'Kung Fu Panda 3' kicks up $41 million to dominate US box office
LOS ANGELES, Jan 31 - "Kung Fu Panda 3" showed plenty of power at the U.S. box office with a solid opening weekend of $41 million at 3,955 theaters as the durable family franchise dominated moviegoing.
Disney's launch of Coast Guard rescue adventure "The Finest Hours" saw only modest returns with about $10 million at 3,143 sites -- trailing both "The Revenant" and the seventh weekend of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
Marlon Wayans' spoof "Fifty Shades of Black" generated only middling business at about $6 million at 2,075 locations and Natalie Portman's oft-delayed Western "Jane Got a Gun" was nearly invisible with less than $1 million at 1,210 screens.
"Kung Fu Panda 3," distributed by Fox for DreamWorks Animation, will finish its first weekend near 2011's "Kung Fu Panda 2," which opened with $47.7 million domestically on its way to $162.5 million. The 2008 original bowed to $60.2 million and ended its U.S. run with $215 million.
The cartoon also helped the U.S. box office turn in a respectable performance following a dismal weekend that saw business hit hard by the massive East Coast snowstorm. Leonardo DiCaprio's "The Revenant" won the frame with only $16 million in its third weekend of wide release.
"The Revenant" remained a solid draw in its fourth weekend of wide release, thanks to its dozen Oscar nominations and DiCaprio's star power. It finished the weekend with $12.4 million at 3,330 sites for a 25% decline and has now generated an impressed $138.2 million domestically.
Hear Lucy Liu and Kate Hudson spill more details on the flick:
