The summer movie season is coming. After years of COVID closedowns and strikes and a noticeable drought of content caused by both of these, everyone will be closely watching the performance of the big releases to get a view of how the box office could be recovering.
Disney and 20th Century’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes shows some encouraging signs. It grabbed another $26 million domestic and $40.6 million overseas to take it to $237 million and already into the slot as 4th highest-grossing movie of the year.
John Krasinski’s fantasy-comedy IF edged past it domestically for the top spot, but was second globally. Overall it earned $59 million worldwide and is performing in line with its projections. It needs to get legs to make a decent profit, though, as it’s budget was toppy at $110 million.
The Garfield Movie is yet to open in the US, but secured $49 million from international markets.
When it opens in the US over Memorial Day weekend it will be up against Furiosa and could well benefit from counter-programming, and also school holidays in many overseas markets.
The rest of the top bracket is made up of The Strangers Chapter 1 with $12 million for the weekend, The Fall Guy with $8.4 million, and a long way back Challengers with $2.9million.
Elsewhere in the top ten, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire and Civil War are starting to be withdrawn from theaters as they roll out on various PVOD platforms.
Still to come this season are Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, Twisters, Despicable Me 4, and A Quiet Place Day One, among others, before Deadpool & Wolverine potentially blows through and takes all the dollars at the end of July.
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