“Kung Fu Panda 4” starts off, and “Dune 2” continues to be strong

It's been nearly three months since an animated film was given a wide theatrical release, most recently with Illumination's “Migration” over the holidays. It's a bit scary, but with some expert timing, “Kung Fu Panda 4” has arrived, taking advantage of the lack of competition with family audiences to post some solid numbers in its debut.

Universal's animated comedy grossed $19.4 million from 4,035 theaters during its opening day and preview screenings. This is the series' strongest opening day since the 2008 original earned $20 million on its first day, on its way to a total of $60.2 million across the three-day frame. This new fourth entry won't reach those heights, with an expected $55 million opening, but it will come in ahead of the numbers garnered by 2010's sequel ($47.6 million) and the 2016 triquel ($41.2 million).

It's a successful debut for a DreamWorks Animation feature, especially considering it only carries a production budget of $85 million — just over half the price tags of previous entries. Reviews are generally positive and an “A-” grade from audience polling company Cinema Score indicates that the film is well received by viewers. The film will have some competition for families when Sony's “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” opens in two weeks, but it should be able to clean up until then.

Jack Black returns as the voice of the Great Po in “Kung Fu Panda 4,” where he takes on the Dragon Warrior moniker and faces off against an evil Chameleon Sorceress. Franchise veterans Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, and Ian McShane return for this entry, while Awkwafina, Viola Davis, and Ki-Hui Kwan join the group.

“Dune: Part Two” drops to second place, but it won't be too far behind “Kung Fu Panda 4.” The sci-fi film grossed $12.3 million on Friday, down 62% from its opening day last week. Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. The advantage will likely drop by less than 50% over the entire weekend, reaping the benefits of amazing reviews and consumer prioritization for large format premium auditoriums like Imax.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune sequel has already surpassed the original film's 2021 final domestic gross of $108 million. That film simultaneously bowed on streaming and was released in a market still actively rebuilding from the coronavirus pandemic. Corona, but it's still remarkable that “Dune: Part Two” has outperformed its predecessor in just over a week of release. With significant fanfare and the lion's share of premium, large-format running times, the Warner Bros. release is expected to continue. In very strong performance throughout the month. Its domestic gross should reach $150 million by the end of the weekend.

Lionsgate's horror drama “Imaginary” finds itself in third place after earning $3.6 million on opening day from 3,118 locations. It's not the most impressive number, but an expected three-day gross of around $10 million would be a great place to start for the Blumhouse thriller, which carries a budget production budget of $12 million. Reviews were not warm and the Cinema Score was a less than positive “C+” – both par for the course for a standard horror release. Jeff Wadlow directed the film.

Angel Studios returns to theaters this weekend with Cabrini, reuniting the banner with director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde after scoring the biggest box office surprise last year with Sound of Freedom ($184 million domestic). Another such phenomenon seems unlikely in this follow-up, which draws from the true story of Francesca Cabrini, a Catholic missionary and Italian immigrant devoted to charitable efforts in 19th-century New York. Industry competitors are expecting $7 million to $8 million for the film's opening, good for fourth place on the domestic charts. But a glowing “A” grade in a cinema score may herald some strong word of mouth.

Paramount's “Bob Marley: One Love” occupies the top five spots, and is expected to add $4.2 million over the three days. The musician's resume has stayed strong since its debut on Valentine's Day and should soon surpass the $90 million domestic gross. Compared to its genre peers, “One Love” should outperform “Rocketman” before its theatrical run ends; The Elton John film finished with $96 million domestically in 2019.