What is the budget of War for the Planet of the Apes?

"War for the Planet of the Apes," a drama released in 2017, was directed by Matt Reeves and stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson. The production budget was $150,000,000, placing it in the blockbuster range for drama productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
Development: After seeing his cut of Dawn, 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment signed Matt Reeves to return as director for a third installment of the reboot series.

What were the major cost factors in War for the Planet of the Apes?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "War for the Planet of the Apes."

Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does War for the Planet of the Apes's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $150,000,000, War for the Planet of the Apes sits in the blockbuster range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

6 Underground (2019): Budget $150,000,000
Angels & Demons (2009): Budget $150,000,000, Worldwide Gross $485,930,816
Batman Begins (2005): Budget $150,000,000, Worldwide Gross $374,218,673
Bee Movie (2007): Budget $150,000,000, Worldwide Gross $287,594,577
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024): Budget $150,000,000

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

War for the Planet of the Apes Box Office Performance

"War for the Planet of the Apes" earned $146,880,162 domestically and $490,719,763 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $150,000,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "War for the Planet of the Apes," that break-even threshold was roughly $300,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $490,719,763, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $150,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $490,719,763
Net Return: $340,719,763
ROI: approximately 227.1%

At 227.1%, "War for the Planet of the Apes" earned roughly $3.27 for every $1 invested in production.

War for the Planet of the Apes Production History

After seeing his cut of Dawn, 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment signed Matt Reeves to return as director for a third installment of the reboot series. In January 2014, the studio announced the third film, with Reeves returning to direct and co-write along with Bomback, and Peter Chernin, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver serving as producers. During an interview in mid-November 2014 with MTV, Andy Serkis said they did not know the next film's setting.

In August 2015, Deadline reported that Gabriel Chavarria had been cast as one of the humans in the film. In September 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Woody Harrelson had been cast as the film's antagonist, and that Chavarria's role was supporting. In October 2015, TheWrap reported that Steve Zahn was cast as a new ape in the film.

Principal photography on the film began on October 14, 2015, in the Lower Mainland in Vancouver, under the working title Hidden Fortress. Filming was expected to take place there until early March 2016. Parts of the film were expected to shoot for up to five days in the Kananaskis in late January and early February.