojo.
Kirsten Dunst, 41,stars as ajournalist traveling through a divided nation, in which a three-term president battles secessionist forces from California and Texas.
'I think civil war is just an extension of a situation,' director Alex Garland, 53, told The New York Times. 'That situation is polarization and the lack of limiting forces on polarization.'
The earnings are more than twice the average for a dystopian thriller on its opening weekend, according to industry analyst David A. Gross.
Kirsten Dunst and Civil War issued a rally cry and moviegoers answered it at the box office. The thriller, which imagines a dystopian near-future in the United States, won the battle its first week in theaters, earning more than $25.7 million dollars
Such movies 'are generally set in futuristic worlds that look very different from contemporary life,' Gross said.
'Civil War is doing the opposite: It looks like right now. The film is bending the genre into something contemporary and relatable. The story is not directly partisan, but it's provoking partisan feelings,' he explained.
The movie did extremely well in liberal cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and overperformed in politically purple cities Phoenix, Austin, San Diego, and Denver, according to Deadline.
The outlet consultedScreen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak which found that 22-percent of attendees considered themselves Liberal, 19-percent identified as Democrats and 11-percent considered themselves Moderate.
Only six-percent of audience members said they were registered Republicans, six-percent identified as Evangelical Christians, and five-percent of ticket sales were to those who call themselves conservative.
After two weeks at the top of the heap Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire fell to second place.
The sci-fi thriller featuring teamwork between the two monsters to save the world earned some $15.4 million.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire remained in third place.
Kirsten Dunst , 41, stars as a journalist travelling through a divided nation, in which a three-term president battles secessionist forces from California and Texas
'I think civil war is just an extension of a situation,' director Alex Garland, 53, told The New York Times . 'That situation is polarization and the lack of limiting forces on polarization'
The latest installment of the franchise pulled in $5.8 million as the multi-generational team of ghost catchers try to prevent a new ice age.
Kung Fu Panda 4, featuring the voices of Jack Black and Awkwafina, climbed one spot back to fourth place with $5.5 million.
Dune: Part II rounded out the top five with $4.3 million in ticket sales as fans continue to catch the latest chapter of the thriller based on the Frank L Herbert book.
So far the science-fiction adventure starring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya has earned$683,904,065 worldwide.
The rest of the top ten film enjoyed lackluster earnings.
After two weeks at the top of the heap Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire fell to second place. The sci-fi thriller featuring teamwork between the two monsters to save the world earned some $15.4 million.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire remained in third place.The latest installment of the franchise pulled in $5.8 million as the multi-generational team of ghost catchers try to prevent a new ice age
Kung Fu Panda 4 , featuring the voices of Jack Black and Awkwafina, climbed one spot back to fourth place with $5.5 million
Dune: Part II rounded out the top five with $4.3 million in ticket sales as fans continue to catch the latest chapter of the thriller based on the Frank L Herbert book. So far the science-fiction adventure starring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya has earned $683,904,065 worldwide.
Monkey Man, starring Dev Patel as a man out for vengeance earned$4.1 million and sixth place. The fright flick The First Omen scared up $3.8 million and seventh place.
The Long Game, a fact based drama about five Mexican-American caddies who create their own golf course, debuted at number eight with winnings of $1.39 million
The 20th anniversary re-release of Shrek 2 earned some points for nostalgia with a box office take of $1.3 million, landing in ninth place.
The concert film SUGA Agust D TOUR 'D-DAY' THE MOVIE, starringAgust D, also known as SUGA of the K-Pop group BTS pulled in $991,000.
