Happy pups had the upper hand at the domestic box office this weekend Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie deterred Saw X And The creator with $23 million in a necessary win for the family market.
Saw X – who had hoped to outdo the barking Paw patrol sequel – instead came in second with $18 million, followed by a muted $14 million for The creator. The original $80 million science fiction epic directed by Villain One‘s Gareth Edwards was the biggest swing of the weekend and is hoping to gain traction overseas (it debuted worldwide to $32.3 million).
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Moviewhich cost just $30 million to produce before marketing, follows 2021’s success Paw Patrol: The Movie that helped solidify Paramount chief Brian Robbins’ position. That film opened to a modest $13.1 million domestically before becoming a sleeper hit and grossing $140 million worldwide, a remarkable figure considering the pandemic and a day-and-date debut on Paramount+. A third film is already underway, expected for 2026.
Taraji P. Henson, Kristen Bell, Christian Convery, Brice Gonzalez, Mckenna Grace and Lil Rel Howery join in The mighty movie. focused on the heroic pups. Paramount, Spin Master and Nickelodeon are partners in the young film franchise.
The Saw franchise – now almost twenty years old – received a surprising jolt of critical appreciation Saw X, which earned the best reviews of any film in the series. Audiences gave the film a B CinemaScore, which is considered a relatively good grade for a slasher picture.
The Saw franchise has grossed more than $1 billion and started with the 2004 feature film from director James Wan and writer-star Leigh Whannell. It is powered by the machinations of John Kramer, a serial killer known as Jigsaw, who presents his victims with terrible choices that will determine whether they live or die. Jigsaw, played by Tobin Bell, met his end Saw 3 (2006), although he remained involved with the franchise through flashbacks and other methods.
This time Jigsaw is back in the flesh, like Saw X takes place between the events of the second and third episodes and picks up with John Kramer traveling to Mexico to receive an experimental cancer treatment. Once there, he discovers that the operation is a scam that preys on vulnerable people, so he sets his sights on these medical scammers. The previous part, the Chris Rock starrer Spiral, opened to $8.7 million, on its way to $40 million worldwide. 2017 Puzzle bowed to $16.6 million and grossed $102.9 million worldwide. Saw veteran Kevin Greutert directed the latest installment, which cost a modest $13 million to produce.
New Regency and Entertainment One produced The creator, which is distributed by 20th Century Studios. It’s one of the rare sci-fi studio films based on an original concept, rather than a well-known IP, and stars John David Washington as a man caught in the middle of a war between humanity and AI. The creator achieved a B+ CinemaScore.
The creator is Edwards’ first feature film since then Villain Onethe $1 billion Star Wars hit, and was of particular importance given the lack of original science fiction films in theaters over the past decade. In addition to Washington, stars include Gemma Chan, Allison Janney and Ken Watanabe, as well as newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie, an artificial child who comes under the care of Washington’s character.
Sony’s GameStop movie Stupid money only managed to finish in seventh place with a disappointing $3.5 million as it expanded nationwide after a slow rollout. (The studio changed the film’s release plan due to the ongoing labor strikes, which prevented writers and talent from participating in any publicity). The pic’s cast includes Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, America Ferrara and Seth Rogen
Craig Gillespie’s well-reviewed film was likely hit by heavy rain in New York City late last week, forcing theaters to close in parts of Manhattan on Friday (cinemas were back online on Saturday). Sony insiders say the film will do best in New York City and the surrounding suburbs.
More to come.
