“Kung Fu Panda 4” debuted #1 at the box-office with an estimated $58.3 million domestic take this weekend (from 4,035 locations). It’s the biggest debut of the franchise since the original, 2008’s “Kung Fu Panda” ($60 million), overtaking the start of the two prior entries, 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” ($41 million) and 2011’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” ($47.6 million).
Meanwhile, word of mouth continues to drive “Dune: Part Two.” Denis Villeneuve’s sand epic grossed an estimated $46 million (from 4,074 locations), which was only a 44% decrease from last weekend. Estimated total domestic gross now stands at $157 million — far surpassing the 2021 original’s $108 million. A final domestic tally of $300 million is now not out of the question.
“Dune: Part Two” and “Kung Fu Panda 4” have helped revive what was a limp start to the 2024 box office — this year’s grosses are still 10% behind the same point in 2023, according to Comscore. A few key titles to look out for in the coming weeks include “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (March 22), and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (March 29).
Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.