The summer blockbuster season rolls on with another studio franchise sequel this weekend. Fox completes its simian sci-fi trilogy with War for the Planet of the Apes [APES3]. The first film Rise of the Planet of the Apes opened with $54.8 million in 2011, while the second film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes debuted at $72.6 million in 2014. Andy Serkis [ASERK] reprises his mo-cap role as Caesar while Woody Harrelson [WHARR] joins the cast as his new human adversary. Directed once again by Matt Reeves [MREEV], the PG-13 rated film has earned rave reviews. Despite the critical acclaim though, the third film is likely to suffer from fatigue due to battle scenes that appear similar to its Dawn predecessor. Marketing has not really differentiated the product as a must-see conclusion. War for the Planet of the Apes could deliver $62 million from 4022 locations.
Spider-Man: Homecoming [SPID6] has steered the superhero franchise back on track with a reboot embraced by both critics and fans. Despite similar positive feedback, Captain America: Civil War fell 60% in its second weekend. A similar drop off would leave Spider-Man: Homecoming at around $48 million.
Despicable Me 3 [DESME3] looks to finish a distant third with about $18 million for its third outing.
After racking up nearly $8 million during 3 weeks of limited release, The Big Sick [TBSIC] expands to 2597 theaters. The indie sensation was steadily built up buzz since it premiered at Sundance where it was acquired by Amazon. The R-rated romance is one of the best-reviewed films of 2017 and sure to be an awards contender. With excellent word of mouth, The Big Sick could hit $12 million.
Wish Upon [WUPON] targets young horror fans. The PG-13 rated film is a variation of the classic "Monkey’s Paw" story. However, Broad Green is still a “green” distributor without a track record in the genre. Opening in 2250 theaters, Wish Upon could bring home $7.5 million.
That’s the whisper on the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): APES3, ASERK, WHARR, MREEV, SPID6, TBSIC, WUPON