‘Kung Fu Panda’ again beats sandworms in N. America box office
ANGELES: 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.
'Panda,' a martial arts comedy from Universal and DreamWorks Animation, took in an estimated $30 million for the Fridaythrough-Sunday period, while the Warner Bros. 'Dune' sequel, about war and survival in a sandcovered planet inhabited by giant worms, earned a respectable $29.1 million.
'Panda' has now taken in US$107.7 million in theaters in the United States and Canada plus an additional US$176.5 million internationally.
'Dune,' released a week earlier, has seen domestic ticket sales of US$157.2 million and international sales of US$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 US$7.5 million.
'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 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.
And in fifth, also down one spot, was Angel Studios' 'Cabrini,' at US$2.7 million. Cristiana Dell'Anna plays Francesca Cabrini, an Italian nun in 19thcentury 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 (US$2.5 million)
•Bob Marley: One Love (US$2.3 million)
•One Life (US$1.7 million)
• The American Society of Magical Negroes (US$1.3 million)
•Ordinary Angels (US$1 million)