Recent BO collections of Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes have proved that the franchise still has a lot of heart left. While the viewers’ response has been more muted towards it compared to the first three movies, ‘Kingdom’ is still a worthy entry to the Planet of the Apes franchise. And it deserves a sequel.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has grossed over $374 million globally against a $160 million budget. It also returned to the Top 3 highest-grossing movies this weekend. Despite losing over 600 theatres, the movie witnessed only a 3.8% drop from last weekend’s collections, which is commendable. Plus, it has surpassed the domestic BO of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). However, it will not be able to cross the global collections of the 2017 movie.
While its story and pacing received some criticism from critics, Kingdom’s performances, visual effects, action sequences, and score were praised. Given how it ended, fans deserve its sequel.
The talk between Mae (Freya Allan) and Noa (Owen Teague) during Kingdom’s final moments sheds light on the disparity of access to technology between humans and apes, particularly regarding advanced weaponry. Mae believes these weapons belonged to humans, and therefore, only humans have the right to use them. However, Noa argues whether technology and weapons are solely for humans. He even questions whether humans and apes can co-exist considering this disparity. This act of defiance by Mae further complicates the situation. The film ended with her delivering the decipher key to a remaining group of humans, who reactivate their satellites and contact other humans across the globe.
The ending of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ suggests a brewing large-scale war between apes and humans. This conflict won’t be just physical; it will also be a clash of morals and beliefs. The film sets the stage for a new Apes trilogy, as director Wes Ball confirmed in December 2023. With the franchise’s enduring popularity, Disney and 20th Century Fox are likely to greenlight a sequel soon. Stay tuned for more updates.
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