Still, ‘Apes’ is the latest franchise title to come in behind the last installment as Hollywood battles sequel fatigue; ‘Wish Upon’ gets lost, while ‘The Big Sick’ places No. 5 in its nationwide expansion.
Director Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes succeeded in scaring off Spider-Man: Homecoming at the North American box office, winning the weekend with an estimated $56.5 million from 4,022 theaters.
That’s a relief for 20th Century Fox, considering many had expected a closer race between the two films. Sony and Marvel Studios’ rebooted Spider-Man ended up declining more than expected in its sophomore outing, falling 61 percent to $45.2 million for a domestic total of $208.3 million.
War for the Planet of the Apes came in 22 percent behind sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which debuted to $72.6 million in 2014. That’s not a terrible fall off but is another reminder of the troubling sequel fatigue that’s causing Hollywood studio executives plenty of angst. Fox has said all along this would be the final title in the refurbished series about intelligent primates.
Overseas, Apes opened in less than a third of the marketplace, including two of the top 10 major territories, grossing $46 million from 62 markets for global bow of $102.5 million. The U.K. led with $9.5 million, including previews, to come in 15 percent behind the last installment, although overall internationally, the movie opened on par with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Costing $150 million to produce before marketing, the threequel follows Caesar (Andy Serkis) as he and the other apes try to survive the ongoing war with mankind and the wrath of a ruthless human dictator (Woody Harrelson). Chernin Entertainment produced. War for the Planet of the Apes sports a glowing 94 percent…
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