Box Office: “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” Hopes for an Opening Weekend of at Least $50 Million

Once more, primates will dominate the box office!

Disney’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” hopes to gross between $50 and $55 million in its US premiere across 3,700 cinemas. With that kind of money, it should comfortably top the box office rankings. These ticket sales are comparable to those of two of the previous three entries in 20th Century Fox’s revived “Planet of the Apes” franchise: “War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017), “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011), and “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (2014), which opened with a series-best $72 million.

This sequel is predicted to bring in between $80 million and $90 million at the overseas box office, where “Apes” films typically earn the majority of their earnings. These estimates indicate that the movie will earn a healthy $130 million to $140 million at the worldwide box office on Sunday.

The picture, which is helmed by Wes Ball and is the 10th edition in the 56-year-old series, is set many years after the reign of Caesar, the revolutionary leader who was famously depicted by Andy Serkis in motion capture. In order to pave the way for the future of both species, the narrative centers on a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) who sets off on a voyage with a human named Mae (Freya Allan).

Even though “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” required a substantial $160 million to make, the movie seems to be in a good position to succeed in theaters—that is, if it can match the previous films’ ticket sales. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is the highest earning film in the series with $710 million worldwide, while “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and “War for the Planet of the Apes” brought in $481 million and $490 million, respectively.

The only new release this weekend is “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” Holdovers, such as the winner from the previous weekend, “The Fall Guy,” Zendaya’s seductive tennis drama, “Challengers,” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” will complete the box office results.

The domestic box office is down 40% from 2019 and about 20% from 2023 overall. Theater owners are hoping that summer will be saved by films like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Despicable Me 4,” and “Inside Out 2” as popcorn season heats up.

Sanchita Patil: