Wes Ball’s ‘Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes,’ the standalone sequel to the 2017 hit ‘War of The Planet of The Apes,’ stormed the global box office, debuting with a staggering $129 million in its opening weekend.
The latest installment of the Planet of The Apes reboot franchise secured the No.1 spot in North America, grossing $56.5 million. Its overseas haul amounted to $72.5 million, bringing its global earnings to a whopping $192 million. Notable among its international successes, the film triumphed in China with $11.4 million in box office receipts, closely followed by Mexico at $6.4 million. The United Kingdom contributed $4.8 million, with significant earnings also coming from Korea, Australia, Brazil, Germany, and Spain.
The film’s performance surpassed expectations, particularly in contrast to the disappointing debut of ‘The Fall Guy,’ starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. ‘The Fall Guy’ has accrued $49.6 million domestically, with a global total of $103 million, still short of its $140 million budget recovery target.
Despite concerns about franchise fatigue, ‘Kingdom’ has garnered positive reviews and critical acclaim, outshining its 2017 predecessor, which earned $56.3 million domestically.
‘Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes’ saw significant business in premium and IMAX formats, accounting for 41 percent of global box office receipts.
The installment, featuring Owen Teague, Freya Allan, and Kevin Durand, is set 300 years after the events of the 2017 film, ‘War of The Planet of The Apes.’ The plot revolves around a group of apes challenging the authoritarian rule of Caesar’s successor.
Along the journey, a chimpanzee named Noa forms a bond with a human, embarking on a quest to determine the future of both apes and humans. This film marks the fourth installment of the reboot franchise and the tenth entry in the 56-year-old Planet of The Apes franchise.
With its predecessors setting a high bar, the fourth film in the reboot franchise aims to maintain its strong performance at the box office. ‘Rise of The Planet of The Apes’ garnered $481 million, ‘War of The Planet of The Apes’ raked in $490 million, and ‘Dawn of The Planet of The Apes’ amassed a staggering $710 million worldwide. Whether ‘Kingdom’ can match or surpass the franchise’s previous success remains to be seen.