Kung Fu Panda 4 again takes down Dune: Part Two at weekend box office

Los Angeles, California - For a second weekend running, Kung Fu Panda 4 battled its way to the top of the North American box office, narrowly edging out Dune: Part Two, according to industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.

Kung Fu Panda 4 again knocked Dune: Part Two out of the top spot at the box office during the weekend of March 15, 2024.
Kung Fu Panda 4 again knocked Dune: Part Two out of the top spot at the box office during the weekend of March 15, 2024.  © Collage: IMAGO / Everett Collection & ZUMA Press

Panda, a martial arts comedy from Universal and DreamWorks Animation, took in an estimated $30 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, while the Warner Bros. Dune sequel, about war and survival in a sand-covered planet inhabited by giant worms, earned a respectable $29.1 million.

Panda has now taken in $107.7 million in theaters in the United States and Canada, plus an additional $176.5 million internationally. Dune, released a week earlier, has seen domestic ticket sales of $157.2 million and international sales of $210 million.

After those two films, there was a sharp dropoff in North America, with Lionsgate's new release Arthur the King taking in just $7.5 million.

Olivia Rodrigo and Louis Partridge land in Philippines for GUTS World Tour
Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Rodrigo and Louis Partridge land in Philippines for GUTS World Tour

Arthur, the story of an adventurer who befriends an injured stray dog, may have an identity problem, said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. "It's not a family film or a comedy, but it's not a hard adventure for moviegoers who like edgier entertainment. All of that complicates the sell."

Mark Wahlberg plays the man; Arthur, for those keeping track, is played by Ukai, an Australian shepherd/border collie/Bouvier mix, according to dogtime.com.

In fourth, down one spot from last weekend, was the horror film Imaginary from Lionsgate and Blumhouse Productions, at $5.6 million. DeWanda Wise plays a woman who rediscovers her childhood teddy bear – and ends up wishing she hadn't.

Which films topped the box office on the weekend of March 15, 2024?

And in fifth, also down one spot, was Angel Studios' Cabrini, at $2.7 million. Cristiana Dell'Anna plays Francesca Cabrini, an Italian nun in 19th-century New York who clashes with politicians and church officials while trying to care for impoverished immigrants.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

  • Love Lies Bleeding ($2.5 million)
  • Bob Marley: One Love ($2.3 million)
  • One Life ($1.7 million)
  • The American Society of Magical Negroes ($1.3 million)
  • Ordinary Angels ($1 million)

March 22 will welcome the releases of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Immaculate, and Disney-Pixar's Luca, which was first released exclusively on Disney+ in 2021.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Everett Collection & ZUMA Press

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