In the time after the pandemic, animated movies often take turns ruling the box office. Right now, it’s Universal’s Kung Fu Panda 4 leading the pack until Sony’s The Garfield Movie comes out later in May.
Last weekend, Kung Fu Panda 4 made $3.5 million in the US and $11 million overseas, reaching over $500 million globally in just 52 days. With $183 million in the US and $318 million overseas, Kung Fu Panda 4 has made a total of $503 million worldwide.
It’s now the fourth biggest animated hit post-pandemic, behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. It’s surpassed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Pixar’s Elemental.
The Movie Is Breaking Records
Despite this success, Kung Fu Panda 4 is the lowest-grossing in its series. The first movie made $630 million, the second $660 million, and the third $520 million worldwide.
The Kung Fu Panda series has made a total of $2.3 billion worldwide. Unlike its predecessors, which had budgets of $130-150 million, Kung Fu Panda 4 cost $85 million, similar to other animated films post-pandemic.
Reviews haven’t been as good as the earlier movies, with a 72% score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to 81-87% for the others. Despite rumors of production problems, the franchise plans to make two more movies. Kung Fu Panda 4 features voices from Jack Black, Awkwafina, Bryan Cranston, Ke Huy Quan, and Viola Davis. You can watch it in theaters or at home.