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Billboard Women in Music 2024
It’s been almost three months since an animated release hit theaters, the latest being Illumination’s “Migration” over the holidays. That’s a little scary, but with a little expert timing “Kung Fu Panda 4” has arrived, benefiting from the lack of competition for family audiences to put up good numbers in its debut.
Universal’s animated action comedy film started with $19.4 million from 4,035 theaters during its opening day and preview screenings. That’s the strongest opening day for the series since the 2008 original grossed $20 million on its first day, en route to a three-day total of $60.2 million. This new fourth entry won’t reach those heights, projecting a $55 million opening, but it will be ahead of the numbers earned by the 2010 sequel ($47.6 million) and 2016’s third sequel ($41.2 million).
It’s a successful start for the DreamWorks Animation feature, especially considering it only has a production budget of $85 million, a little more than half the price of previous entries. Reviews are generally positive and the “A-” rating from audience polling firm Cinema Score indicates that the quarter is doing well with viewers. The film will face some competition for families when Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” premieres in two weeks, but it should be able to clean up until then.
Jack Black returns as the voice of the powerful Po in “Kung Fu Panda 4,” in which he passes the title of Dragon Warrior and faces off against 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 place, but it won’t be far behind “Kung Fu Panda 4.” The sci-fi epic grossed $12.3 million on Friday, down 62% from its opening day last week. Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros.’ The feature is likely to drop less than 50% throughout the weekend, reaping the benefits of spectacular reviews and a consumer prioritization of premium large-format theaters like Imax.
The sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” has already surpassed the $108 million final domestic gross of the 2021 original. That film simultaneously bowed on streaming and opened in a market that is still actively rebuilding in the wake of the COVID pandemic, but it’s still quite notable that “Dune: Part Two” has surpassed its predecessor in just over a week of release. With great buzz and most of the premium large format schedules, the Warner Bros. release will continue a very strong run throughout the month. It should reach a domestic total of $150 million by the end of the weekend.
Lionsgate’s horror film “Imaginary” is in third place after grossing $3.6 million on its opening day in 3,118 theaters. It’s not the most eye-popping number, but the projected three-day total of around $10 million would be a great starting point for the Blumhouse thriller, which carries a typically budget-friendly $12 million production budget. Reviews haven’t been warm and the Cinema Score is a less than positive “C+”, although both are par for the course for a standard horror release. Jeff Wadlow directed the film.
Angel Studios returns to theaters this weekend with “Cabrini,” reuniting the lineup with director Alejandro Gómez Monteverde after pulling off last year’s biggest box office surprise along with “Sound of Freedom” (a whopping $184 million at the national level). Another phenomenon like that seems unlikely in this sequel, which is based on the true story of Francesca Cabrini, a Catholic missionary and Italian immigrant dedicated to charitable initiatives in 19th century New York. Industry rivals are projecting $7 million to $8 million for the film’s release, putting it in fourth place on national charts. But the glowing “A” rating on Cinema Score may portend strong word of mouth.
Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” will round out the top five, and is expected to take in $4.2 million over the three days. The musician’s biopic has remained strong since he scored a healthy Valentine’s Day debut and should soon surpass its $90 million domestic gross. Compared to its peers in the genre, “One Love” should surpass “Rocketman” before its theatrical run concludes; That Elton John movie finished with $96 million domestically in 2019.