Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” remains at the top spot at the box office this weekend, facing no competition from new releases. The gap between it and Warner Bros./Legendary’s “Dune: Part Two” is narrow.
In its second weekend, “Kung Fu Panda 4” is estimated to make $31.5 million, a 46% drop from its $57.9 million start. This DreamWorks sequel is set to surpass $100 million in domestic box office revenue by the end of the weekend, driven by families and nostalgic millennials who grew up with the first “Kung Fu Panda” in 2008.
“Dune: Part Two” is just behind “Kung Fu Panda 4” with an estimated third weekend total of $28.5 million, dropping only 34% from its second weekend.
The acclaimed Denis Villeneuve film is expected to exceed $200 million in domestic box office revenue by the end of the weekend. Warner Bros. releases have dominated films passing that mark, including “Wonka,” “Barbie,” and Universal’s Best Picture winner “Oppenheimer.”
The only new entry in the top 5 is Lionsgate’s “Arthur the King,” a true-story inspirational film starring Mark Wahlberg as an adventure racer who befriends a wounded dog during a challenging competition in the Dominican Republic. The film earned $3 million from 3,003 theaters and is set to make an opening weekend of $7-8 million against a $20 million budget.
Similar to Channing Tatum’s 2022 film “Dog,” “Arthur the King” hopes to attract an older, female-skewing audience that is drawn to inspirational films, especially those involving animals. Despite receiving moderate praise from critics with a 64% Rotten Tomatoes score, the film received an A from opening night audiences on CinemaScore.
More to come…
