Box Office: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Chopping Up $55 Million Opening Weekend, ‘Dune 2’ Rising Above $150 Million Domestic
09.03.2024 - 16:01
/ variety.com
J. Kim Murphy It’s been nearly three months since an animated wide release hit theaters, the last being Illumination’s “Migration” over the holidays. That’s a little bit frightening, but with some expert timing “Kung Fu Panda 4” has arrived, benefitting from a lack of competition for family audiences to score some strong numbers in its debut.
Universal’s animated sequel kicked off to $19.4 million from 4,035 theaters across its opening day and preview screenings. That’s the strongest opening day for the series since the 2008 original nabbed $20 million on its first day, on its way to a $60.2 million total across the three-day frame. This new fourth entry won’t reach those heights, projecting an opening of $55 million, but it’ll come in ahead of the figures earned by the 2010 sequel ($47.6 million) and 2016 threequel ($41.2 million).
It’s a successful kick-off for the DreamWorks Animation feature, especially considering it only carries a $85 million production budget — a little over half of previous entries’ price tags. Reviews are generally positive and the “A-” grade from audience survey firm Cinema Score indicates that the fourquel is landing well with viewers. The film will face some competition for families when Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” hits in two weeks, but it should be able to clean up until then.
Jack Black returns as the voice of the mighty Po in “Kung Fu Panda 4,” which sees him passing on the title of Dragon Warrior and taking on a sinister chameleon sorceress. Franchise veterans Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston and Ian McShane return for this entry, while Awkwafina, Viola Davis and Ke Huy Quan join the ensemble. “Dune: Part Two” is falling to second, but it won’t be too far behind “Kung
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