“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” dominated the box office this weekend, surpassing expectations with a $56.5 million debut at the domestic box office. The sequel to 2017’s “War of the Planet of the Apes” also brought in $72.5 million overseas, totaling $129 million globally. Directed by Wes Ball, the film had a strong start with $1.6 million in Wednesday previews and $5 million on Thursday, before making $22.2 million on Friday.
In second place was Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s “The Fall Guy,” which brought in $13.7 million this weekend, following a disappointing $27.7 million debut last weekend. The highly anticipated Zendaya tennis movie, “Challengers,” held steady in the third spot with $4.7 million, bringing its domestic total to about $38 million.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” had the second-highest grossing debut of the franchise, beating out previous installments in the series. However, the annual box office is down 22% compared to last year, with theaters hoping for upcoming summer releases like “If,” “Inside Out 2,” and “Despicable Me 4” to boost sales for the year.
The movie takes place 300 years after “War for the Planet of the Apes” and follows the rise of a new tyrannical ape leader. With an 81% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has been well-received by reviewers. The movie had a budget of $160 million, which is lower than the last two installments, both of which had $190 million budgets. Overall, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” looks poised to continue its success at the box office.
