‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ dethrones ‘Dune’ at weekend box office

How it did: “Kung Fu Panda 4” opened with $58 million in the U.S. box office and $22 million globally on Friday, bringing its total worldwide earnings to $80.5 million. With its strong debut, it dethroned “Dune: Part Two” — which grossed $46 million this weekend — from the No. 1 spot.

Where it did well: “Kung Fu Panda 4” saw impressive performances in five non-U.S. countries. These include Spain with $3 million, Malaysia with $2.36 million, Indonesia with $2.1 million, Vietnam with $1.94 million and Poland with $1.6 million, according to Deadline. Its performance is also anticipated in China — where its predecessor stands as one of the country’s biggest animated films — upon its release on March 22.

Unexpected success: Speaking to Entertainment Weekly ahead of the film’s release, Jack Black, who voices franchise protagonist Po, admitted that he did not expect such a level of success when he first joined the project, which was initially released by Dreamworks Animation and Universal Pictures in 2008.

“I didn’t realize at the time [of getting the role] that this was gonna be a role that I’d play half my life,” he said. “That’s being generous, though. It’s not quite half my life. I’m 54. But still, a lot of my life.”

About the movie: “Kung Fu Panda 4” follows Po as he faces a new threat in the form of the shapeshifting Chameleon (Viola Davis), who aims to summon all of the hero’s past master villains using his Staff of Wisdom.

Joining Davis as the film’s newcomers are Awkwafina as the quick-witted thief Zhen and Ke Huy Quan as Den of Thieves leader Han.