Box Office: ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Climbs to $22 Million Opening Day

Jordan Moreau and Michaela Zee
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“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” isn’t monkeying around.

The latest “Apes” entry from 20th Century Studios earned $22.2 million from 4,075 theaters on its opening day, a figure that includes $6.6 million in previews. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is estimated to make between $52 million and $56 million in its debut, which about the same as the last three installments.

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The series’ second movie, 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” holds the opening-weekend record with $72 million; followed by “War for the Planet of the Apes” with its $56.2 million opening; and then “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” with a $54.8 million opening.

“Kingdom” has gotten mixed reactions from critics and audiences, earning an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and “B” grade on CinemaScore.

Director Wes Ball (“The Maze Runner” trilogy) helms “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which is tipped to kick off a new trilogy of films. Set 300 years after “War for the Planet of the Apes,” the talking primates have now fully taken over the world, with groups of primitive humans living in the outskirts. A heroic chimp named Noa (played by Owen Teague) must venture outside his clan to save his family from the clutches of Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), a despotic ruler searching for human weapons. Along the way, Noa comes across a young woman named Mae (“The Witcher” star Freya Allan) who may be crucial to humans’ survival.

Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” starring Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stuntman courting a rising director played by Emily Blunt, is landing in second place in its sophomore outing. The action-romance earned $3.5 million from 4,008 theaters on Friday, down 66% from opening day, and will likely surpass a $50 million domestic total through Sunday.

In third place, Amazon MGM’s “Challengers” is looking at $5 million from 2,609 locations, down 34% from its prior frame. The tennis love-triangle drama, which carries a $55 million production budget, is expected to push beyond $38 million through Sunday.

“Tarot” is holding the No. 4 spot on domestic charts after earning $1 million on its second Friday from 3,104 locations. Sony and Screen Gem’s low-budget horror film is projecting $3.2 million for the weekend, bringing its domestic tally to $11.7 million

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is rounding out the top five in its seventh weekend of release. Legendary Entertainment’s kaiju film is looking at $2.5 million for the three-day frame, pushing its domestic total to $191 million. The Warner Bros. release is the year’s second-highest-grossing movie to date.

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