Universal and DreamWorks Animation's “Kung Fu Panda 4” was a hit at the domestic box office, grossing $30 million in its second weekend. 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 outpaced the debut of Mark Wahlberg's canine drama “Arthur the King,” which opened in third place. It came in at the low end of expectations, grossing $7.5 million from 3,003 theaters. Lionsgate spent $19 million on the feel-good story, about a man who befriends an injured stray dog, so its modest price tag will soften its box office shortcomings. Although critics did not like “Arthur the King” (64% on Rotten Tomatoes), moviegoers were very positive and gave the film an “A” grade on CinemaScore.
“It's neither a family film nor a comedy, but it's not a tough adventure for moviegoers looking for edgier entertainment,” said David A. of Franchise Entertainment Research, a film consultancy. Cross says. “They all complicate sales.”
Another newcomer, Focus Features' satirical comedy “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” stumbled to No. 9. The film grossed just $1.25 million from 1,146 locations — a smaller screen count than the average wide release. Reviews and word of mouth “American Society of Magical Negroes” doesn't help, it's 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by first-time filmmaker Kobi Libby, the film, starring Justice Smith and David Alan Grier, is about a young man recruited into an organization that exists to make life easier for white people.
In a close second, “Toon: Part Two” added $29 million in its third weekend from 3,847 locations. Ticket sales were down only 37% from the previous weekend. So far, the sci-fi sequel has grossed $205 million in North America and $400 million worldwide. In the coming week, “Dune 2” will surpass its predecessor, which earned $433 million at the global box office, while landing on HBO Max in the US and Canada.
Lionsgate's Blumhouse thriller “Imaginary” was fourth with $5.5 million from 3,118 locations. Two weeks after its release, the film — a horror film about a girl tormented by her old teddy bear named Chauncey — earned $19 million. Lucky for the studio, “Imagination” cost about $11 million, so it's in decent shape for its theatrical run.
Angel Studios' faith-based biographical drama “Cabrini” rounded out the top five. The film added $2.9 million from 2,850 theaters, bringing its domestic tally to $13 million.
Overall, the domestic box office is 9.6% post-2023, according to ComScore. Next up, Sony's fantasy-comedy sequel “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (March 22) and Warner Bros. and Legendary's monster mashup “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (March 29) hope to end the month on a high note.
“'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' and 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' should collectively provide a boost to the year-to-date box office,” said Paul Tergarabedian, senior ComScore analyst. “Hopefully April will deliver some unexpected hits that will help theaters build momentum for what looks to be a solid summer movie season.”
