Like many superhero movies these days, Marvel and Sony’sSpider-Man: Homecomingexceeded all projections and expectations, earning an impressive $117 million in its opening weekend, a box office debut that was higher than most projections. This weekend, the newSpider-Man moviewill face two newcomers, 20th Century Fox’sWar For the Planet of the Apesand Broad Green’sWish Upon, although the Apes are the only ones expected to give Spidey a run for its money. WhileHomecomingwill certainly have a solid second weekend, those damn dirty Apes are expected to come out on top with a projected $82.6 million.
If this thirdPlanet of the Apes moviemeets or exceeds this projection, it will become one of the few major movie trilogies to increase in both box office grosses and in critical acclaim. 2011’sRise of the Planet of the Apeskicked off the franchise with a $54.8 million debut en route to $176.7 million domestic and $481.1 million worldwide, from a $93 million budget. That lead to 2014’sDawn of the Planet of the Apes, which opened with $72.6 million en route to $208.5 million domestic and $710.6 million worldwide, from a $175 million budget. Both movies were critical hits, withRise of the Planet of the Apesearning an 81% rating whileDawn of the Planet of the Apesreached 90% on RT. As of now,War for the Planet of the Apesis currently at 92%, although that number could change between now and opening day on Friday.
Most franchises start off modestly, then pay off with a huge second movie, only to slide a bit with the third movie. For example, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy had a solid start withBatman Begins($205 million domestic), withThe Dark Knight($534 million domestic) easily surpassing that, althoughThe Dark Knight Returns($448 million domestic) couldn’t quite match its predecessor. There are exceptions, of course, like theCaptain Americatrilogy and the originalBournetrilogy, but most follow the traditional trajectory, although it seems thatWar for the Planet of the Apescould make thisApes franchisethe exception, rather than the rule.Box Office Mojoreports thatWar for the Planet of the Apeswill open in roughly 3,800 theaters, although no theater count was given forWish Upon.
InWar for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise,Caesar(Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet. The cast includes Woody Harrelson as the Colonel, with Steve Zahn portraying a new character entitled “Bad Ape.”
The top 5 will likely be rounded out bySpider-Man: Homecoming($67.8 million),Despicable Me 3($20.1 million),Baby Driver($9.6 million) and newcomerWish Upon($8.3 million), which doesn’t have enough reviews in place for a Rotten Tomatoes rating quite yet. The new thrillerWish Uponfollows a young girl named Clare Shannon (Joey King). Twelve years after discovering her mother’s suicide, 17-year-old Clare is bullied in high school, embarrassed by her manic, hoarder father Jonathan (Ryan Phillippe) and ignored by her longtime crush. All that changes when her father comes home with an old music box whose inscription promises to grant its owner seven wishes. While Clare is initially skeptical of this magic box, she can’t help but be seduced by its dark powers, and is thrilled as her life radically improves with each wish. Clare finally has the life she’s always wanted and everything seems perfect, until the people closest to her begin dying in violent and elaborate ways after each wish. Clare realizes that she must get rid of the box, but finds herself unable and unwilling to part with her new-and-improved life, leading her down a dark and dangerous path.
The top 10 will be rounded out byWonder Woman($6.7 million),The Big Sick, which is expanding nationwide following a successful platform release ($6.1 million),Transformers: The Last Knight($3 million),Cars 3($2.8 million), andThe House($2.2 million). Also opening in limited release this weekend is Argot Pictures' documentaryAlmost Sunrise, Vertical Entertainment’s dramaBlind, Big World Pictures' foreign filmFalse Confessions, Roadside Attractions' dramaLady Macbeth, Indican’s sci-fi filmMan Underground, Music Box Films' dramaThe Midwifeand Vertical Entertainment’s documentaryThe Possession of Janet Moses. Take a look at our top 10 projections for the weekend of July 14, then check back on Sunday for the top 10 estimates.
