20th Century Studios

SUNDAY UPDATE AFTER SATURDAY EXCLUSIVE: 20th Century Studios/Disney’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has dawned to a $129M global debut, swinging in with $72.5M from 52 international box office markets and $56.5M domestically. The worldwide start makes it the 3rd biggest global bow of the year. 

Overseas, Latin America was particularly strong including Brazil delivering the market’s biggest opening of 2024. In China, the movie came in No. 1 with $11.4M, but as we noted yesterday (see below), this is currently a soft market after a record-breaking May Day holiday frame.

Nevertheless, and giving a hopeful kick towards the start of summer, KPA opened as the No. 1 non-local title in all major markets. It also scored the biggest bow for the modern franchise in Netherlands, Finland, Poland, Turkey, Hungary, Indonesia, Vietnam, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Central America, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and several smaller markets. Across Europe, it was tops in all markets save for Austria (where Sony’s The Garfield Movie purred to No. 1). KPA is the 2nd best bow of 2024 for a studio title in France (among others). 

In Asia-Pacific, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opened as the 3rd best of 2024 in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Thailand. Indonesia and Vietnam gave it the best start of the modern franchise. 

Latin America welcomed the apes with No. 1 bows in all markets. As noted above, Brazil embraced it for the best start of the year.

Here are the Top 10 debuts: China ($11.4M), France ($7.1M), Mexico ($6.4M), UK ($4.8M), Korea ($3.2M), Australia ($2.7M), Brazil ($2.6M), Germany ($2.2M), Spain ($2.2M) and Indonesia ($1.9M).

In IMAX, KPA opened to $13.2M global.

Also new this session, Paramount started early offshore release on John Krasinski’s IF. The imaginary friends pic conjured $3.6M amid strong reviews and positive word of mouth. In France, IF started at No. 3 behind Apes and local hit Un Petit Truc En Plus, grossing $3.3M at 621 locations. Belgium opened at No. 2 with $300K from 85 cinemas and behind Apes.

Next week IF expands into 56 markets including UK, Australia, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Korea and Middle East region.

In holdover play, the cat is meowing as Columbia Pictures/Alcon Entertainment’s The Garfield Movie added a handful of markets for $11.8M in 22 (-32% from last session). That takes the total to $36M overseas and before domestic claws in later this month.

In detail this frame, Germany debuted to $2.1M, which is 85% bigger than DC League Of Super Pets and 40% higher than Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. Mexico led all sophomore markets with $3.1M (-28%) to boost its cume to $12.5M, and Spain added $860K (-28%) for a local total of $3.6M.

Upcoming key market releases include Korea, UK and Australia throughout May. France pounces in July and Japan in August.

Universal’s The Fall Guy, which stumbled out last weekend despite being a really fun ride, added $9.4M this session overseas (-54%), to bring the offshore cume to $54M. Globally, it’s at $103.7M. 

Top 5 to date are the UK ($8.3M), Australia ($6.6M), Mexico ($3.6M), Germany ($3.4M) and France ($3.4M). 

China is due to open on May 17 and Japan goes August 16.

Also a note about the Top 2 movies of 2024 so far globally, Dune: Part Two ( $709.4M) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($558.8M): This is the first time in Legendary Entertainment’s history that it has the first and second highest grossing films of the year.

MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
Challengers (WB): $4.2M intl weekend (63 markets); $30.6M intl cume/$68.7M global
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (WB): $3.8M intl weekend (78 markets); $366.9M intl cume/$558.8M global 
Kung Fu Panda 4 (UNI): $3.4M intl weekend (82 markets); $338.1M intl cume/$529.3M global
Tarot (SNY): $3M intl weekend (35 markets); $8.2M intl cume/$20.2M global
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (SNY): $1.1M intl weekend (52 markets); $87M intl cume/$198.4M global 
Abigail (UNI): $430K intl weekend (68 markets); $12.8M intl cume/$37.5M global

PREVIOUS, SATURDAY EXCLUSIVE: 20th Century Studios/Disney’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is beating its chest towards a $125M global bow this weekend. At the international box office, we understand the Wes Ball-directed installment is at around $31M through Friday. As Anthony has reported, domestic is looking at a $52M-$55M start for the full frame.

Overseas, we’re eyeing $70M with some potential upside. Hindrance here is China as we noted in our preview. Even though Apes will come in at No. 1 for the frame there, it’s a soft market coming off of a big holiday weekend last session. This one includes a Saturday workday. The Maoyan (9.1) and TPP (9.2) scores are good, but the Douban critical note is not so hot at 6.7 which is the lowest of the recent series. Estimates for the no longer reliable market’s start are around $11M. 

Looking at overseas comps and at today’s exchange rates, 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes bowed to $62M internationally ($8M was from China). In 2014, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes did $127M ($37M in China) and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes came in at a $130M launch ($56M from China). 

So, given projections we are hearing, Kingdom would land in the middle of that pack. 

We understand there have been positive starts in Latin America, France, the Netherlands and other parts of Europe – where, it bears noting, there is now summer weather in some pockets. Elsewhere, there are mixed results. 

The Top 5 markets through Friday overseas are: France ($4.8M), China ($3M), Mexico ($2.4M), UK ($2M) and Germany ($1.3M).

Not included in the above are the Saturday numbers out of China and Korea which take those running cumes to $6.7M and $2.1M, respectively.

We’ll have a full report tomorrow.