Kung Fu Panda 4 opened to big numbers over the weekend, and the animated sequel looks likely to be one of the most successful movies of Jack Black’s career. Here’s how much it’s made at the box office so far.
The Kung Fu Panda franchise – in which Black voices the title character – started huge back in 2008, with an opening weekend of $60 million.
Kung Fu Panda 2 then launched with $48 million, while Kung Fu Panda 3 debuted with $41 million, suggesting that interest in the movies had waned.
But the fourth film in the franchise knocked Dune: Part Two off the top spot over the weekend, and very nearly scored the biggest opening ever for the series.
Kung Fu Panda 4 box office – how much as it made?
Kung Fu Panda 4 grossed $58.3 million from 4,035 theaters in its opening weekend at the domestic box office, which is just shy of what the first movie made.
The film made a further $22 million from 41 global markets, for a running total of $80 million. Considering it cost a reported $85 million to make – much less than its predecessors – Kung Fu Panda 4 is going to be a monster hit for distributor Universal.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
“Family audiences were primed to come out and have fun with a much-beloved franchise,” Jim Orr – Universal’s president of domestic distribution – told Variety. “Animated movies tend to leg out. We anticipate a tremendous corridor.”
What is Kung Fu Panda 4 about?
Here’s the official synopsis for Kung Fu Panda 4: “After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior, is called upon by destiny to… give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.
“That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position. Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon, a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm. So, Po’s going to need some help.
“He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen, a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.”
For more movies hitting screens worldwide in March – including Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – head here.