Is Kung Fu Panda 4 the Key to a Reinvigorated 2024 Box Office?

 With Dune: Part Two having finally powered up the 2024 box office, it's time to build on that impetus if the wider box office recovery is to continue. There could be another strong contender lurking in the wings for this weekend’s releases- but it will doubtless surprise you to learn that this hope lies with the fourth installment of the animated Kung Fu Panda saga! Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney Los Angeles, Brandon Blake, has more on this ironic twist for us.


                                                                        Brandon Blake

Two $40M Grosses on the Cards

For the first time since July 2023 and the Barbenheimer dual release, we have a chance at not one, but two, films grossing over $40M this weekend. In fact, those figures may top $50M!

While Dune: Part Two has had the benefit of massive hype and anticipation, Kung Fu Panda 4 may well turn out to be the more profitable production. Dune: Part Two has already grossed over $100M globally, and is anticipated to close at around the $225M mark. The last installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, released in 2016, grossed about $175M domestically and $600M globally (adjusted to modern ticket prices), at a considerably lower production cost.

The Animated Drawcard

Animated theatrical releases are a cornerstone for the family market. This will be the first major animation release for the year, from a tried and trusted franchise. It will have no competition until Sony releases its The Garfield Movie, currently scheduled for late May. Additionally, its initial release month will overlap with most countries’ school holidays and Easter breaks- prime time for that particular demographic. This is, after all, the same time of year that helped propel The Super Mario Bros. Movie to amazing success last year.


Will it reach the same heights as Dune: Part Two or Super Mario? By the raw numbers, that’s unlikely. However, with a production budget of a staggering $100M less than Dune’s, and great timing for its target market, we may see Kung Fu Panda come out ahead on the profitability stakes. Even if it doesn’t reach that benchmark, however, the news of a realistic double-billing with $40M potential will be a welcome breath of fresh air to what has been a sluggish 2024 box office. That alone is worth celebrating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Netflix Ad Tier Turns in Fantastic Growth

Image
 What a difference half a year can make! With Netflix’s ad-supported subscription tier first launched only 18 months ago, the streamer has managed to nearly double its subscriber base since the start of 2024. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer , Brandon Blake, fills in the details. Brandon Blake Impressive Subscriber Gains Netflix’s total subscribers for the ad-supported tier now number 40 million monthly active users. In January 2024, it was 23 million. The streamer was understandably gleeful to reveal this news at its first in-person Upfronts presentation in New York earlier this month. At its first-ever Upfronts presentation, which was held digitally in 2023, the ad tier had 5 million monthly active users.   Additionally, we were told that 40% of active signups now opt for the ad-supported plan, in countries where it is currently available. Of course, much of this can be attributed to a rather kind price ($7 domestically) for this tier, well below most of the other
Read more

Hulu on Disney+ is Officially Here

Image
While the Hulu on Disney+ Beta bundle has been live since last year, we have officially reached the point of full integration. Intriguingly, much of the executive focus on the new bundle has been around the technical advancements needed to unite the two platforms. You could take a look at entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, from Blake & Wang P.A., looks in more depth at the united offering.                                              Brandon Blake Technical Advancements While few viewers are likely to know (or care, frankly) about the backstage technology that powers their viewing experience, Disney executives have been keen to hammer home the potential for happier, healthier subscriber engagement and retention with the new tech shift. They have gone as far as to call it the “most extensive technical advancement” since launch. At this point, it is clear that they are also hoping a more advertiser-appealing platform with better metrics can be leveraged to boost their highly su
Read more