Kung Fu Panda and Dune Ruling Again, Mark Wahlberg’s ‘Arthur the King’ Fetches $3 Million Opening Day
“Kung Fu Panda 4” and “Dune: Part Two” continue to dominate the North American box office, maintaining their strongholds. Meanwhile, “Arthur the King,” a new drama based on a real-life dog story, debuted, earning $3 million from 3,003 locations on its opening day.
The Mark Wahlberg vehicle is expected to earn south of $8 million heading into the weekend, which would get it to bronze on domestic charts. It’s an okay place to start for the drama, which carries close to a $20 million production budget and boasts a stellar “A” grade from audience survey firm Cinema Score. (Reviews have been mixed.) As a canine comparison, the Channing Tatum-starring “Dog” from United Artists opened to $14 million in February 2022 before more than quadrupling that with a $61 million total. Lionsgate will hope that “Arthur” can strike a similar chord with audiences.
Kung Fu Panda and Dune Ruling Again
“Arthur the King”: A Heartwarming Journey
Lionsgate’s “Arthur the King” stars Mark Wahlberg as a mountain climber who embarks on a 435-mile journey through the Dominican Republic, accompanied by a stray dog. Based on the nonfiction book “Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home,” the film carries a close-to-$20-million production budget and has received an impressive “A” grade from audience survey firm Cinema Score. While reviews have been mixed, the drama’s solid opening is a promising start.
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Based on the nonfiction book “Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home,” the film stars Wahlberg as a mountain climber who enlists a stray dog to accompany him on a 435-mile journey through the Dominican Republic. Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance, and Nathalie Emmanuel co-star, while Simon Cellan Jones directs.
“Kung Fu Panda 4”: Animated Excellence
Universal Pictures’ “Kung Fu Panda 4” is projected to beat “Dune: Part Two” in a close race for first place. The DreamWorks Animation production is eyeing a sophomore gross of $7.7 million, projecting a modest 46% drop from its impressive $57.9 million opening. The film’s debut closely mirrors the original “Kung Fu Panda” from 2008, which also held strong in its second weekend. With an $85 million production budget, the franchise’s fourth installment continues to perform exceptionally well.
“Dune: Part Two”: Sci-Fi Triumph
Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment’s “Dune: Part Two” should secure second place after earning $8 million on Friday. The film’s 34% drop from the previous week demonstrates its continued success, fueled by word-of-mouth and premium large-format business. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic is the leading box office grosser of the year and is expected to reach $200 million domestically by the end of the weekend.
“Imaginary”: Horror Stays in the Mix
Lionsgate’s horror film “Imaginary” will likely remain in the top five after earning $1.6 million on Friday. Despite a 54% drop from its $3.6 million opening day last weekend, the Blumhouse production is on track to surpass $20 million domestically within the week, against a mere $10 million production budget.
Angel Studios’ “Cabrini” should notch the last slot in the top five, with industry rivals projecting $2.95 million this weekend for a $13.1 million total. The distribution banner and director Alejandro Monteverde aren’t coming anywhere close to a “Sound of Freedom” phenomenon with this one (that anomaly actually gained 38% in its sophomore outing) and this follow-up isn’t poised to see much of a return on its reportedly much heftier production budget.
The Bourque will surpass a $100 million domestic gross through the three-day frame, making it the second title of the year to notch that milestone. Universal and DreamWorks whittled the price tag compared to previous entries, turning around “Kung Fu Panda 4” on an $85 million production budget. That the film is still nearly putting up franchise-best numbers is a huge victory.
Meanwhile, two arthouse plays are opening over 1,000 screens to less-than-stellar results. A24’s critically acclaimed lesbian crime thriller “Love Lies Bleeding” has the edge in 1,362 venues, with industry rivals projecting a $2.5 million weekend gross for the Kristen Stewart starrer. Focus Features’ “The American Society of Magical Negroes” earned much worse reviews and is faring poorly, seeing a little over $1 million from 1,147 locations.
As the box office landscape continues to evolve, these Kung Fu Panda and Dune Ruling Again films offer diverse entertainment for audiences. There’s something for everyone at the movies, whether it’s animated pandas, intergalactic adventures, heartwarming dog tales, or spine-chilling horror.
