'Kung Fu Panda 4' maintains box office dominance for second weekend

According to studio estimates given on Sunday, "Kung Fu Panda 4" made $30 million in ticket sales during its second weekend in cinemas, maintaining its top spot at the North American box office.

Since its release, the joint effort between Universal and DreamWorks Animation has brought in an incredible $107.7 million domestically. Since its launch in 2008, the franchise, which is well known for its adored protagonist played by Jack Black, has been a steady force at the movie office, with over $1.9 billion in total earnings. A Christmas special, animated series, short films, video games, and other spin-offs have all been produced as a result of its popularity.

The well-known franchises remained in control of the charts even though several new competitors joined the race during the weekend, including Lionsgate's "Arthur the King," Focus Features' "The American Society of Magical Negroes," and A24's "Love Lies Bleeding."

With $29.1 million in ticket sales during its third weekend, "Dune: Part Two" came in second place, a 37% drop from the previous weekend. With an amazing $205.3 million domestically, the science fiction epic is very close to reaching the half-billion dollar milestone worldwide.

"Arthur the King" was the most successful of the newcomers, coming in third place with $7.5 million from 3,003 venues. Mark Wahlberg plays the hero in the movie, which is inspired on the actual tale of an adventure racer who befriends a stray dog while traveling through dangerous terrain. The film is expected to be profitable due to its low production costs and good overseas presales, particularly with its A CinemaScore and great word-of-mouth.

Rose Glass's first film, "Love Lies Bleeding," opened in 1,362 venues and brought approximately $2.5 million in ticket sales. The Western thriller from the 1980s, which is set in a gym, features Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian in an intriguing story.

The parody "The American Society of Magical Negroes," written and directed by Kobi Libii, debuted in 1,147 cinemas and brought in an estimated $1.3 million. Remarkably, 52% of viewers on the first weekend were Black. The film, which stars Justice Smith and David Alan Grier, delves into racial dynamics by following the activities of a covert organization devoted to improving the lot of white people.

Analysts predict a spike in movie office activity this coming weekend as the industry prepares for the release of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire". Senior Comscore media analyst Paul Dergarabedian commented on the market's present slowdown and predicted a rebound with the release of highly anticipated films like "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."

According to Comscore, the final domestic numbers will be revealed on Monday. The predicted ticket sales for the weekend at American and Canadian cinemas are expected to run from Friday through Sunday. 

Source: AP