Theaters certainly do not care which film is No. 1 at the box office just as long as it makes a bunch of money and is playing in one of their venues. They do love it, however, when there are two films making a bunch of dough and battling it out at the top. Though earnings were stronger last week, theaters are currently content to rely on families and Frank Herbert afficionados to fill seats, which continued to happen this past weekend with a close battle that is more a tribute to the staying power of one of them.
King of the Crop: Kung Fu Panda 4 Barely Edges Out Dune in Second Weekend
Kung Fu Panda 4 had a sizable lead last weekend, besting Dune: Part Two by over $11 million, but Denis Villeneuve’s conclusion of Herbert’s original book led the way three of the four weekdays afterwards. This weekend, if the estimates hold, the lead is less than $1 million. The Panda had the bigger drop but still maintained to finish with $30 million and take the weekend. That brings its 10-day total to $107.7 million, making it the 20th March release to reach the nine-figure milestone in that timeframe. It is on the lower end of that particular list, between Kong: Skull Island ($109.1 million) and Monsters vs. Aliens ($104.7 million) with a better weekend than Kong ($27.8 million) and a lesser one than MvA ($32.6 million). That decreases its odds of reaching $200 million, but in a depleted marketplace with little to no family fare to draw audiences away, there is still a glimmer of hope. For the time being, we’ll put its final estimate between $170-190 million. Worldwide the $85 million production stands at $176 million and will turn an easy profit as it attempts to reach half a billion like its predecessors.
The Top 10 and Beyond: Arthur the King and Other New Releases Fight for Scraps
Not far behind this week was Dune: Part Two, falling just 37% to $29.1 million and reaching its own milestone with $205.3 million. So much for first-week speculation that number was in any doubt. Last week we put its final stop in the $250 million range. It currently has the seventh-best 17-day total (and third weekend) for any film released in March, though the other films above it on that list had much higher starts and are well ahead, just as Dune is exponentially ahead of the films that trail it. A number around $250 million and probably a bit higher is still in the cards, as it approaches the half billion mark itself with $494 million globally to date.
In third place is the first of the newbies this week. Straight out of the Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals SNL sketch is Arthur the King, based on a true story. The cuddly doggie racing guide film opened to $7.5 million, better than Wahlberg’s last true tale, Father Stu, which began with $5.4 million around Easter time. Not a great March number for films opening post-2000, as four of the six films to open between $7 million and $8.2 million did not even reach $20 million, which is the reported budget for this film.
Last week’s other wide releases are having varying degrees of success. Dropping back just 43% to fourth place with $5.6 million is the horror film Imaginary. That brings the $10 million production up to $19 million in 10 days and, it is headed into profit. Less so for the reported $50 million production of Angel Studios’ Cabrini, which fell 60% to $2.8 million. Its 10-day total is a measly $13 million, though those Sound of Freedom profits should help cover that.
A24 expanded Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding into 1,362 theaters this week and came away with $2.4 million. That is lower than last year’s expansion of Beau is Afraid in its second week, which grossed $2.6 million in just 965 theaters. Bleeding is up to $2.7 million total. Glass’ first film, Saint Maud, was scheduled to be distributed by A24 back in April 2020 but the pandemic ultimately had a say in it being removed from the schedule. It still probably had a better fate than most of Focus’ releases so far this year. After a Sundance premiere of The American Society of Magical Negroes they chose to just forego local press screenings. Currently at 30% on the Tomatometer, the film snuck into 1,147 theaters and grossed just $1.25 million for a per-theater average of $1,089, right in between Focus’ PTAs this year for Lisa Frankenstein ($1,176) and Drive-Away Dolls ($1,055).
Finishing out the top 10 this week, Bob Marley: One Love made another $2.2 million, bringing its total to $93.3 million. That final estimate of $95-100 million we’ve been predicting for weeks looks solid. Ordinary Angels grossed another million to get itself over $18 million. Finally, Bleecker Street’s release of the WWII drama One Life, with Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn, grossed $1.7 million in 983 theaters. That is actually the ninth-best opening in their history with a PTA of just $1,738. They have never had a film opening in over 100 theaters reach a PTA of $3,000.
On the Vine: Ghostbusters, Scary Nuns, and A Devilish Talk Show
The team is back, both old and new, in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. The previous film opened to $44 million at the end of 2021, and this one will take the lead next week. Also opening is the Sydney Sweeney nunsploitation horror film Immaculate, which just had its premiere at SXSW and is currently keeping Fresh on the Tomatometer at 70%. Also look for IFC’s release of Late Night with the Devil, starring David Dastmalchian. The SXSW premiere from 2023 stands at a perfect 100% with critics and is deserving of your attention where you can find it.
Full List of Box Office Results: March 15-17, 2024
71%
Kung Fu Panda 4
(2024)
- $30 million ($107.7 million total)
93%
Dune: Part Two
(2024)
- $29.1 million ($205.3 million total)
67%
Arthur the King
(2024)
- $7.5 million ($7.5 million total)
25%
Imaginary
(2024)
- $5.6 million ($19.1 million total)
90%
Cabrini
(2024)
- $2.8 million ($13 million total)
92%
Love Lies Bleeding
(2024)
- $2.4 million ($2.7 million total)
43%
Bob Marley: One Love
(2024)
- $2.3 million ($93.3 million total)
89%
One Life
(2023)
- $1.7 million ($1.7 million total)
30%
The American Society of Magical Negroes
(2024)
- $1.2 million ($1.2 million total)
86%
Ordinary Angels
(2024)
- $1 million ($18 million total)
Erik Childress can be heard each week evaluating box office on Business First AM with Angela Miles and his Movie Madness Podcast.
[box office figures via Box Office Mojo]
Thumbnail image by ©DreamWorks Animation
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