“Kung Fu Panda 4” remained at the top of the North American box office in its second weekend in theaters. The Universal and DreamWorks Animation film earned $30 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The Jack Black-voiced franchise has grossed more than $1.9 billion at the box office since launching in 2008 and has spawned several animated series, short films, video games and a holiday special. The fourth episode, screening in 4,067 locations across North America, has already grossed $107.7 million domestically.
There were plenty of new movies arriving in over 1,000 theaters (or counting) this weekend, including Lionsgate’s Mark Wahlberg dog flick “Arthur the King,” Focus Features’ comedy satire “The American Society of Magical Negroes” and the bodybuilding thriller directed by Kristen Stewart from A24. “Love lies bleeding.”
But the ratings still belonged to the franchises, including “Dune: Part Two,” which narrowly finished second in its third weekend, with $29.1 million. That’s down just 37% from last weekend. It has now earned $205.3 million domestically. The first film, released simultaneously in theaters and streaming, has grossed approximately $435 million globally, while “Part Two” already has nearly $500 million worldwide.
“Arthur the King” did the best of the newcomers, coming in third place with $7.5 million from 3,003 locations. The studio came into the weekend expecting somewhere between $8 million and $10 million. Its low production costs and international pre-sales should bring profits. Directed by Simon Cellan Jones and written by Michael Brandt, the film is based on the true story of an adventurous pilot who befriends a stray dog during a dangerous 435-mile journey in the Dominican Republic. Simu Liu plays one of Wahlberg’s teammates. With an A CinemaScore, the studio hopes positive word of mouth will boost sales in the coming weeks.
“Love Lies Bleeding” opened in 1,362 locations for $2.5 million. Written and directed by Rose Glass (“Saint Maud”), it’s a pulpy Western thriller set in the 1980s about an isolated gym manager (Stewart) and a bodybuilder (Katy O’Brian) passing through town.
“The American Society of Magical Negroes” opened in 1,147 theaters and grossed approximately $1.3 million. According to release data, 52% of the opening weekend audience was black. The film, written and directed by Kobi Libii, is a satire about a secret society of blacks dedicated to making the lives of whites easier. Starring Judge Smith and David Alan Grier.
In its first weekend following the Oscars, “Poor Things” grossed $2.3 million globally, bringing its total to $112.6 million.
Next weekend, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” hits theaters, armed with proton packs and brand recognition.
“When there isn’t a newcomer dominating the market, the weekend is pretty slow,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “Now we’re just waiting for ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ and ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.’ This combination should take us out of March on a positive note.”
He added: “We’re going to have to be very patient until we get to May and ‘The Fall Guy’ and the summer movie season. But there are some great movies coming.
According to Comscore, estimated ticket sales are expected Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters. The final national data will be published on Monday.
1. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $30 million.
2. “Dune: Part II,” $29.1 million
3. “Arthur the King,” $7.5 million.
4. “Imaginary,” $5.6 million.
5. “Cabrini,” $2.8 million.
6. “Love Lies Bleeding,” $2.5 million.
7. “Bob Marley: One Love,” $2.3 million.
8. “One Life,” $1.7 million
9. “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” $1.3 million
10. “Ordinary Angels,” $1 million.