Universal and DreamWork’s animated adventure “Kung Fu Panda 4” topped the domestic box office, grossing a solid $58.3 million from 4,035 theaters in its opening weekend.
It beat the starts of two advance entries, 2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3 ($41 million) and 2011’s Kung Fu Panda 2, and the 2008 original Kung Fu Panda ($60 million). It was the biggest debut in the series since the first. ” ($47.6 million), not adjusted for inflation.
“Family audiences were looking to go out and enjoy this popular series,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “Animated movies tend to be leggy. We expect tremendous corridors.”
Internationally, the martial arts-inspired animated comedy’s fourth film raked in $22 million from 41 markets for a worldwide cume of $80 million. This film cost him $85 million to make, less expensive than his first three films, which each cost about $150 million. Jack Black reprises his voice for the main character in Kung Fu Panda 4, the first new installment in the series in eight years. The story, which follows Poe as he searches for a successor while battling a new shape-shifting enemy called the Chameleon, seemed to resonate more with audiences than with critics (the film received an “A-” score). (69% on Rotten) Tomato).
“This is a great opening for an animated sequel that has gotten this far in the series,” said David A. Gross of film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “‘Kung Fu Panda’ has great momentum right now and we have good momentum for the next sequel.”
Although “Dune Part 2” ceded the box office crown to “Pandas,” the sci-fi sequel had another strong showing, grossing $46 million from 4,074 venues. This resulted in a 44% drop in ticket sales from its initial release (a staggering number for a blockbuster of this size), and the film grossed $157 million at the North American box office.
Dune 2 surpassed the first film’s entire domestic box office gross ($108 million) in its first 10 days, but this milestone comes with a big caveat. The 2021 original film was released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, so the hybrid release on streaming suppressed ticket sales.
“Dune Part 2” and “Kung Fu Panda 4” have helped revive a barren box office, but they are still about 10% behind the same point in 2023, according to ComScore. In the coming weeks, expect to see Sony’s sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (March 22nd) and Warner Bros. and Legendary’s monster mashup Godzilla x Kong: New Empire (March 29th). Japan) continues to draw in audiences, and we expect the number of viewers to decline. gap.
“Two big movies made a big difference in the year-to-date deficit,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at ComScore, adding that the box office was 20% behind last year’s box office before Arrakis’ return. Point out. “With the ongoing success of Dune Part 2 and the strong debut of Kung Fu Panda 4, the needle is moving in the right direction.”
Another newcomer, Lionsgate’s Blumhouse thriller “Imaginary,” matched expectations of $10 million from 3,118 locations. The film cost just over $10 million to make, so it’s in a good position for theatrical release. That’s good. This is because “Imaginary,” a horror film about a woman who is tormented by an old teddy bear named Chancy, was critically acclaimed by audiences and critics. It has a CinemaScore of “C+” and an average score of 31% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The third new release of the weekend, Angel Studios’ faith-based drama “Cabrini,” debuted at No. 4 on the domestic charts behind “Imaginary.” The film was well-received by moviegoers, collecting a so-so box office gross of $7.7 million from 2,840 theaters, despite earning an “A” on CinemaScore.
Cabrini, directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, is a biographical story about Francesca Cabrini, a Catholic missionary who encounters resistance to her philanthropic and business activities in New York City. “Cabrini” is the second theatrical release from indie distributor Angel Studios, following last summer’s “The Sound of Freedom.” The film, also directed by Monteverde, was a suspense thriller that became an unlikely box office hit, grossing $242 million worldwide.
“[‘Cabrini’s] The start is not at the level [of ‘Sound of Freedom], but these are different movies,” says Gross. “Historical biographies are not in the same business as suspense crime novels.”
Paramount’s music biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” slipped to No. 5 with $4 million from 2,764 locations. The $70 million budget film, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the reggae music legend, grossed an astonishing $89 million in North America and $160 million worldwide.
Elsewhere, A24’s romantic thriller “Love Lies Bleeding” opened with $167,463 on five screens ($33,493 average per location). The film, directed by Rose Glass, stars Kristen Stewart as a reclusive gym manager who falls in love with a bodybuilder. Their love draws them into the web of Lou’s crime family and leads to violence. The film, which premiered to positive reviews at Sundance, will continue to expand to 1,200 screens next week.
