Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” continues to dominate the domestic box office, raking in an impressive $30 million in its second weekend. After just 10 days in theaters, this animated family film has already grossed $107.7 million in North America and a whopping $176.5 million globally.
A Surprising Contender
Meanwhile, Mark Wahlberg’s canine drama “Arthur the King” opened to less enthusiastic numbers, earning a humble $7.5 million from 3,003 theaters and landing in third place. Despite its soft debut, Lionsgate’s feel-good story about a man and his wounded stray dog may still find success, thanks to its reasonable $19 million production budget. While critics weren’t particularly fond of “Arthur the King” (it holds a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave it an “A” grade on CinemaScore.
“It’s not a family film or a comedy, but it’s not a hard adventure for moviegoers who like edgier entertainment,” explains movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research’s David A. Gross. “All of that complicates the sell.”
Notable Newcomers
Another newcomer, Focus Features’ satirical comedy “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” found itself in the ninth spot. Despite a smaller screen count compared to most wide releases, this film managed to scrape together $1.25 million from 1,146 venues. Unfortunately, both reviews and word-of-mouth have not been favorable, resulting in a 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by first-timer Kobi Libii and starring Justice Smith and David Alan Grier, the movie follows a young man’s recruitment into an organization aimed at making life easier for white people.
Dune 2 Holds Strong
In a close second place, “Dune: Part Two” added an impressive $29 million from 3,847 venues in its third weekend. Ticket sales only dropped 37% from the previous weekend, bringing its total gross in North America to $205 million and surpassing $400 million worldwide. It’s worth noting that “Dune 2” is set to outgross its predecessor, which earned $433 million at the global box office while simultaneously releasing on HBO Max in the US and Canada.
Thrilling Performances
Lionsgate’s Blumhouse thriller “Imaginary” secured fourth place, earning $5.5 million from 3,118 locations. After two weeks in theaters, this horror film about a woman tormented by her old teddy bear named Chauncey has made $19 million, comfortably covering its $11 million production budget.
Angel Studio’s faith-based biographical drama “Cabrini” rounded out the top five with $2.9 million from 2,850 theaters, bringing its domestic total to $13 million.
Box Office Outlook
Overall, the domestic box office is currently lagging behind by 9.6% compared to the same period last year, according to Comscore. However, there is hope for a comeback in the coming weeks with Sony’s fantasy-comedy sequel “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” scheduled for release on March 22, followed by Warner Bros. and Legendary’s monster mashup “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” on March 29.
“‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ and then ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ should collectively offer a boost to the year-to-date box office,” says senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “April will hopefully supply some unexpected hits that will help to build momentum into what looks to be a solid summer movie season for theaters.”
Source: F5 Magazine