Apes reign supreme: Unexpected box office king of the summer

Nobody expected such a turn of events. In the just-begun summer season in American cinemas, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" by Wes Ball still reigns supreme, nomen omen. The expected hit with a star-studded cast, namely "Stuntman", is doing much worse than anticipated. The financial results of both titles are staggering – though for different reasons in each case.

The final result of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" turned out to be even better than predicted, as we wrote a few days ago. Wes Ball's film brought in a profit amounting to $56.5 million in the States and $72.5 million abroad, equaling a global start of $129 million. The premiere became the most anticipated event, especially when it became clear that "Stuntman" by David Leitch wouldn’t be able to compete.

Initially, it was the production with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt (both are riding high after the award season summarizing last year, having played in the biggest hits of 2023: respectively "Barbie" by Greta Gerwig and "Oppenheimer" by Christopher Nolan) that was the favourite. The first summer title in the lineup earned merely $27 million in a few days (at least $32–35 million was expected), considered a failure in the industry.

The success of "Kingdom..." undoubtedly lies in its direct connection to the hit series from 2011–2017, consisting of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" by Rupert Wyatt and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "War for the Planet of the Apes" by Matt Reeves. Earlier, i.e., in the late 60s and 70s, five more films were made, in the second half of the 70s a series, and in 2001 a film by Tim Burton. The "Ape" universe is quite expansive.

It's no wonder the audience's most significant percentage comprises older men. However – as reported by The Hollywood Reporter – younger viewers are also keen to go to the cinema. Made for $160 million (not including promotional campaigns), it can boast a much smaller budget than the last two blockbusters by Reeves, yet a better financial result. "Dawn" earned $54.3 million, and "War" – $56.3 million.

"Stuntman" ranked second in viewership with an estimated income of around $49.7 million. Together with revenues from international markets, its profits amount to a total of $103 million. The situation improved slightly with a change in the marketing strategy and an emphasis on the romantic aspect; thanks to this, more women went to the movies.

Third place is taken by "Challengers" by Luca Guadagnino, which has a total of $68.7 million worldwide (including $38.4 million in the States alone). The fourth spot belongs to the horror "Tarot: Death Card" by Spencer Cohen and Anna Halberg (Polish premiere on Friday, May 17, GMT), noting an income of $20 million, and the fifth to "Godzilla vs. Kong: New Empire" by Adam Wingard with over $190 million in earnings in the country.