‘Kung Fu Panda’ again beats sandworms in N. America box office
LOS 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. — AFP
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)