‘Civil War’ dominates the U.S. box-office [Video]

NEW YORK –

“Civil War,” Alex Garland’s ominous American dystopia, remained the top film in theatres in its second week of release, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The A24 election-year gamble, the indie studio’s biggest budgeted film yet, took in US$11.1 million in ticket sales at 3,929 theatres over the weekend. The $50 million film, set in a near-future U.S. in which Texas and California have joined in rebellion against a fascist president, has grossed $44.9 million in two weeks.

Its provocative premise — and A24’s marketing, which included images of U.S. cities ravaged by war — helped keep “Civil War” top of mind for moviegoers.

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But it was a painfully slow weekend in theatres — the kind sure to add to concern over what’s thus far been a down year for Hollywood at the box office.

Going into the weekend, Universal Pictures’ “Abigail,” a critically acclaimed R-rated horror film about the daughter …