Wes Ball’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” made a significant impact on the early summer box office, opening to $58.5 million domestically and $72.7 million overseas, resulting in a global debut of $131.2 million. This exceeded initial estimates and positioned the movie as the third-best domestic opening of the year so far and the second-best launch in the series.
The film’s success comes on the heels of concerns following the underwhelming performance of Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” which debuted with $27.7 million in early May. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” surpassed expectations, particularly in the domestic market, drawing strong attendance from both younger and older male audiences, as well as a diverse demographic.
Despite receiving a B CinemaScore, the film garnered positive reviews from critics, with 85% of moviegoers giving it an A or B rating. This discrepancy suggests that a vocal minority may have influenced the overall score. Strong word-of-mouth contributed to higher-than-expected Sunday attendance.
This installment is the fourth in the rebooted “Planet of the Apes” series, costing $160 million to produce before marketing. Overseas, the film performed well in Latin America but faced challenges in certain European markets. In China, it topped the box office but contended with local competition.
While franchise fatigue is a concern, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” outperformed its predecessor, “War of the Planet of the Apes,” domestically. The film saw significant success in premium formats like Imax, contributing to its overall box office performance.
Looking ahead, upcoming releases like John Krasinski’s “IF” and “The Garfield Movie” aim to capitalize on the summer box office season, with promising performances expected both domestically and internationally.
