The Chinese market is becoming increasingly important for Hollywood. Although it may not seem like it, for a movie to succeed explosively, it needs to perform well in that market. That’s why movies are increasingly being adapted to the tastes and criteria of the Asian market. Although it is not necessary to reach the Chinese market for a movie to be a success, nor is it the goal of most films, blockbusters are increasingly trying to succeed in that market. Something that is no exception is The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Tenth film in the Planet of the Apes franchise and the fourth in the series after the reboot, the film directed by Wes Ball is a 145-minute odyssey that cost around 160 million dollars and managed to gross 400 million dollars at the box office. Partly thanks to the Chinese market.
Projecting $50-55 million in the US for its debut weekend, it ended up making just over $58 million. Similarly, it was expected to make between $80-90 million outside the US, but it ended up making $129 million. Among them, $6.4 million came from Mexico, $7.1 million from France, and $11.4 million from the second largest market in the world: China. Demonstrating the crucial importance it has in these big-budget films.
Even so, the movie was a success thanks to its domestic and global success. Although it performed well in China, which greatly boosted its numbers, its triumph was largely because it performed radically better than analysts around the world expected. Something that was also reflected in the reviews, receiving an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 323 positive reviews. Even if on Metacritic, where scores tend to be much harsher, it barely reached a 66 out of 100.
Being the fourth installment of the franchise, one would expect it to have performed considerably worse than the previous ones. And although it made 100 million less than the previous film, War for the Planet of the Apes, it was considered a complete success.
And why did it work? Mainly, because the movie knows how to maintain a perfect balance between continuing the story of the previous films and being completely understandable without having seen them. By elegantly maintaining that precarious balance for its two and a half hours, it manages to keep the attention of viewers looking for intense and bombastic entertainment, allowing them to enjoy a blockbuster that clearly shows where its budget is: in the special effects.
The reason for success: following the story and the visuals
Because the other great differentiating factor of the film is the great spectacle it offers. With highly crafted special effects and absolutely spectacular CGI, it has been compared in quality to Avatar, the film by James Cameron. This translated into numerous award nominations and, very notably, a nomination for the Oscars for Best Visual Effects in 2024, which Dune: Part Two would ultimately win.
Now the kingdom of the planet of the apes arrives on HBO Max so we can enjoy it in the comfort of our homes to relive the tremendous show it represents. And while it’s not the same as watching it in the cinema, it is surely still a spectacle worth seeing.
