As the spring break season sees an 8% increase in K-12 students on break and 1% off at colleges, the weekend box office becomes a battleground. With 20th Century Studios’ ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ looming with a projected $50M+ opening in the second weekend of May, the competition is heating up.
A24’s ‘Civil War,’ boasting $27M in earnings by Monday after a $1.9M haul yesterday, is bracing for a challenge to its top spot from Universal’s ‘Abigail,’ directed by Radio Silence. Both contenders are eyeing around $12M each, marking a potential -53% decline for the Alex Garland dystopian thriller, which would still be commendable.
Additionally, ‘Civil War‘ will face competition for Imax screens from Sony/Crunchyroll’s anime ‘Spy x Family Code: White‘ and the documentary ‘Deep Sky‘ directed by Nathaniel Kahn.
‘Abigail,’ starring Melissa Barrera and the late Angus Cloud, presents a chilling tale of kidnappers targeting a 12-year-old ballerina. Reviews for the R-rated thriller currently stand at 82% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with anticipation high among men and women aged 18-34.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ directed by Guy Ritchie and inspired by true events, aims to carve its place in the box office landscape.
Based on recently declassified files of the British War Department, the film tells the story of Winston Churchill’s formation of the first-ever special forces organization during WWII. With an ensemble cast including Henry Cavill and Eiza Gonzalez, and reviews at 81% fresh, the movie could exceed expectations.
Adding to the mix is ‘Spy x Family Code: White,’ the film installment of the TV series based on the manga by Tatsuya Endo. With its standalone story featuring secret agents and telepathic abilities, the movie promises an engaging cinematic experience for fans of the genre.
As the weekend approaches, all eyes are on the box office battlefield, where only the strongest will emerge victorious.
