Los Angeles, California – The battle for the top spot at the domestic box office is heating up this weekend, with Universal’s ballerina vampire film “Abigail” leading the pack. The film garnered $4 million from 3,384 theaters on its opening day and preview screenings, making it the top performer of the weekend so far. However, A24’s dystopian thriller “Civil War” actually took in roughly $3.3 million on April 19, making it the top grosser for that day.
Lionsgate’s new release, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” fired off about $3.7 million from 2,845 locations. This figure includes $1.45 million from earlier preview screenings. All three films are aiming for weekend grosses in the low-teens or high-single-digits.
“Abigail” came up a bit short of industry projections, which predicted an opening in the $12 million to $15 million range. However, the film, with a modest production budget of $28 million, has received positive reviews and hopes to have staying power in the coming weeks.
Melissa Barrera leads the cast of “Abigail,” alongside actors like Dan Stevens and Will Catlett. The film tells the story of a heist team whose plan to nab $50 million goes awry when they encounter a blood-guzzling little monster.
Meanwhile, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is looking to exceed industry projections of $5 million to $6 million. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the action-comedy reportedly cost around $60 million to produce. The film follows a British platoon organizing an attack against the Nazis during World War II.
In its second weekend, A24’s “Civil War” is holding steady, with rivals projecting a 56% drop from its opening weekend. Despite a lukewarm Cinema Score grade, the Alex Garland-directed film is poised to retain the top spot on domestic charts this weekend. A24’s most expensive production to date seems to be in a solid position as domestic grosses surpass $40 million.
Sony’s anime label Crunchyroll is also entering the weekend box office race with “Spy x Family Code: White.” The film adaptation of the hit manga series is projected to earn $4.8 million over the three-day frame, satisfying fans who gave it an A grade on Cinema Score.
As “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” enters its fourth weekend of release, the monster mash aims to push beyond $170 million domestically. It is closely competing with Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” for the title of second-highest-grossing North American release of the year.