Kung Fu Panda 4 Beating Dune 2 In Second Box Office Weekend Showdown

Jamie Lovett

03/16/2024 02:53 pm EDT

It looks like Kung Fu Panda 4 will get the better of Dune: Part Two for the second straight weekend. Kung Fu Panda 4 is heading toward a second-weekend gross of $31.5 million, bringing its box office total to $109.2 million domestic. Dune: Part Two will earn $29 million in its third weekend, bringing its box office total to $205.2 million. Kung Fu Panda 4 is faring decently with critics. It has a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a critical consensus that reads, "Kung Fu Panda 4 offers enough eye-catching entertainment to sustain the franchise's young fans, although it's starting to feel like this series is running out of steam."

Dune: Part Two has been met with critical acclaim, earning a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh scored the film as 4-out-of-5 stars in his Dune: Part Two review. He writes:

"[Frank] Herbert's Dune is not only a thrilling journey in its own right, but it also serves as an allegory exploring themes of colonialism, fanaticism, religion, imperialism, and the exploitation of natural resources. These aren't entirely crowd-pleasing ideas, and Villeneuve largely accomplishes honoring those themes while also making for an engaging sci-fi epic. It doesn't quite feel as awe-inspiring as the debut film, but this will ultimately work in the favor of the story, as we aren't given arbitrarily inflated elements that would have fit within the blockbuster-oriented sensibilities of franchise filmmaking seen in so many other series. Still, the fact that such an inaccessible tome could be brought to life without having to sacrifice either the character complexities or depressing allegories found within the source material makes the two-film journey a triumph in its own right, and we can't wait to see where Messiah will take us."

Arthur the King is the top opener this weekend, coming in third with $8 million. Imaginary and Cabrini fill out the top five on the chart. The full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend is in the works.

1. Kung Fu Panda 4

    (Photo: DreamWorks)
  • Week Two
  • Weekend: $31.5 million
  • Total: $109.2 million

Po must train a new warrior when he's chosen to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. However, when a powerful shape-shifting sorceress sets her eyes on his Staff of Wisdom, he suddenly realizes he's going to need some help. Teaming up with a quick-witted corsac fox, Po soon discovers that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.

Mike Mitchell directed Kung Fu Panda 4 and Stephanie Ma Stine co-directed from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger. The film's voice cast includes Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane, Awkwafina, Ke Huy Quan, Ronny Chieng, Lori Tan Chinn, and Viola Davis

2. Dune: Part Two

    (Photo: Warner Bors. Pictures)
  • Week Two
  • Weekend: $29 million
  • Total: $205.2 million

Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

The big-screen epic Dune: Part Two includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Léa Seydoux, with Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Denis Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Frank Herbert's iconic novel.

3. Arthur the King

    (Photo: Carlos Rodriguez/Lionsgate)
  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $8 million

Desperate for one last chance to win, Michael Light convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team gets pushed to the outer limits of endurance, a dog named Arthur comes along for the ride, redefining what victory, loyalty and friendship truly means.

Simon Cellan Jones directed Arthur the King from a Michael Brandt screenplay, based on Mikael Lindnord's 2016 non-fiction book Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, and Juliet Rylance.

4. Imaginary

    (Photo: Blumhouse/Lionsgate)
  • Week Two
  • Weekend: $5.3 million
  • Total: $18.8 million

When Jessica moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter, Alice, finds a stuffed bear named Chauncey. As Alice's behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize that Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.

Jeff Wadlow directed Imaginary from a screenplay he wrote with Greg Erb and Jason Oremland.The movie stars DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Matthew Sato, Veronica Falcón, and Betty Buckley.

5. Cabrini

    (Photo: Angel Studios)
  • Week Two
  • Weekend: $2.8 million
  • Total: $13 million

Arriving in New York City in 1889, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini is greeted by disease, crime and impoverished children. She soon sets off on a daring mission to convince the mayor to secure housing and health care for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Alejandro Gómez Monteverde directed Cabrini from a screenplay by Rod Barr. The film stars Cristiana Dell'Anna, David Morse, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Federico Ielapi, Virginia Bocelli, Rolando Villazón, Giancarlo Giannini, and John Lithgow.

6. Love Lies Bleeding

    (Photo: A24)
  • Week Two
  • Weekend: $2.75 million
  • Total: $3 million

Lou is a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder who's heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence as they get pulled deep into the web of Lou's criminal family.

Rose Glass directed Love Lies Bleeding from a screenplay she wrote with Weronika Tofilska. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris.

7. Bob Marley: One Love

    (Photo: Paramount)
  • Week Five
  • Weekend: $2.46 million
  • Total: $93.4 million

Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.

Reinaldo Marcus Green directed Bob Marley: One Love from a screenplay they co-wrote with Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers, and Zach Baylin, based on the life of Bob Marley. The film stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, and James Norton.

8. One Life

(Photo: Bleeker Street)
  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $2.16 million

London broker Nicholas "Nicky" Winton helps rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in a race against time before the Nazi occupation closes the borders. Fifty years later, he's still haunted by the fate of those he wasn't able to bring to safety.

James Hawes directed One Life. The film is based on the life of Sir Nicholas Winton, as described in the biography If It's Not Impossible...The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton by Barbara Winton. It stars Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Lena Olin, Romola Garai, Alex Sharp, Jonathan Pryce, and Helena Bonham Carter.

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9. The American Society of Magical Negroes

    (Photo: Focus Features)
  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $1.25 million

A young man gets recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to making white people's lives easier. Although initially enamored with his new powers, he begins to question the value of using supernatural means to do the very thing he's felt obligated to do his whole life.

Kobi Libii wrote and directed The American Society of Magical Negores. The films tars Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Michaela Watkins, Aisha Hinds, Tim Baltz, Rupert Friend, and Nicole Byer.

10. Ordinary Angels

(Photo: Lionsgate)
  • Week Four
  • Weekend: $1 million
  • Total: $18.1 million

A struggling hairdresser finds a renewed sense of purpose when she meets a widowed father working hard to care for his two daughters. With his youngest critically ill and waiting for a liver transplant, the fierce woman single-handedly rallies an entire community to help.

Jon Gunn directed Ordinary Angels from a screenplay written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig. The film stars Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Nancy Travis, and Tamala Jones.

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