Lovable Master Po Ping dethrones the Muad’Dib as things finally begin to heat up at thebox office. It’s not a secret that 2024 hasn’t been the most hospitable for January and February theatrical releases, butDune: Part Two(March 1) and this week’sKung Fu Panda4’srespective arrivals have started to thaw what was a bitterly cold and icy financial winter in cinemas.Kung Fu Panda 4took over the No. 1 spot over its opening weekend domestically with an estimated $58.3 million (perThe Numbers), butDune 2isn’t going down without a fight.
Director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel actually held quite well between its first and second weekends, asDune: Part Twoonly dropped 44% to take the No. 2 slot with $46 million. That brings the Timothée Chalamet-led film’s domestic total up to $157 million over its first two weekends. And with an even better performance internationally ($210.5 million),Dune 2has already made $368 million worldwide.
Kung Fu Panda 4
But this weekend was all about the clumsy but immensely skilled Dragon Warrior.Kung Fu Panda 4’s$58.3 million take marks the largest opening for any installment in the animated film franchise since the originalKung Fu Pandamade $60.2 million to start its theatrical run back in 2008.
Kung Fu Panda 4 Reigns Supreme
Kung Fu Panda 4’sbox officesuccess didn’t translate quite as well overseas, but the fourth big-screen installment inthe Dragon Warrior’s franchisestill managed to make an additional $22.2 million internationally, en route to a worldwide weekend total of $80.5 million. Meanwhile, another newcomer, Lionsgate’sImaginary, found itself debuting at No. 3 with $10 million. The Blumhouse production didn’t fare quite as well as the company’s last release, Universal Pictures’Night Swim($11.8-million opening), did. However, with an estimated budget of $10 million,Imaginaryhas already made back its production costs. At the time of this writing, there aren’t any international numbers available forImaginary.
Yet another newcomer,Cabrini, ascended to the No. 4 spot during its opening weekend. Filmmaker Alejandro Gómez Monteverde’s biopic made $7.6 million, while another biographical drama,Bob Marley: One Love, rounds out the Top 5 with $4 million.Madame Web’sdisastrous box office runcontinues, as the movie drops another 64% between weekends, but the Dakota Johnson-led film still managed to make an additional $1.1 million.
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Po (Jack Black) learns he must choose a Dragon Warrior successor while teaming up with a wily fox (Awkwafina).
Director, co-writer, and actor Jia Ling’sYOLOdebuted at No. 9 with $840,000 in limited release (200 theaters), whileWonkachecked in at No. 10 with another $600,000. That gives star Timothée Chalamet two Top-10 hits for the second weekend in a row, even thoughtheWilly Wonkaprequel is now streaming on Max. And this week’s biggest per-theater average goes to A24’sLove Lies Bleedingwith $33,493 a cinema in limited release (five theaters).
Mark Wahlberg’sArthur the Kingjoins the March movie madness next Friday, withGhostbusters: Frozen Empireready to heat things up even more at the box office the following week (March 22).
