“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” eyes $55M debut

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” has swung into theaters with a robust start, amassing $6.6 million in previews and setting its sights on a weekend box office haul of up to $55 million, cementing its status as one of the standout films of 2024. This fourth installment in the “Planet of the Apes” series, helmed by director Wes Ball, has audiences eagerly anticipating its continuation of the saga, set three centuries after the events of its predecessor.

The film’s strong performance in previews is indicative of its potential success, with Wednesday previews bringing in $1.6 million followed by a $5 million Thursday take across more than 4,000 theaters in the U.S. The buzz surrounding this long-awaited sequel, following 2017’s “War of the Planet of the Apes,” has been building, and early indications suggest it is poised to meet or exceed expectations at the box office.

Variety reports that “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is projected to rake in between $50 million and $55 million over its opening weekend, a figure that would position it just behind 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which opened at $72 million. This anticipated box office performance places the film in the same league as its franchise predecessors, including 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and 2017’s “War of the Planet of the Apes,” which debuted at $54.8 million and $56.2 million, respectively.

Should these projections hold true, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” will secure its place as the fourth highest-grossing opening weekend of the year, trailing behind notable sequels like “Dune: Part Two,” which soared to over $82.5 million in its U.S. debut, and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” which opened at $80 million. Despite this competition, the film is expected to outperform other recent releases, such as “Kung Fu Panda 4,” which grossed nearly $58 million in its first weekend.

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” boasts a reported budget of $160 million, placing it among the higher-budget films of the year. While it may fall short of surpassing blockbusters like “Dune: Part Two” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in terms of opening weekend earnings, its performance is still expected to outshine a number of other films, including “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and “Bob Marley: One Love,” both of which opened below the $30 million mark.

Critically, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” has garnered mixed reviews, with an 82% score on Rotten Tomatoes, tying it with “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” for the lowest critic rating in the franchise. Metacritic’s rating of 65/100 further reflects this divide in reception. Despite some critics describing the film as “tangled and contrived,” others, like The New York Times, have praised its thoughtfulness and insightfulness. As audiences flock to theaters to witness the epic conclusion to this post-apocalyptic saga, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is poised to leave its mark on the box office and the franchise’s legacy.