Augut 6, 2011–Fox’s second summer reboot, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” had an extraordinary global opening. The picture bowed to an estimated $77.4 million worldwide.
“Rise of the Apes” earned most of its global start from the U.S., estimating $54 million. That’s just a bit less than what Fox’s “X-Men: First Class” earned in its opening weekend with $55.1 million domestically — a considerable achievement for “Apes” since “First Class” launched in June.
Overseas, “Rise of the Apes” also got off to a solid start, grossing an estimated $23.4 million from 26 territories, of which only four (Australia, Russia, Spain and Taiwan) are among the top 15 international markets. (It’s unlikely, however, that “Apes” beat “Harry Potter” or “Captain America” overseas — neither Warner Bros. nor Pararmount have released foreign figures.)
Like “First Class,” Fox’s “Apes” received strong word-of-mouth, resulting in an astonishing 1% dip domestically from Friday to Saturday.
Chris Aronson, senior VP of domestic distribution for Fox, attributed the picture’s strong buzz to better-than-expected critical response. “We’ve had reviews that highlight just how groundbreaking this movie is,” Aronson said. “We have special effects that never have been seen, servicing a great story.”