NEW YORK CITY: After several quiet weeks in movie theaters, four films entered wide release over the weekend, with “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” emerging as the top dog after earning $23 million in ticket sales, studio estimates showed on Sunday.
The performances of all four films — “PAW Patrol,” “Saw X,” “The Creator” and “Dumb Money” — told a familiar story at the box office. What worked? Horror and animated franchises. What didn’t? Originality and comedy.
Character mascots pose for photos at the Guinness World Record Breaking Screening in support of “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California on Sept. 24, 2023. GETTY IMAGES PHOTO VIA AFP
“PAW Patrol,” from Paramount Pictures and Spin Master, had timing on its side. The film, a sequel to the 2021 “PAW Patrol” movie adapted from the Nickelodeon television series, was the first family animated movie in theaters since “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” in early August.
The first “PAW Patrol,” released during the coronavirus pandemic, debuted with $13 million while simultaneously releasing on Paramount+, and its success in both arenas was a contributing factor in leading Nickelodeon chief Brian Robbins to be named head of Paramount. A third “PAW Patrol” movie has already been green-lit.
“PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” which cost $30 million to make, added $23.1 million in overseas sales.
“Saw X,” the tenth release in the long-running horror series, managed to bounce back from a franchise low with an opening weekend of $18 million for Lionsgate. The previous “Saw” movie, 2021’s “Spiral,” starring Chris Rock, debuted with $8.8 million and totaled $23.3 million domestically.
But the 10th “Saw” doubled back on gore and brought back Tobin Bell as the serial killer Jigsaw. It came away with the franchise’s best opening weekend in more than a decade and strong audience scores.
The $13-million production was also the widest “Saw” release yet, playing in 3,262 theaters. Since James Wan’s 2004 original, the “Saw” franchise — the flagship series of so-called torture porn — has made more than $1 billion worldwide.
“The Creator,” an $80-million movie financed by New Regency and distributed by Disney’s 20th Century Studios, was easily the biggest film to launch in theaters over the weekend, but struggled to catch on. It grossed a modest $14 million at 3,680 theaters while adding $18.3 million internationally.
The film, directed by Gareth Edwards, stars John David Washington as an undercover operative in an artificial intelligence-dominated future. “The Creator” drew mostly positive reviews and a B+ CinemaScore from audiences.
Sony Pictures’ “Dumb Money” expanded nationwide after two weeks of limited release but failed to ignite the kind of populist movement it irreverently dramatizes. The film, directed by Craig Gillespie, came away with a disappointing $3.5 million in 2,837 locations.
Starring an ensemble of Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen, American Ferrera and Anthony Ramos, “Dumb Money” turns the GameStop stock frenzy into a ripped-from-the-headlines underdog tale of amateur traders rattling Wall Street. While all of the weekend’s new releases were hampered by the ongoing Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike, “Dumb Money” would have especially benefitted from its cast hitting late-night shows and other promotions.
Made for $30 million, “Dumb Money” wasn’t a massive bet. But it represented the kind of movie — a mid-budget, acclaimed original mostly targeted at adults — that Hollywood seldom makes anymore. As the industry enters an awards season a year after many high-profile contenders (among them “Tár” and “The Fabelmans”) failed to catch on in theaters, the results for “Dumb Money” may be cautionary for films queuing up.
The weekend’s other notable success came from a four-decade-old concert film. The 4K restoration of the Talking Heads concert movie “Stop Making Sense” made $1 million on 786 screens, and surely led all movies in the number of dancing moviegoers. The Jonathan Demme film has surpassed $3 million thus far. Indie distributor A24 promised it will “have audiences dancing in the aisles around the world for a very long time to come.”
Top 10 films: 1) “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” $23 million; 2) “Saw X,” $18 million; 3) “The Creator,” $14 million; 4) “The Nun 2,” $4.7 million; 5) “The Blind,” $4.1 million; 6) “A Haunting in Venice,” $3.8 million; 7) “Dumb Money,” $3.5 million; 8) “The Equalizer,” $2.7 million; 9) “Expend4bles,” $2.5 million; 10) “Barbie,” $1.4 million.
