Box-Office, March 15-17, 2024: “Kung Fu Panda 4” Dethrones “Dune 2”

‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Dethrones ‘Dune 2’

 

Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part Two are still going strong at the box office, with both movies celebrating milestones this weekend.

From DreamWorks Animation and Universal, the Jack Black-voiced Kung Fu Panda 4 dethroned Dune 2 in its sophomore weekend with an estimated $30 million from 4,067 theaters as it leapt past the $100 million mark to finish Sunday with a 10-day domestic total of $107.7 million. Overseas, it grossed another $39.6 million for a foreign tally of $68.6 million and $176.4 million globally. The pic fell a respectable 48 percent domestically.

The picture earned an estimated $29.1 million from 3,847 cinemas, putting its North American total at $205.3 million.

Overseas, the sequel earned another $51.2 million this weekend from 73 markets for a dazzling foreign tally of $289.4 million and global booty of $494.7 million.

It has already eclipsed the $433 grossed by the first Dune — which was released in 2021, during the pandemic — and should ultimately end up well north of $600 million globally.

Both tentpoles will face competition in the coming days with the arrival of Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (March 22) and Warners/Legendary’s Godxilla x Kong: The New Empire (March 29).

New offerings included feel-good canine adventure drama Arthur the King, featuring an ensemble cast led by Mark Wahlberg. The Lionsgate and eOne film opened on low expectations with an estimated $7.5 million from 3,003 cinemas.

Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman, Paul Guilfoyle and real-life adventure racer and TV host Bear Grylls, who plays himself, round out the cast.

The film follows a pro adventure racer (Wahlberg) who forms an unbreakable bond with a dog named Arthur after he and his team travel 435 miles over 10 days.

Arthur the Kings
 CARLOS RODRIGUEZ/LIONSGATE

Lionsgate took the fourth spot with Blumhouse’s supernatural horror feature Imaginary, which earned $5.6 million from 3,118 cinemas in its sophomore outing for a 10-day cume of $18.1 million.

Focus Features’ The American Society of Magical Negroes placed No. 9 with estimated $1.25 million from 1,143 theaters.

The satirical comedy concerns a young man recruited into secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to the cause of making white people’s lives easier.

Justice Smith and David Alan Grier appear in The American Society of Magical Negroes TOBIN YELLAND/FOCUS FEATURES/COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

Directed by Kobi Libii, American Society of Magical Negroes stars Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Michaela Watkins, Rupert Friend and Nicole Byer.

Focus can take solace in last weekend’s Oscars support for The Holdovers. The Alexander Payne-directed movie was up for multiple top awards, including best picture, with Da’Vine Joy Randolph winning supporting actress.

Another specialty film making a nationwide push is A24’s Love Lies Bleeding, which placed No. 6 with $2.5 million after expanding into a total of 1,362 theaters for an early domestic cume of $2.7 million. The crime thriller stars Kirsten Stewart.

Following Oppenheimer‘s Oscars sweep last week, Warners rereleased Christopher Nolan’s movie in more than 1,300 theaters domestically. Rereleases don’t usually generate huge grosses, and Oppenheimer looks to earn roughly $300K for the weekend.

The film, readily available to stream on Peacock and Max, is the top-grossing best picture Oscar winner in 20 years after earning $959 million at the global box office. 

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