‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Rules VOD While Dennis Quaid’s ‘The Long Game’ Surprises on Netflix

By far the biggest of the May movie releases, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (Disney) is #1 in its initial week on both iTunes and Fandango’s top 10 VOD lists.

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This comes 60 days after its theatrical debut, with the longer-than-average window now typical for most Disney titles after aggressive home viewing placement during and right after Covid.

What’s surprising is how easily Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” (Focus) beat out Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” among other new releases. The former just passed the $20 million domestic gross mark over its fourth weekend. “Garfield” is at $91 million, four and a half times bigger, and part of a period where animated titles dominate both on screen and at home.

“The Bikeriders” was #2 most of the week at iTunes and #2 at Fandango for the full-week chart. It’s now #3 at iTunes, behind “Civil War” (A24), surging at a reduced price after significant success at $19.99 earlier. Meantime, “Garfield” has never been higher than #3 (its current Fandango position) and has dropped to #5 at Fandango.

Why is “Garfield” lagging? Perhaps with “Inside Out 2” and “Despicable Me 4” thriving in theaters, and these days up to half of Netflix’s top 10 consisting of animated films, plunking down $19.99 to rent “Garfield” for 48 hours doesn’t seem like the best use of money. (It should stream on Netflix because of Sony’s deal by early fall).

Though it likely scored huge initial viewing in its early days, Netflix’s original “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” was succeeded after 10 days at #1 by “The Long Game.” It’s the true story of a group of young Mexican-American caddies who had to create their own golf course to play in the 1950s, then became competitive statewide with the help of a local benefactor (Dennis Quaid) fighting his own demons. After a premiere at SXSW 2023, it had a modest theatrical release this spring ($3 million gross).

The film rose quickly to #1 at Netflix. Credit the appeals of a sports Cinderella story, an underserved Hispanic audience, and Quaid’s growing appeal within the faith-based community. It’s another example of the streamer grabbing a modest-performing film that feels fresh, possibly original, and has high viewership.

“Vanished into the Night,” a true Netflix original from Italy, is #2. It’s a missing child drama (while on vacation with their dad, they disappear suddenly) that clearly clicked from the preview for many people. Earlier #1 “A Family Affair,” with Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, is still #5, a very good position for an original in its fourth week.

Two other recent films also debuted on VOD charts, both on Fandango, elevated by a $19.99 price on a revenue-based chart. Russell Crowe in “The Exorcism” (Vertical) is #8, while “The Strangers: Chapter 1” (Lionsgate) is #9. Of note — 1996’s “Twister” (Warner Bros.) is #6 at iTunes (it can be rented for $4.99, while also streaming on Max) ahead of the “Twisters” release this Friday, which reinforces the idea that the updated version is headed for big success.

Top 10s

iTunes ranks films daily by number of transactions, while Fandango at Home lists by revenue. The listings below are for Monday, July 8 (iTunes) and the week of July 8-14 (Fandango).

The distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for lowest for either rental or download.

iTunes

1. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Disney) – $19.99

2. Civil War (A24) – $4.99

3. The Bikeriders (Focus) – $19.99

4. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Lionsgate) – $9.99

5. The Garfield Movie (Sony) – $19.99

6. Twister (WB) – $3.99

7. Challengers (Amazon MGM) – $5.99

8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (WB) – $24.99

9. The Fall Guy (Universal) – $19.99

10. Abigail (Universal) – $5.99

Fandango at Home

1. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Disney) – $19.99

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2. The Bikeriders (Focus) – $19.99

3. The Garfield Movie (Sony) – $19.99

4. IF (Paramount) – $19.99

5. Civil War (A24) – $5.99

6. Abigail (Universal) – $5.99

7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (WB) – $24.99

8. The Exorcism (Vertical) – $19.99

9. The Strangers : Chapter 1 (Lionsgate) – $9.99

10. The Watchers (WB) – $19.99

Netflix Movies

These are the most-viewed, current rankings on Netflix’s domestic daily chart on Monday, July 15. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own worldwide weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed , and usually includes films for which it doesn’t have domestic rights.

1. The Long Game (2024 theatrical release)

2. Vanished into the Night (Italian Netflix original)

3. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (Netflix original)

4. Minions (2015 theatrical release)

5. A Family Affair (Netflix original)

6. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023 theatrical release)

7. Shrek (2001 theatrical release)

8. The Neon Highway (2024 theatrical release)

9. An American Crime (2007 theatrical release)

10. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013 theatrical release)