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Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” remained victorious at the domestic box office, grossing a solid $30 million in its second weekend of release. After 10 days on the big screen, the animated family film has grossed $107.7 million in North America and $176.5 million worldwide.
Those ticket sales easily surpassed the debut of Mark Wahlberg’s dog drama “Arthur the King,” which opened in third place. It hit the lower end of expectations with a soft $7.5 million from 3,003 theaters. Lionsgate spent $19 million on the heartwarming story about a man who befriends an injured stray dog, so its modest price could soften its shortcomings at the box office. Although critics didn’t like “Arthur the King” (it has a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes), moviegoers were more receptive and gave the film an “A” CinemaScore grade.
“It’s neither a family movie nor a comedy, but it’s not a difficult adventure for moviegoers who like more daring entertainment,” says David A. Gross of the film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “All that complicates the sale.”
Another newcomer, Focus Features’ satirical comedy “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” fell to No. 9. The film grossed just $1.25 million in 1,146 theaters, a smaller number of screens than the average opening. Reviews and word of mouth may not help “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” which has a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. First-time filmmaker Kobi Libii directed the film, starring Justice Smith and David Alan Grier, about a young man who is recruited by an organization that exists to make life easier for white people.
In a close second place, “Dune: Part Two” grossed an impressive $29 million from 3,847 theaters in its third weekend of release. Ticket sales only decreased by 37% compared to the previous weekend. So far, the sci-fi sequel has grossed $205 million in North America and more than $400 million worldwide. Next week, “Dune 2” will surpass its predecessor, which generated $433 million at the global box office and arrived on HBO Max in the United States and Canada on the same day.
Lionsgate’s Blumhouse thriller “Imaginary” took fourth place with $5.5 million from 3,118 theaters. After two weeks of release, the film, a horror film about a woman tormented by her old teddy bear named Chauncey, has grossed $19 million. Luckily for the studio, “Imaginary” cost around $11 million, so it’s in a decent position in its theatrical career.
Angel Studio’s faith-based biographical drama “Cabrini” rounded out the top five. The film grossed $2.9 million in 2,850 theaters, increasing its domestic gross to $13 million.
Overall, the domestic box office remains 9.6% behind 2023, according to Comscore. Next up, Sony’s fantasy comedy sequel “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (March 22) and Warner Bros. and Legendary’s monster mash-up “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (March 29) hope to close out the month with a high note.
“‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ and then ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ should collectively offer a boost to the box office so far this year,” says Comscore senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “April will hopefully provide some unexpected hits to help build momentum in what looks to be a strong summer movie season for theaters.”