‘Kung Fu Panda 4‘ has earned $3.8M from Thursday previews at the domestic box office and is projected to make $50M over the weekend domestically.
The film had a budget of $85 million, which is lower than the budgets of the first three movies. It debuts with an 81% audience score and a 72% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position. Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.
So, Po’s going to need some help. He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.
Directed by Mike Mitchell and produced by Rebecca Huntley. The film features the voice talent of returning stars Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master, Shifu; James Hong as Po’s adoptive father, Mr. Ping; Bryan Cranston as Po’s birth father, Li, and Emmy Award nominee Ian McShane as Tai Lung, Shifu’s former student and arch-nemesis. Ke Huy Quan joins the ensemble as a new character, Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves.
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ is now playing in theaters.
