Box Office | 'Kung Fu Panda 4' Continues to Shine, While Mark Wahlberg's 'Arthur the King' Struggles

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In its second weekend, Universal and DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda 4" maintained its dominance at the domestic box office, bringing in a solid $30 million. After its first ten days in theaters, the beloved animated family movie has amassed $107.7 million in North America and a staggering $176.5 million globally.

The ticket sales for "Kung Fu Panda 4" easily overshadowed the debut of Mark Wahlberg's heartfelt drama "Arthur the King," which premiered in third place. Opening with a disappointing $7.5 million from 3,003 theaters, the film fell short of expectations. Despite its modest budget of $19 million, courtesy of Lionsgate, the movie's lukewarm reception may impact its box office performance. Although critics were lukewarm towards "Arthur the King" (earning a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences seemed more generous, granting the film an "A" grade on CinemaScore.

Meanwhile, another newcomer, Focus Features' satirical comedy "The American Society of Magical Negroes," struggled to find its footing, landing at the No. 9 spot. The film only managed to scrape together $1.25 million from 1,146 venues — a limited release compared to the average wide distribution. With a disappointing 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reviews and word-of-mouth might not work in favor of "The American Society of Magical Negroes." Directed by first-timer Kobi Libii and starring Justice Smith and David Alan Grier, the film revolves around a young man's recruitment into an organization that aims to make life easier for white people.

In a close race for second place, "Dune: Part Two" continued its successful run, adding an impressive $29 million from 3,847 venues in its third weekend. Experiencing a mere 37% decline in ticket sales from the previous weekend, the sci-fi sequel has now grossed $205 million in North America and over $400 million globally. It is poised to surpass its predecessor, which raked in $433 million worldwide, despite simultaneous release on HBO Max in the U.S. and Canada.

Lionsgate's Blumhouse thriller "Imaginary" secured fourth place with $5.5 million from 3,118 locations. After two weeks in theaters, the horror flick — centered around a woman haunted by her childhood teddy bear named Chauncey — has amassed $19 million. Fortunately for the studio, "Imaginary" was made with a budget of around $11 million, positioning it decently for its theatrical run.

Rounding out the top five is Angel Studio's faith-based biographical drama "Cabrini," which earned $2.9 million from 2,850 theaters, bringing its domestic total to $13 million.

Overall, the domestic box office is trailing 9.6% behind 2023, according to Comscore. Looking ahead, 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) aim to finish the month on a high note.

Releases

Box Office

(March 15 - 17)

Total GrossWeeks
1Kung Fu Panda 4$30,000,000$107,743,7552
2Dune: Part Two$29,100,000$205,317,9173
3Arthur the King$7,500,000$7,500,0001
4Imaginary$5,600,000$19,081,6682
5Cabrini$2,814,183$13,003,1092
6Love Lies Bleeding$2,485,650$2,762,2682
7Bob Marley: One Love$2,300,000$93,365,0025
8One Life$1,708,813$1,708,8131
9The American Society of Magical Negroes$1,250,000$1,250,0001
10Ordinary Angels$1,000,000$18,072,9214


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