Weekend Box Office Report: January 29-31, 2016

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

The Panda's Kung Fu is strong!

The rotund but agile anthropomorphic bear returned to theaters this weekend with enough fury to put KUNG FU PANDA 3 on top with an estimated $41 million!

Though it could be partially attributed to a January release date, that's the lowest opening in the series for the computer-animated martial artist, behind the original's $60.2 million debut in June 2008 and the $47.6 million start for KUNG FU PANDA 2 in May 2011. But KUNG FU PANDA 3 also doesn't face any family-friendly competition until Disney's ZOOTOPIA arrives on March 4th.

The $140 million Dreamworks sequel also opened to $58 million in China this weekend (just in time for Chinese New Year). The franchise has been more popular internationally than in North America — only 25% of the $665 million worldwide total for KUNG FU PANDA 2 came from domestic audiences.

Still marching on award recognition, THE REVENANT was in second place with $12.4 million. With a domestic total of $138.1 million, star Leonardo DiCaprio has crawled past the totals of his THE DEPARTED ($132 million) and SHUTTER ISLAND ($128 million). Its worldwide total is now $274.7 million.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS came in third with $10.7 million over its seventh weekend in theaters. The latest chapter of the space saga is nearing $900 million domestic and is closing on a worldwide total of $2 billion.

The new Chris Pine/Casey Affleck ocean thriller THE FINEST HOURS opened in fourth place with $10.3 million. Disney's PG-13 account of a courageous 1952 Coast Guard rescue cost a reported $80 million, and didn't get a lifeline from critics with 59% on Rotten Tomatoes.

RIDE ALONG 2 rolled into fifth place with $8.3 million and the PG-13 fright flick THE BOY was in sixth with $7.8 million — down just 27% from its opening last week, a remarkable hold considering the horror genre tends to lose 50% or more in its second weekend.

The Robert De Niro/Zac Efron R-rated comedy DIRTY GRANDPA was in seventh place with $7.5 million, followed by the Chloe Moretz alien invasion thriller THE 5TH WAVE with $7 million, both losing around 32% of business from their openings last weekend.

The latest spoof FIFTY SHADES OF BLACK opened in ninth place with $6.1 million, lower than previous Wayans parodies A HAUNTED HOUSE ($18.1 million) and its sequel ($8.8 million). The new R-rated comedy had a reported cost of only $5 million. Michael Bay's 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI held on to the bottom of the list.

Outside the chart, the Mark Wahlberg/Will Ferrell comedy DADDY'S HOME vacated after a month and a half, along with Oscar nominee THE BIG SHORT and the animated polar bear NORM OF THE NORTH (which finally climbed out of its 0% Rotten Tomatoes average). The troubled Natalie Portman Western JANE GOT A GUN opened on 1200 screens for a miserable $803k, with a per-screen average lower than ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP on its seventh weekend in theaters.

Next weekend offers the horror/literature mashup PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, the romance THE CHOICE and the Coen brothers comedy HAIL, CAESAR!

Which February release are you most interested in seeing? VOTE HERE!