âKingdom of the Planet of the Apesâ reigned over the weekend box office with a $56.5 million North American opening, according to studio estimates Sunday, giving a needed surge to an uncertain season in theaters.
The film from 20th Century Studios and Disney that built on the rebooted âApesâ trilogy of the 2010s had the third highest opening of the year, after the $81.5 million debut of âDune: Part Twoâ in early March and the $58.3 million domestic opening of âKung Fu Panda 4â a week later.
The strong performance for âKingdom of the Planet of the Apesâ â it played even better internationally with a global total of $129 million â comes a week after a tepid start for Ryan Gosling’s âThe Fall Guyâ signaled that the summer of 2024 is likely to see a major drop-off after the âBarbenheimerâ magic of 2023.
âPlanet of the Apesâ easily made more than the rest of the top 10 combined.
âThe Fall Guyâ fell to No. 2 with a $13.7 million weekend and a two-week total of $49.7 million for Universal Pictures.
Zendaya’s âChallengersâ was third with $4.7 million and has earned $38 million in three weeks for Amazon MGM studios.
The opening for âKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,â helmed by âMaze Runnerâ director Wes Ball, was the second best in the series, after the $72 million opening weekend of 2014âs âDawn of the Planet of the Apes.â
It’s the 10th movie in the âPlanet of the Apesâ franchise that began in 1968 with the Charlton Heston original with a twist ending.
âThis franchise has never been allowed to lose its momentum,â said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. âThere are very few franchises that have this kind of longevity.â
And it really is the property itself. The new film shares no central actors or characters with its predecessors.
âThereâs just this love for the way it melds sci-fi with social commentary and straight-up popcorn entertainment,â Dergarabedian said.
âKingdomâ 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 âWar for the Planet of the Apes.â
Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press called it âthrillingâ and âvisually stunning.”
The shot in the arm is welcome for the movie business, but there is little certainty in the forthcoming summer.
The year so far, lacking an early Marvel movie like 2023’s âGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,â is running 21% last year’s mid-May total.
While there are potential blockbusters that feel like safe bets including âDespicable Me 4â and âDeadpool & Wolverineâ in July, others like âFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagaâ later this month and âTwistersâ later in the summer feel like they could break either way.
Pixar once brought almost guaranteed hits, but June’s âInside Out 2â may not thrive like the 2015 original.
âThere used to be sure bets we cannot necessarily bank on anymore,â Dergarabedian said. âIt is going to be a bit of a hit-or-miss slate.â
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. âKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,â $56.5 million.
2. “The Fall Guy,â $13.7 million.
3. âChallengers,â $4.7 million.
4. âTarot,â $3.45 million.
5. âGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire,â $2.5 million.
6. âUnsung Hero,â $ 2.25 million.
7. âKung Fu Panda 4,â $2 million.
8. âCivil War,â $1.8 million.
9. âStar Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace,â $1.5 million.
10. âAbigail,â $1.1 million.