‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Off to a Punchy Start with $81M Global Opening

The latest DreamWorks Animation franchise sequel, Kung Fu Panda 4, is enjoying a warm welcome back from audiences at home and abroad. Following its launch on Friday, March 8, the new film directed by Mike Mitchell and co-director Stephanie Ma Stine has totted up $81.7 million in three-day box office from North America and select markets around the world.

Domestically, KFP4 reigned No. 1 at the box office throughout the weekend, earning $58 million from 4,035 theaters for releasing studio Universal Pictures, beating early tracking estimates of $50M. Dune: Part Two (Legendary/Warner Bros.) came in at No. 2 with $14.4M.

The previous sequel, Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), opened to $41.3M and went on to gross $143.5M domestically ($521M worldwide). Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) opened with $47.7M, grossing $165.2M/$665.7M. And the debut film in the franchise opening in 2008) to a $60.2M domestic take and went on to earn $215.4M/$631.7M.

Kung Fu Panda 4 marks the biggest DreamWorks Animation domestic opening since Universal took back distribution for the studio, edging past 2019’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World ($55M).

Internationally, the first stage of KFP4‘s global rollout totted up $23.7M from 41 markets (23% of worldwide release territories). Top markets included: Spain ($3M), Malaysia ($2.36M), Indonesia ($2.1M), Vietnam ($1.94M), Poland ($1.6M), Argentina ($1.2M), Denmark ($1.2M), Chile ($1.1M) and Singapore ($1M).

B.O. watchers note this is already a stronger start than the previous two sequels in like markets at modern rates (including in Spain, Malaysia, Vietnam, Poland, Denmark and Chile). Plus, 32 of the debut countries gave the Jack Black toon top opening days of the year so far for a major studio production (incl. Malaysia, Argentina, Singapore and Vietnam, where KFP4 is now the biggest animated opening of all time).

Kung Fu Panda 4 will continue rolling out in international markets in the coming weeks, including in China on March 22.

Other notable animated releases on the worldwide rankings this week are Illumination/Universal’s Migration, which added $2.4M from 79 markets to its worldwide total of $282M, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Hashira Training (Sony/Cruncyroll), which vanquished another million in international tickets from 42 markets and now sits on $40M in global box office.

[Sources: BoxOfficeMojo, Deadline]