Summer movie season continues as Wes Ball (The Maze Runner) steps into the director’s chair for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
20th Century Studios
May 10, 2024
Opening Weekend Range: $40M – $50M
Domestic Total Range: $100M-$140M
PROS:
- The most recent incarnation of the Planet of the Apes franchise—the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War of the Planet of the Apes trilogy—was fairly well-regarded by critics and fans alike; those opened to $54.8M, $72M, and $56M, respectively.
- By the time Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters, it will have been six weeks since the release of the last IP-driven action/adventure film (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire), possibly leading to pent-up demand. (Though The Fall Guy, out May 3, is based on previously existing IP, it’s not IP that the average audience member would be aware of.)
CONS:
- The aforementioned Apes reboot trilogy told a more or less contained story—one that, though it didn’t expressly preclude the existence of sequels, certainly didn’t leave audiences pondering dangling story threads or blatantly obvious set-ups for future films. Though Kingdom takes place in the same canon as Rise, Dawn, and War—centuries after that trilogy, as per star Kevin Durand in an interview with Boxoffice Pro—it remains to be seen whether established fans wanted another chapter in this particular franchise so soon after it seemed to come to a satisfying close.
- Much of the buzz around the earlier Apes trilogy centered around the performance of Andy Serkis as test subject-turned-ape leader Caesar; with him, as well as Dawn and War director Matt Reeves out of the picture, those who liked that earlier trilogy may need to be won over.
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