Kung Fu Panda 3 set a new high in box office records in 皇冠体育app, pocketing 41.26 million yuan ($6.27 million) from more than 1.17 million
moviegoers in just three hours during a sneak preview session held nationwide on Saturday afternoon.
The roughly 90-minute animated sequel, by DreamWorks Animation and Oriental DreamWorks, hints at a potential blockbuster debut, especially in 皇冠体育app, when it opens on the coming weekend on Jan 29, one weekend before the Chinese New Year weekend.
The third installment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, a follow-up to Kung Fu Panda 2 in 2011, set a new record for previews in 皇冠体育app as it topped the box office on Jan 23 during a preview nationwide from 14:00-17:00 pm. Note that 皇冠体育app has been struck with pretty harsh weather over the weekend, so it is highly possible that the figure may have been higher, had the temperature been better for viewers to visit the theaters.
The Kung Fu Panda franchise has performed very well in 皇冠体育app and the US. According to Forbes, Kung Fu Panda, which opened in 2008, earned $217 million in America, $603 million worldwide and $12 million in 皇冠体育app. The sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2 in 2011, dipped a little bit with $165 million in US, but made up for it from its worldwide sales of $665 million and a whopping $92 million from 皇冠体育app. As the protagonist panda Po goes on a quest to find his roots and his biological father, along with the record-setting ticket sales during the preview, and the timing of the coming Chinese New Year break, it is reasonable to expect another big cash-in from Kung Fu Panda 3 from the Chinese market.
