With both this week’s new release, Kung Fu Panda 4, and last week’s holdover hit, Dune: Part Two, over-performing at the domestic box office, the theatergoing business is witnessing a much-needed uptick this weekend after so-so results in the new year. While the Oscars will no doubt provide a customary bump in revenue for the winners, the box office conversation this weekend is mainly going to revolve around the successful resurrection of the Kung Fu Panda franchise.

The fourth installment, which cost around $50 million less than the first film, also nearly broke its opening weekend record with a $58 million debut. Released in 2008, the first Kung Fu Panda film made $60 million in its domestic debut, finishing its run with over $600 million globally. The franchise’s last entry, Kung Fu Panda 3, was also its lowest-grossing. The fourth film serves as a soft reboot, but it earned the least positive reviews in the series’ history. Kung Fu Panda 4 sits at a mediocre 70% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, but as has been observed recently, reviews don’t seem to affect animated films as harshly as they might other kinds of movies — the demographic is underserved, and will show up for new releases with dependable regularity.

Dune: Part Two, on the other hand, is closely following in the footsteps of last year’s Oppenheimer. After reporting near-identical opening weekend numbers, the epic science-fiction film is eyeing a similarly soft second weekend drop. Dune: Part Two is estimated to have grossed $46 million this weekend, taking its running domestic total to over $150 million. At this rate, a lifetime domestic haul of around $300 million is totally possible. Globally, the film is passing the $300 million mark this weekend, after debuting in China.

All Demographics Were Serviced at the Box Office this Weekend

Lionsgate’s latest horror offering, Imaginary, landed in third place. The film is estimated to have grossed $10 million in its first weekend of release, falling short of modest expectations thanks to poor critical and audience reception. Imaginary sits at a “rotten” 31% score on Rotten Tomatoes; it earned an equally disappointing C+ CinemaScore from opening day audiences. The fourth spot went to fellow newcomer Cabrini, the latest from faith-based outfit Angel Studios. The positively reviewed film grossed an estimated $7.5 million this weekend.

Rounding out the top five was Paramount’s hit music biopic Bob Marley: One Love, which added $4 million this weekend — its fourth — and took its running domestic total to just under $90 million. Elsewhere, A24’s Problemista opened in limited release, while Sony debuted Chinese mega-hit YOLO to solid response in just 200 domestic theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

via Collider