Kung Fu Panda 4’s Near-Record Box Office Finally Breaks The Franchise’s 13-Year Trend

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Kung Fu Panda 4.

Kung Fu Panda 4‘s box office has broken the franchise’s longstanding trend of its sequels underperforming compared to the first installment. Kung Fu Panda 4 grossed a domestic box office of $58.3 million before inflation on its opening weekend, securing the top spot. This makes it the first of the films to get close to matching the original’s opening box office, which was $60 million.

In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po’s (Jack Black) story continues as he attempts to find and train someone new to take his position as the Dragon Warrior before his ascension to spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. However, as a powerful shapeshifter known as the Chameleon (Viola Davis) arises, Po must put his trust in unlikely allies. As he attempts to best her and reclaim the stolen Staff of Wisdom, Po must redefine his idea of heroism as his days as the Dragon Warrior come to a close.

Kung Fu Panda 4’s Opening Weekend Ended The Decline Both Previous Sequels Suffered

Kung Fu Panda 4‘s success at the box office marks an end to its downward trajectory, as its two previous installments failed to match the first film’s financial success. Kung Fu Panda 2 and Kung Fu Panda 3 both failed to meet or exceed the first film’s box office intake, with the films making $47.6 million and $41 million respectively. The film itself does bring back a few story beats from the original, such as the return of Tai Lung (Ian McShane), allowing the franchise to come full circle as it introduces a new character in Zhen (Awkwafina).

Po making Zhen the new Dragon Warrior not only closes the story but also mimics the first film’s message of heroism coming from an unlikely place. Zhen’s arc throughout the film from thief to hero mirrors some of the beats of Po’s journey in the first movie, letting the story interestingly retread its roots. Through this, the franchise regains some of its core ideas and revitalizes itself with a new character, giving Po a satisfying ending and audiences a strong story.

Kung Fu Panda 4’s Box Office Is Exactly What DreamWorks Needed

Kung Fu Panda 4‘s strong reception gives Dreamworks a needed success and proves that there is some vitality left in the franchise. The studio has had some inconsistent results in the past, including the weak reception of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. With the success of this film, DreamWorks can regain some consistency by charting Zhen’s story and how the established characters can play into her journey, adding more strength to an already established franchise.

The box office success of Kung Fu Panda 4 speaks to the film’s rediscovery of its heart as well as a new direction for DreamWorks. By returning to some of the larger plot points from the first film, this fourth movie is able to get back to what made Kung Fu Panda so popular in the first place with its themes of heroism, courage, and identity. It also allows audiences the chance to fall in love with the films again as new stories get added, potentially leading to the continuation of this upward box office trend.