This weekend sees the release of four major movies: Paramount’s family-friendly “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” Lionsgate’s gory R-rated “Saw X,” 20th Century’s sci-fi epic “The Creator,” and Sony’s GameStop stock story “Dumb Money.”
“PAW Patrol” is expected to have the biggest opening weekend, with estimates ranging from $18 million to $20 million. “Saw X” is expected to follow close behind, with estimates ranging from $15 million to $18 million. However, some projections put “Saw X” at $20 million to $25 million, which would give it the top spot.
“Saw X” has made $2 million in Thursday previews, while “The Creator” has made $1.6 million.
“PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” is based on the popular kids TV series and follows a team of search and rescue dogs who save the town of Adventure City. The voice cast includes McKenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Kim Kardashian, Chris Rock, and James Marsden. The first film opened in 2021 with $13 million, while simultaneously releasing on Paramount+ due to the pandemic. With a $30 million budget, the sequel is expected to outperform the original.
“Saw X” is the tenth film in the “Saw” franchise and stars Tobin Bell as the serial killer Jigsaw. The film takes place chronologically between the original “Saw” and “Saw II.” With a $13 million budget, “Saw X” is expected to be a success, surpassing the openings of 2021’s “Spiral” ($8.7 million) and 2017’s “Jigsaw” ($16.6 million).
“The Creator” is an AI-controlled sci-fi drama starring John David Washington and directed by Gareth Edwards. The film is expected to make $16 million to $19 million this weekend, settling for third place.
“Dumb Money” is a Wall Street-Reddit story about the GameStop stock battle in 2021. The film stars Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, and America Ferrera. It is expected to make $5 million to $8 million in its wide release.
Overall, this weekend’s box office is expected to be strong, with all four films projected to make over $15 million. “PAW Patrol” is the clear frontrunner, but “Saw X” and “The Creator” are also expected to perform well.