According to studio estimates released on Sunday, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” opened with a $56.5 million North American debut, dominating the weekend box office and providing much-needed support for the film’s questionable theatrical release this season.
The 2010s “Apes” trilogy was relaunched in this picture from 20th Century Studios and Disney, and it opened to the third-highest total of the year, after the $81.5 million debut of “Dune: Part Two” in early March and the $58.3 million domestic premiere of “Kung Fu Panda 4” a week later.
The impressive showing of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”—which performed even better overseas, grossing a total of $129 million—occurs just one week after Ryan Gosling’s “The Fall Guy” had a lackluster opening, indicating that the summer of 2024 will probably see a significant decline following the “Barbenheimer” magic of 2023.
“Planet of the Apes” easily placed higher than the entire top ten.
“The Fall Guy” debuted at No. 2 with a $13.7 million weekend and brought in $49.7 million for Universal Pictures over the course of two weeks.
“Challengers,” starring Zendaya, came in third place with $4.7 million and has brought in $38 million for Amazon MGM Studios in just three weeks.
Under the direction of Wes Ball (of “Maze Runner”), “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” had the second-best opening weekend in the franchise, behind 2014’s $72 million opening weekend for “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”
This film is the tenth installment in the “Planet of the Apes” series, which debuted in 1968 with the surprising Charlton Heston film.
“This franchise has never been allowed to lose its momentum,” Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian stated. “This level of longevity is something that very few franchises achieve.”
It is, in fact, the property itself. The lead performers and characters in the new movie are not the same as those in the old ones.
“There’s just this love for the way it melds sci-fi with social commentary and straight-up popcorn entertainment,” Dergarabedian said.
“Kingdom” came with strong reviews and positive buzz (80% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a “B” CinemaScore). It was especially praised for its visual effects and the way its CGI has caught up with its primates-on-horseback aesthetic even since the last film, 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
The Associated Press’s Mark Kennedy described it as “visually stunning” and “thrilling.”
While the film industry welcomes this shot in the arm, the upcoming summer is not without uncertainty.
With no early Marvel release like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” in 2023, the year is already 21% behind last year’s mid-May total.
While “Despicable Me 4” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” in July seem like surefire hits, other possible blockbusters like “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” later this month and “Twisters” later in the summer seem like they might go either way.
Even though Pixar used to produce practically guaranteed smashes, June’s “Inside Out 2” might not be as successful as the 2015 original.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to report.
- “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” $56.5 million.
- “The Fall Guy,” $13.7 million.
- “Challengers,” $4.7 million.
- “Tarot,” $3.45 million.
- “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” $2.5 million.
- “Unsung Hero,” $ 2.25 million.
- “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $2 million.
- “Civil War,” $1.8 million.
- “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace,” $1.5 million.
- “Abigail,” $1.1 million.