While other long-running franchises such asMad MaxandThe Omenhave struggled this year, 20th Century Studios’ Planet of the Apes reboot series continued to draw audiences with its fourth installment,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Against all expectations, especially during a year that has been rather hit or miss, the movie not only delivered a solid debut, but has been able to fend off competition with strong holds in the weeks following its release in early May. The film’s sustained success in the past month has helpedthe four reboot films’ collective global box office gross pass the mammoth $2 billion mark.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apeshas generated$337 million worldwideso far, making it the lowest-grossing installment of the new series, which began in 2011. And although the chances of it overtaking any of its three predecessors is zero, the movie will probably pass the third installment at the domestic box office in a week or so. Based onPierre Boulle’s novel,the Planet of the Apes seriesbegan withFranklin J. Schaffner’s classic original science-fiction film, which debuted in 1968. The movie was a major success, and spawned four sequels of declining cultural impact and commercial success.
The ‘Planet of the Apes’ Reboots Have Been Critically Acclaimed
Planet of the Apes Reboot Movies
Global Box Office
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
$470 million
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$710 million
War for the Planet of the Apes
$490 million
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
$337 million (and counting)
Afteran ill-fated 2001 rebootdirected byTim Burton, which defied poor reviews to deliver box office success, the series was rebooted once again in 2011, with directorRupert Wyatt’sRise of the Planet of the Apes. The well-reviewed movie concluded its global box office run with $470 million, and introduced audiences to the chimpanzee Caesar, whose rebellion against the humans initiated their downfall.Matt Reevestook over as director for the next installment, 2014’sDawn of the Planet of the Apes, which picked up Caesar’s story a few years after a simian flu killed off most human beings. The movie earned spectacular reviews, and grossed over $700 million worldwide. Reeves concluded his trilogy with 2017’sWar for the Planet of the Apes, which grossed nearly $500 million globally.
Each of the three reboot movies, butparticularly the Reeves installments, received widespread acclaim for their serious tone, dense themes, andAndy Serkis’ ground-breaking motion-capture performance as Caesar. Directed byWes Ball,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesis sethundreds of years after Caesar’s death, and isdesigned to start a new trilogy. The movie received strong reviews for its visuals, and for Ball’s direction.Produced on a reported budget of $160 million,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesholds an 80% “fresh” approval rating on the review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, and featuresOwen Teague,Freya Allan,William H. Macy, Peter Macon, andKevin Durand. You can watch the film in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
