Universal Animation/DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda 4 grossed $3.8 million during Thursday night previews that began yesterday at 2 p.m., a figure that surpasses that of the premiere of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World ($3 million), marking the best opening for a DWA title since Universal acquired the studio. How to train your dragon 3 opened to $55 million after a $17.3 million Friday. The outlook for the fourth installment this weekend is north of $50 million for first place. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 82% is ahead of the film's critical score of 72% fresh.
Other family previews that Kung Fu Panda 4 we walked on Disney/Pixar Elementary ($2.5 million, 3 p.m.) and Wonka ($3.5 million, 3 p.m.).
Lionsgate/Blumhouse's PG-13 horror thriller Imaginary made $725,000 from shows that started at 6 p.m. This is a figure consistent with Imaginary the 2018 title by filmmaker Jeff Wadlow, Truth or Dare, which posted $750,000 and went to $18 million, and it's under 20th Century Studios The bogeyman which posted $1.1M and posted a 3-day $12.3M. Imaginary expected to open to between $10 million and $14 million. At 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's clear that critics don't like Teddy Bears.
We're waiting for the official preview figure from Angel Studios Cabrini but we hear it's around $500,000. The picture is expected to gross between $5 million and $10 million.
Meanwhile, Legendary/Warner Bros. Dune: part two posted $6.4 million Thursday night, -4% from Wednesday, for a weekly take of $111 million. In a week, the theatrical release of Dune: part two beat the entire national course of its 2021 predecessor, Dune, which brought in $108.8 million; the fortune of this film siphoned off by a day-and-date release on HBO Max and in theaters, as well as Covid.