Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Box Office Previews Reach Franchise Record

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes first Box Office previews set a new franchise record.

By Aaron Perine

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is off to a swinging simian start at the box office. 20th Century Studios' latest entry in the franchise managed a climb to $6.6 million in the early previews. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is looking like a #1 movie at the box office for the first week. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that this is the highest preview total for the Planet of the Apes franchise. Despite that fact, it would be a wild surprise for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to eclipse Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ($72 million) opening at the box office. (Comparing a movie opening in 2024 to one from 10 years earlier remains a tricky situation as numerous factors would complicate the analysis.)

As the summer gets underway, The Fall Guy will likely finish right behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Last week, the Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt movie topped the box office. However, media reaction to a $28 million opening was rather muted. Does falling $2 million short of a projection signal doom and gloom? For some corners of social media yes. But, in others, it sparked a conversation about how we consider art and what we consider a "good opening." Expect more of the same if Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes doesn't reach that $50-52 dollar domestic mark set by various insiders this weekend.

But, How Good Is Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes?

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(Photo: 20th Century)

In short, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is good enough to prove that the work isn't done with this long-running franchise. ComicBook's Spencer Perry took a trip to the cinema to review Wes Ball's latest film. A lot of people questioned going back to the world ruled by apes after the dramatic conclusion to the last trilogy. However, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes stands confident that these primates have more to tell us about the world and the pitfalls of belief without comprehension.

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"It can already be daunting to join a franchise that has remained steadfast for almost sixty years, not to mention one that successfully rebooted itself in the 2010s to critical acclaim, but director Wes Ball has managed to stare down that mountain of intimidation with his cast and crew to deliver," Perry argues. "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes proves that there is still life left in this franchise and that it can grow beyond the fan-favorite Andy Serkis trilogy while still drawing influence from its roots. Even with minor faults, it's a grand time, and a worthy follow-up."

Are you heading to the theater to see Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

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