Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes' Box Office Looks So Much Better Now

Summary Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a box office success, proving to be financially successful and exceeding expectations.

The film serves as a soft reboot of the franchise, with potential for a nine-part series based on its performance.

It stands out as the strongest May 2024 release, surpassing other films in terms of box office performance.

Despite some initial doubts, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' box office performance is something both the studios and fans of the franchise can celebrate. The fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot series that began back in 2011, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' story takes place 300 years after the events of the third movie and revolves around a new ape protagonist called Noa forming a bond with a feral human woman named Mae. The film has garnered generally positive reviews and, on the whole, has proven to be financially successful.

As well as being a sequel to 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes serves as a soft reboot of the franchise and the first installment in a planned 9-part Planet of the Apes saga. Whether the proposed sequels ever come to fruition very much depends on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' final box office total. As it stands, however, things are certainly looking promising.

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Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Is On Its Way To Becoming A Box Office Success

It Should Pass A Big Milestone In A Matter Of Days

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At the time of writing, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes currently has a worldwide box office total of $298,649,252 (via The Numbers), meaning it will pass the $300 million mark within the next couple of days. The movie's earnings consist of just under $127 million in domestic takings and around $172 million from the international box office. While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' financial performance hasn't exactly set the movie world on fire, it is, nevertheless, still a win. Especially given that the film had a production budget of $160 million.

Whether Planet of the Apes 4 will be profitable from its theatrical release alone remains to be seen. After all, when marketing and distribution costs are factored in, it likely needs at least $300 million to break even. However, the fact that it's already on course to reach this figure in a matter of days is promising. Additionally, though Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will almost definitely become the lowest-grossing entry in the reboot series, it won't be too far off the first movie's $471 million total, which is remarkable given the current state of the cinematic landscape.

Movie Worldwide Box Office Total Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) $470,986,200 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) $710,644,566 War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) $489,592,267

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes' Box Office Is Much Stronger Than Other May 2024 Movies

2024 Continues To Be A Disappointing Year For Cinema

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On its own, the box office performance of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is solid at best. However, when compared to other May 2024 releases, the sequel stands out as by far the strongest. The Fall Guy, which starred Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in the lead roles and was initially viewed by some as the movie that was going to save cinema, ultimately failed to draw audiences. After making just $145 million on a $125 million budget during its theatrical run, The Fall Guy's digital release came less than three weeks after it first hit theaters.

Movie Worldwide Box Office Totals The Fall Guy $145,556,000 IF $103,567,000 Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga $64,548,000

Similarly, the John Krasinski-directed family movie IF has still yet to make more than its budget of $110 million despite featuring an ensemble cast that includes Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carell. Meanwhile, Furiosa's disappointing box office opening means its chances of being profitable look very slim. All three have followed a rather grim pattern that has emerged in recent years that makes the future of cinema look rather bleak. To that extent, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has bucked the trend, with no other May release earning even half of its $300 million takings.

Why Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Has Done Better Than Other May Releases

There's No Explanation Answer For The Movie's Success

Exactly why Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has succeeded where many other movies have failed is hard to say. The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics, but then so has The Fall Guy and Furiosa. Likewise, star power can't be the reason, seeing as Planet of the Apes 4 has a lot less of it compared to other big May releases. The most likely answer, therefore, is the strength of the Planet of the Apes franchise and how its stunning visuals and incredible CGI seem to inspire a need to see the films on the big screen.

There is a palpable fondness for the Planet of the Apes series, even if it's not talked about as much as other sci-fi/action franchises.

Though it might not be as big as other movie franchises, like Star Wars, the MCU, or Jurassic Park, as the previous installments have demonstrated, people do reliably turn out for a Planet of the Apes movie, which has been the case with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Each of the first three entries in the reboot series was highly profitable, even if none of them ever reached the dizzying heights of certain other blockbusters. There is a palpable fondness for the Planet of the Apes series, even if it's not talked about as much as other sci-fi/action franchises.

Source: The Numbers