Part Two’ Fight For No. 1

SATURDAY AM: w/chart…Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 is now looking to pull in ahead of Legendary/Warner Bros.’ third frame of Dune: Part Two, $31.5M to $28M-$29M. Excellent holds by both movies in a starved marketplace that’s been beaten up by the strike.

All in, that spells for a weekend where all pics are grossing around $92.4M — about the same result as the same weekend a year ago, when Warner Bros/DC’s Shazam: Fury of the Gods nosedived to a $30.1M opening. Next weekend, we’ll see some nuclear protons in Sony’s Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire, which is expected to do between $47M-$52M.

Lionsgate/eOne/Tucker Tooley Entertainment / Canton Entertainment / Municipal Pictures production’s Mark Wahlberg sports canine movie, Arthur the King, gets an A CinemaScore and 4 1/2 stars/75% definite recommend on ComScore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak. But it is coming in at the bottom of its projection range of $8M after a $3M Friday. Another “man’s best friend” movie, MGM’s Dog, starring Channing Tatum, opened to $14.8M back in February 2022. Hmmm.

Even split between men and women, with 36% of those who bought tickets between 18-34 and another 40% over 45. The biggest demos for the movie were 25-34 at 23% and those over 55 at 22%. Women over 25 at 40% gave the movie its best grades of 90% while men over 25 at 40% gave it 87%. Diversity demos were 52% Caucasian, 25% Latino and Hispanic, 8% Black and 10% Asian. Arthur the King is playing best in the West and South, with the Harkins Estrella Falls in Arizona the best-grossing venue at $11K.

A24’s Love Lies Bleeding did $1.1M yesterday in its jump from five theaters to 1,362 theaters. This will result in a $2.75M wide break and $2K per theater. I’m told that’s not great, but not a complete disaster. At that level, the opening is higher than the debut of A24’s Zola ($1.2M at 1,468 theaters), however, that movie opened in a summer when everyone was still coming back to the theaters. Still no audience score on RT for this Kristen Stewart movie, which is not a good sign. But there is PostTrak, and it’s not pretty at 3 1/2 stars and 78% positive. Women showed up at 60% (83% grade) to men at 40% (72% grade). Bulk of ticket buyers are 18-34 at 73%. Best grades came from women under 25, 28% of the audience, who gave the Rose Glass-directed movie an 87% grade. Men under 25 at 9% graded it an 86%. This despite the fact that critics love this neo-noir about the romance between a female gym manager and an amateur, crazed female bodybuilder at 92% certified fresh.

Focus Features’ The American Society of Magical Negroes at 1,147 locations is doing less than Love Lies Bleeding, with a $1.25M opening in 9th place and $1K theater average. No CinemaScore, but PostTrak is low at 70% and a 51% definite recommend. Fairly even male to female at 51% to 49%. The 18-34-year-olds made up just over half the audience, with the 25-34 quad being the largest at 36%. Diversity demos are 50% Black, 31% Caucasian, 11% Latino and Hispanic, and 5% Asian. Pic’s money is coming from the East, South and West. AMC Empire 25 is the title’s top-grossing venue with $6K so far.

Here’s an interesting tale — and I haven’t even received grosses on the movie yet, only industry estimates. What do you do when the studio hasn’t given a ton of money to promote your movie? If you’re an actor, you get out on Hollywood Blvd. with a sign to market your movie. That’s what actor Conor Sherry did yesterday on Hollywood Blvd. for his teen comedy opening this weekend, Snack Shack from Rian Johnson’s T-Street, MRC and Republic Pictures. The pic is 75% fresh with critics, and is currently 100% with audiences (but with less than 50 ratings). Booked in fewer theaters than Magical Negroes at 437, it’s putting up a slightly better theater average at $1,2K in what’s looking like a $529K opening after a $170K Friday. Good job, Conor. The Adam Rehmeier-directed and written comedy follows two best friends in Nebraska City 1991 as they get the chance to run the swimming pool snack shack that later comes to be the perfect scenario for transgression, fun, personal discovery, and romance.

Here’s the chart:

1.) Kung Fu Panda 4 (Uni/DWA) 4,067 theaters, Fri $8.8M (-55%), 3-day $31.5M (-46%), Total $109.2M/Wk 2

2.) Dune: Part Two (Leg/WB) 3,847 theaters (-227), Fri $8.15M (-33%), 3-day $28M-$29M (-38%)/Total $205.2M/Wk 3

3.) Arthur the King (LG) 3,003 theaters, Fri $3M, 3-day $8M/Wk 1

4.) Imaginary (LG) 3,118 theaters, Fri $1.68M (-53%) 3-day $5.3M (-46%), Total $18.8M /Wk 2

5.) Cabrini (Angel) 2,850 (+10) theaters, Fri $837K (-73%) 3-day $2.8M (-60%) Total $13M/Wk 2

6.) Love Lies Bleeding (A24) 1,362 theaters (+1,357) Fri $1.1M, 3-day $2.75M, Total $3M/Wk 2

7.) Bob Marley: One Love (Par) 2272 theaters (-492) Fri $680K (-38%), 3-day $2.425M (-41%), Total $93.4M/Wk 5

8.) One Life (BST) 983 theaters, Fri $760K, 3-day $2.16M/Wk 1

9.) The American Society of Magical Negroes (Foc) 1,147 theaters, Fri $520K, 3-day $1.25M/Wk 1

10.) Ordinary Angels (LG) 1,753 (-570) theaters Fri $300K (-48%) 3-day $1M (-48%)/Total $18.1M/Wk 4

More…

UPDATED, Friday PM: Right now, Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4‘s second weekend and Legendary/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two‘s third weekend are in a close call for No. 1 with around $27 million-$30 million apiece. Many are expecting Kung Fu Panda 4 to knock out the sandworm come tomorrow: The Friday for the animated pic is $8.1M at 4,067 venues, while the sci-fi epic is $7.6M at 3,847 theaters. KFP4 is off 48% from last week, while Dune 2 is -35%.

Dune: Part Two will become the first movie of 2024 to crack the two-century mark with $206.2M on the high end. KFP4’s 10-day on the high end is $107.7M, the second movie after Dune 2 to cross $100M this year.

Lionsgate’s Arthur the King is looking at $2.8M today including Thursday previews of $825,000, which will come in around $7.6M at 3,003 for the frame. Audience scores are still high on RT at 97%.

The Santa Monica-based studio will also claim fourth with Blumhouse’s Imaginary, with a second weekend of $4.4M at 3,118 theaters, -55%, after a Friday of $1.3M. The 10-day cume by Sunday will be $17.7M.

Fifth goes to Angel Studios Cabrini with a second Friday of $750K, second weekend of $2.65M, -62%, with a 10-day total of $12.8M.

Arthouse not so hot, I’m told, with A24’s Love Lies Bleeding at 1,362 venues with a second weekend of $2.3M in a major coastal city play, while Focus Features’ The American Society of Magical Negroes seeing $500K at 1,147 theaters today for a three-day total of $1.25M. Moviegoers aren’t wowed by the latter at 46% on RT. No audience score yet on the Rose Glass movie.

Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love at 2,272 locations is looking at a fifth Friday of $600K, a three-day of $2.28M, -44%, for a running total by EOD Sunday of $93.3M.

PREVIOUSLY, Friday AM: In a frame that will see Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 rally with a second-weekend take of around $30 million (down 48%), three wide entries hit cinemas. The biggest is Lionsgate’s Mark Wahlberg canine sports movie Arthur the King, which is eyeing $8 million-$10 million at 3,003 locations. The movie directed by Simon Cellan Jones made $825,000 in previews last night, which bests the $550K in previews made by Wahlberg’s 2018 movie Instant Family, which opened in a very pre-pandemic, pre-Thanksgiving period to $14.5M.

Rotten Tomatoes reviews are at 63% fresh for Arthur the King, but the portal’s audiences love it more at 93%.

Based on a true story, pic takes plays during a 10-day pro adventure race of 435 miles as Michael Light (Wahlberg) bonds with scrappy street dog Arthur. Light, desperate for one last chance to win, convinces a sponsor to back him and his team (Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel and Ali Suliman) for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team is pushed to their limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean.

The $19M feature production, as Deadline first reported, saw its domestic rights move from Paramount Players to Lionsgate. Pic’s offshore rights were sold during the Covid Cannes via international sales firm Sierra/Affinity. Entertainment One and Tucker Tooley Entertainment co-financed.

A24’s Sundance Film Festival premiere Love Lies Bleeding expands to 1,300 theaters this weekend from five NYC and Los Angeles sites with an eye at $2M. The LGBTQ crime noir is 92% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie made $167K last weekend for a per-theater average of $33,500. The film directed by Rose Glass and starring Kristen Stewart and Katy M. O’Brian played at the Regal Union Square (which led the packed last weekend), AMC Lincoln Square, AMC Burbank, The Grove and Century City.

RELATED: ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ Review: The Gays Are Doing The Burying In Rose Glass’ Psychological Thriller

Focus Features has Kobi Libii’s feature directorial debut The American Society of Magical Negroes at 1,146 theaters. The movie also world premiered at Sundance. Critics are hard on the feature at 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s expected to open in the low single-digit millions. The satirical comedy follows a young man named Aren (Justice Smith) who is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people more comfortable. Although initially enamored with his new powers, Aren begins to question the value of using supernatural means to do the very thing he’s felt obligated to do his whole life.

RELATED: ‘The American Society Of Magical Negroes’ Review: Kobi Libii’s Fantastical Race Comedy Has Charm If Not Focus

Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two won Thursday with $4.4M, -1% from Wednesday for a second week of $65.1M at 4,074 theaters and a running total of $176.1M. The sci-fi ensemble, fueled by Imax and PLFs, is expected to be down in the -40% range in Weekend 3 with a take of around $27M.

Kung Fu Panda 4 was very close to Dune 2‘s Thursday take with $4.390M, +5% from Wednesday with a first-week haul of $77.7M at 4,035 theaters.

Third for the week is Lionsgate/Blumhouse’s Imaginary, with a first week of $13.5M after an estimated $807K Thursday, -1% from Wednesday at 3,118 venues.

Angel Studios’ Cabrini at 2,840 theaters saw $592K on Thursday, -11% from Wednesday, for a first week of $10.1M.

Fifth belongs to Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love at 2,764 theaters, with a fourth Thursday estimated at $372K for a fourth week of $5.8M and running total of $91M.