Kung Fu Panda 3 didn’t match the opening weekend numbers of Kung Fu Panda or Kung Fu Panda 2, but its $41 million take was more than enough to set a new record for an animated film opening in January. The record had been held by 2014’s squirrelly Nut Job, which now moves into a distant second in the record books. The weekend’s other new releases – The Finest Hours, Jane Got a Gun, and Fifty Shades of Black – fared less well. The Fifty Shades of Grey parody starring Marlon Wayans only did $6.1 million, which is still far better than Natalie Portman’s Jane Got a Gun. Jane Got a Gun had a troubled path to theatrical release and didn’t even make it into the top 10 films after opening in 1200+ theaters. Disney’s The Finest Hours snagged fourth place with a $10.3 million opening weekend, but cost in the $80 million-ish range to shoot.
The Kung Fu Panda 3 Plot: In 2016, one of the most successful animated franchises in the world returns with its biggest comedy adventure yet, Kung Fu Panda 3. When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible—learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas!
Top 10 Box Office – January 29-31, 2016
1. Kung Fu Panda 3 – $41,000,000
2. The Revenant – $12,400,000
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens – $10,782,000
4. The Finest Hours – $10,327,000
5. Ride Along 2 – $8,345,520
6. The Boy – $7,894,000
7. Dirty Grandpa – $7,575,000
8. The 5th Wave – $7,000,000
9. Fifty Shades of Black – $6,186,648
10. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi – $6,000,000
