Apes score a big box-office victory
Monkey business still pays. War for the Planet of the Apes took down Spider-Man: Homecoming at the North American box office, opening with an estimated $56.5 million (U.S.) in ticket sales.
Spider-Man dropped to second with $45.2 million after its $117-million debut last weekend. But director Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes pulled away thanks to strong reviews for the third instalment of the rebooted Apes franchise.
Universal’s family sequel Despicable Me 3 pulled in $18.9 million in its third week, bringing its cumulative total to $188 million domestically. Sony’s Edgar Wright action-comedy Baby Driver followed behind with $8.8 million; its three-week gross is $73.2 million.
The weekend’s other most notable new entrant was Kumail Nanjiani’s acclaimed romantic comedy The Big Sick, which expanded to about 2,600 theatres after three weeks of limited release. The film, produced by Judd Apatow, made $7.6 million — a rare success for a comedy in a summer full of disappointment.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. War for the Planet of the Apes, $56.5 million ($46 million international).
2. Spider-Man: Homecoming, $ 45.2 million ($72.3 million international).
3. Despicable Me 3, $18.9 million ($71 million international).
4. Baby Driver, $8.8 million ($6.2 million international). 5. The Big Sick, $7.6 million. 6. Wonder Woman, $6.9 million ($3.3 million international). 7. Wish Upon, $5.6 million. 8. Cars 3, $3.2 million ($20.1million international).
9. Transformers: The Last Knight, $2.8 million ($6.7 million international).
10. The House, $1.8 million.