‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Takes $22 Million on Its First Day

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is no joke.

20th Century Studios’ latest “Apes” film grossed $22.2 million from 4,075 theaters on its opening day, a figure that includes $6.6 million in previews. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is expected to gross between $52 million and $56 million in its debut, about the same as the last three installments.

The second film in the series, 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” holds the opening weekend record with $72 million; followed by “War for the Planet of the Apes” with its $56.2 million opening; then “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” with an opening of $54.8 million.

“Kingdom” received mixed reactions from critics and audiences, earning an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a “B” rating on CinemaScore.

Director Wes Ball (“The Maze Runner” trilogy) is helming “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which is expected to kick off a new trilogy of films. Taking place 300 years after the “War for the Planet of the Apes”, talking primates have now fully taken over the world, with groups of primitive humans living on the outskirts. A heroic chimpanzee named Noa (played by Owen Teague) must venture outside of his clan to save his family from the clutches of Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), a despotic ruler seeking human weapons. Along the way, Noa meets a young woman named Mae (The Witcher star Freya Allan) who could be crucial to human survival.

Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” starring Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stuntman wooing an up-and-coming director played by Emily Blunt, comes in at second place in its second release. The action romance grossed $3.5 million from 4,008 theaters Friday, down 66% from opening day, and will likely surpass the domestic total of $50 million through Sunday.

In third place, Amazon MGM’s “Challengers” are looking at $5 million from 2,609 locations, down 34% from their previous framework. The tennis love triangle drama, which boasts a production budget of $55 million, is expected to top $38 million through Sunday.

“Tarot” sits at No. 4 on the national charts after earning $1 million on its second Friday from 3,104 locations. The low-budget horror film from Sony and Screen Gem is forecasting $3.2 million for the weekend, bringing its domestic total to $11.7 million.

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” rounds out the top five in its seventh weekend of release. Legendary Entertainment’s kaiju film is looking at $2.5 million for three days, bringing its domestic total to $191 million. This release from Warner Bros. is the second highest-grossing film of the year to date.