Back to the Planet of the Apes

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters this weekend.

Boxoffice Pro, which only this week returned to the issuance of long-range forecasts (of a more limited nature than we were accustomed to in the past), predicted a $40-$50 million opening weekend for the film, and a $100-$140 million overall run, back in early April.

Their prediction this week is for an opening in the $40-$45 million range--not much different, save that the ceiling has fallen a bit.

Given what I argued about the film's prospects this does not bode well for the film. The preceding film in the series, which made rather more money domestically and globally than this one seems likely to do, failed to make Deadline's list of the more profitable films of its year--such that if 2024's film is budgeted the same way the backers will have a tough time breaking even, let alone turning a profit on this extension of what seemed to many an already concluded series.*

* War for the Planet of the Apes made $490 million in the summer of 2017, which is $600 million+ in 2024 dollars, whereas my prediction was for a much lower range of $250-$450 million globally for Kingdom.