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'PAW Patrol' shows bark at box office while 'The Creator' and 'Dumb Money' disappoint

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This image released by 20th Century Studios shows John David Washington in a scene from "The Creator." (20th Century Studios via AP)

After several quiet weeks in movie theaters, four films entered wide release over the weekend. ā€œPAW Patrol: The Mighty Movieā€ came out the top dog, with $23 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The performances of all four films ā€“ ā€œPAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,ā€ ā€œSaw X,ā€ ā€œThe Creatorā€ and ā€œDumb Moneyā€ ā€“ told a familiar story at the box office. What worked? Horror and animated franchises. What didnā€™t? Originality and comedy.

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ā€œPAW Patrol,ā€ from Paramount Pictures and Spin Master, had timing on its side. The film, a sequel to the 2021 ā€œPAW Patrolā€ movie adapted from the Nickelodeon TV series, was the first family animated movie in theaters since ā€œTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemā€ was released in early August.

The first ā€œPAW Patrol,ā€ released during the 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 ā€œPAW Patrolā€ movie has already been green-lit.

ā€œPaw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,ā€ which cost $30 million to make, added $23.1 million in overseas sales.

ā€œSaw X,ā€ 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 ā€œSawā€ movie, 2021's ā€œSpiral,ā€ starring Chris Rock, debuted with $8.8 million and totaled $23.3 million domestically.

But the 10th ā€œSawā€ doubled back on gore and brought back Tobin Bell as the serial killer Jigsaw. It came away with the franchiseā€™s best opening weekend in more than a decade and strong audience scores.

The $13-million production was also the widest ā€œSawā€ release yet, playing in 3,262 theaters. Since James Wanā€™s 2004 original, the ā€œSawā€ franchise ā€“ the flagship series of so-called torture porn -- has made more than $1 billion worldwide.

ā€œThe Creator,ā€ an $80 million movie financed by New Regency and distributed by Disneyā€™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 AI-dominated future. ā€œThe Creatorā€ drew mostly positive reviews and a B+ CinemaScore from audiences.

Sony Picturesā€™ ā€œDumb Money,ā€ 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.

ā€œDumb Money,ā€ starring an ensemble of Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen, American Ferrera and Anthony Ramos, turns the GameStop stock frenzy into a ripped-from-the-headlines underdog tale of amateur traders rattling Wall Street. While all of the weekendā€™s new releases were hampered by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, ā€œDumb Moneyā€ would have especially benefitted from its cast hitting late-night shows and other promotions.

Made for $30 million, ā€œDumb Moneyā€ wasnā€™t a massive bet. But it represented the kind of movie ā€“ a mid-budget, acclaimed original mostly targeted at adults ā€“ that Hollywood seldom makes anymore. As the industry enters an awards season a year after many high-profile contenders (among them ā€œTĆ”rā€ and ā€œThe Fabelmansā€) failed to catch on in theaters, the results for ā€œDumb Moneyā€ may be cautionary for films queuing up.

The weekendā€™s other notable success came from a four-decade-old concert film. The 4K restoration of the Talking Heads concert film ā€œStop Making Senseā€ 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 ā€œhave audiences dancing in the aisles around the world for a very long time to come.ā€

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. ā€œPAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,ā€ $23 million.

2. ā€œSaw X,ā€ $18 million.

3. ā€œThe Creator,ā€ $14 million.

4. ā€œThe Nun II,ā€ $4.7 million.

5. ā€œThe Blind,ā€ $4.1 million.

6. ā€œA Haunting in Venice,ā€ $3.8 million.

7. ā€œDumb Money,ā€ $3.5 million.

8. ā€œThe Equalizer,ā€ $2.7 million.

9. ā€œExpend4bles,ā€ $2.5 million.

10. ā€œBarbie,ā€ $1.4 million.


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