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''Planet of the Apes'' will rule the box office | planetbop_l
MONKEY BUSINESS Analysts say ''Planet of the Apes'' will defeat ''Jurassic Park III'''s dinos
Planet of the Apes: Sam Emerson

Dinosaurs, bow your heads! ''Planet of the Apes,'' the remake of the 1968 sci-fi adventure about an astronaut who crash-lands in a hostile simian world, will blast the scaly evolutionary inferiors of ''Jurassic Park III'' out of the No. 1 spot this weekend. In fact, analysts say ''Apes'' -- starring ''The Perfect Storm'''s Mark Walhberg as the wayward pilot and ''Pulp Fiction'''s Tim Roth as his chimpanzee nemesis -- is set to score one of the best openings of the summer, with earnings as high as $62 million. ''It's like King Kong versus Godzilla,''' says Robert Bucksbaum of box office tracking firm Reel Source. ''There's no match. The monkeys have to win.''

''Apes'' is assured a strong turnout from older audiences who are familiar with the original five-movie franchise. But analysts say younger crowds drawn by distributor 20th Century Fox's action-heavy ads -- which also emphasize ''Batman'' director Tim Burton's stylish reinventions -- are what guarantee blockbuster returns. ''Hollywood is smart about remakes,'' says Tom Borys, president of ACNielsen, pointing to the success of recent franchise revivals like ''The Mummy'' series ($355.7 million grossed domestically thus far), ''Doctor Dolittle'' I and II ($238.9 million and counting), and ''The Nutty Professor'' movies ($252 million). ''Timing is crucial. 'Apes' is old enough now that it's a novel idea again.'' Adds Bucksbaum, ''You don't need big stars, you don't need to talk about the director to sell 'Apes.' All you need are those catch phrases, 'Rule the Planet,' 'Bow Your Heads.' I hear kids saying that everywhere.''

Moreover, industry watchers say that audiences were starved for escapist flicks before ''JPIII'' opened July 18, and ''Apes'' will continue to cash in on that need. ''Typically around July 4 you get big action movies,'' says Borys. ''But between 'A.I.' and 'Cats & Dogs' there was this gaping hole. We've had years of 'Independence Day' and 'Men in Black,' and I think there's been some pent-up demand. It helped 'Jurassic Park' and it's going to help 'Planet of the Apes.'''

While hardly bound for extinction, ''JPIII'' is likely to lose half of its audience to the primates, tumbling to No. 2 with about $25 million. ''America's Sweethearts'' should lure remaining moviegoers who are more enamored by Julia Roberts and crew than monkeys and lizards, earning $21 million for a No. 3 finish. The Reese Witherspoon send-up ''Legally Blonde'' will snag some teen viewers, earning $7 million for the No. 4 spot. The Robert De Niro heist picture ''The Score'' and the family furball flick ''Cats & Dogs'' are likely to battle for fifth place, with $6 million to $7 million.

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Posted Jul 27, 2001 | Order Article Reprints