Kung Fu Panda 4 grosses $25.9 million in China

Kung Fu Panda 4

DreamWorks Animation

Even a successful Hollywood film with Chinese properties does not seem able to revive the dwindling standing of American studios at the box office in China.

DreamWorks Animation Kung Fu Panda 4 — the latest installment in one of China’s long-favorite American franchises, thanks to its story steeped in Chinese culture — opened with $14.7 million from Friday to Sunday, according to data from regional consulting firm Artisan Gateway. But that total was on top of one of the country’s weakest weekends this year, so far. Including preview shows from the previous week, Kung Fu Panda 4 It finished Sunday with a somewhat healthier-looking $25.9 million.

Either way, the film is miles behind its predecessor Kung Fu Panda 3, which opened the weekend before Chinese New Year in 2016 with record grosses of $57.8 million. The three series finished their run in China with $154.3 million, surpassing the North American total of $143.5 million. Chinese ticket app Maoyan is currently in development Kung Fu Panda 4 Reaching about $44 million.

Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Sand Dunes: Part TwoAt the same time, it performs somewhat better than its — much newer — predecessor. Denis Villeneuve’s film added $4.6 million during its third weekend for a total of $44.6 million, surpassing Sand Dunes: Part OneIt will gross $39.5 million over the course of its lifetime in 2021. Maoyan now expects the sequel to finish with close to $50 million.

Holdover is a Taiwanese black comedy thriller film The pig, the snake, and the dove It earned $6.8 million and came in second place the previous weekend Sand Dunes: Part Two. The crime-themed film, written and directed by Hong Kong’s Wong Ching-po, has grossed $48.5 million since its March 1 release.

The total box office in China so far reached $2.24 billion as of Sunday, five times more than the same period in 2023.

Legendary and warnings Godzilla x Kong: The New Empirewhich opened on Friday, is the next major US release to arrive in China.