Box Office Battle: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ vs. ‘Dune: Part Two’

Two legendary heroes are battling at the box office this weekend: the Dragon Warrior and the Lisan al Gaib.

Universal‘s animated, family-friendly flick ‘Kung Fu Panda 4‘ is making waves, having raked in $3.8 million in previews at 4,035 theaters in North America.

A closely contested box office duel is anticipated, with Po, the karate-loving panda from ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’, expected to have a slight lead over Timothee Chalamet‘s intergalactic hero Paul Atreides from ‘Dune: Part Two,’ targeting $45 million to $50 million in opening weekend revenue.

The absence of family-oriented films in theaters could work in favor of ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ especially following the successful impact of ‘Dune: Part Two’ last week. The lack of a standout box office hit in 2024 so far signals that families, particularly those with young children, are eager to return to cinemas for the right cinematic offerings, potentially boosting ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ to its biggest opening since the franchise debut in 2008.

Notably, the original ‘Kung Fu Panda’ initiated the franchise with a $60 million opening, accumulating a global gross of $632 million. Subsequent sequel ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ followed suit with a $47.6 million opening and $665 million in worldwide earnings, while ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ garnered a $41 million debut and reached a total of $521 million globally.

In addition to ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ and ‘Dune: Part Two,’ other films making their debut this weekend include Lionsgate and Blumhouse’s thriller ‘Imaginary’ and Angel Studio’s faith-based picture ‘Cabrini,’ aiming for significant box office numbers.