‘Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ Takes The Top Spot From ‘Saw X’ & ‘The Creator’

A lot of movies entered the marketplace last weekend and it was the little puppies of the PAW Patrol franchise that took the top spot in a bit of a surprise win.

The PAW Patrol sequel, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, grossed $22.8 million which turned out to be a big win for Paramount and Spin Master for a few reasons. The film is a part of a $14 billion global retail franchise and both companies see a pretty hefty cut from the sales. If the movies continue to do well, more retail will flow and that makes everyone associated with this brand very happy. Paramount also did some fun things to generate marketing ahead of the weekend which paid off.

The studio got the film in the Guinness Book of World Records with the most dogs in attendance at a movie premiere with 219 pups appearing at the Autry Museum of American History at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The studio also had people in costumes from the film appear at different zoos, a White Sox game in Chicago, and children’s hospitals. All of this tapped into the demographic that hasn’t had an offering since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem launched in August. The worldwide opening for PAW Patrol came in $46.1 million with another $23.1 million coming from 43 international markets. Given that this is the only option for kids in theaters right now, expect legs to be strong in the weeks ahead.

Saw X opens in second with a respectable gross of $18.3 million. While that is below the $20 million+ the film was tracking at, Lionsgate claims they saw the opening around this level so they’re calling this a win. The opening is slightly above the $18.2 million of the first film back in 2004 and it’s above the opening of the last two films Spiral ($8.7 million) and Jigsaw ($16.6 million). All Saw X needed to do was be a return to form and that’s exactly what it did.

Globally, Saw X opened to $29.4 million which is great news for a movie with a slim $13 million budget. Where it goes from here will be interesting. It is spooky season so it’s possible it will be a top choice for those looking for their horror fix. That being said, The Exorcist: Believer opens this weekend and is tracking for a $30 million opening, which cuts into some of Saw’s audience. However, on the flip side of that, the reviews for The Exorcist: Believer have been dismal so far so repeat viewings on Saw X instead of suffering through The Exorcist could also be an option. This will definitely be a film to watch this weekend.

Opening in third we have The Creator, which debuted to $14.1 million. That’s a bit below where it was tracking heading into the weekend (was looking like a $16-18 million start) and some are saying this is another dagger into the heart of original IP at the movies. The reviews were decent enough at 69 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and early word was that this was a groundbreaking sci-fi effort but this film looks to have suffered from the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. While the WGA strike is thankfully over, the actors are still fighting for a fair deal so they still can’t go out and promote any of their projects. This film would’ve likely benefitted from star John David Washington being out there selling the project to those who were on the fence. The hope is that this is saved from international grosses as the $80 million budget shouldn’t be hard to match if interest is there. To date, The Creator has grossed $35.3 million worldwide.

The Nun II drops to fourth place after three weeks at number one with a gross of $4.8 million. Down 43.9 percent, the real win for the sequel is that it’s killing it overseas and is a hit much like its predecessor. The domestic total stands at $77.8 million while it has amassed a staggered $233.6 million worldwide.

Rounding out the top five is The Blind, which grossed $4.3 million. It’s a faith-based film that tends to have a built-in and dedicated audience. This is a bit of a slower start compared to most but a spot in the top 5 for a film with very little marketing should be noted as a win.

What are your thoughts on this weekend’s box office? Check back next week when we see if The Exorcist: Believer can scare up business at the box office.