After a number of quiet weeks in film theaters, 4 movies entered huge launch over the weekend. “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” got here out the highest canine, with $23 million in ticket gross sales, in line with studio estimates Sunday.

The performances of all 4 movies – “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” “Saw X,” “The Creator” and “Dumb Money” – instructed a well-known story on the field workplace. What labored? Horror and animated franchises. What didn’t? Originality and comedy.

“PAW Patrol,” from Paramount Pictures and Spin Master, had timing on its facet. The movie, a sequel to the 2021 “PAW Patrol” film tailored from the Nickelodeon TV collection, was the primary household animated film in theaters since “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” was launched in early August.

The first “PAW Patrol,” launched through the pandemic, debuted with $13 million whereas concurrently releasing on Paramount+, and its success in each arenas was a contributing consider main Nickelodeon chief Brian Robbins to be named head of Paramount. A 3rd “PAW Patrol” film has already been green-lit.

“Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” which price $30 million to make, added $23.1 million in abroad gross sales.

“Saw X,” the tenth launch within the long-running horror collection, managed to bounce again from a franchise low with a gap weekend of $18 million for Lionsgate. The earlier “Saw” film, 2021’s “Spiral,” starring Chris Rock, debuted with $8.8 million and totaled $23.3 million domestically.

But the tenth “Saw” doubled again on gore and introduced again Tobin Bell because the serial killer Jigsaw. It got here away with the franchise’s finest opening weekend in additional than a decade and robust viewers scores.

The $13-million manufacturing was additionally the widest “Saw” launch but, taking part in in 3,262 theaters. Since James Wan’s 2004 unique, the “Saw” franchise – the flagship collection of so-called torture porn — has made greater than $1 billion worldwide.

“The Creator,” an $80 million film financed by New Regency and distributed by Disney’s twentieth Century Studios, was simply the largest movie to launch in theaters over the weekend however struggled to catch on. It grossed a modest $14 million at 3,680 theaters whereas including $18.3 million internationally.

The movie, directed by Gareth Edwards, stars John David Washington as an undercover operative in an AI-dominated future. “The Creator” drew largely optimistic opinions and a B+ CinemaScore from audiences.

Sony Pictures’ “Dumb Money,” expanded nationwide after two weeks of restricted launch however did not ignite the form of populist motion it irreverently dramatizes. The movie, directed by Craig Gillespie, got here away with a disappointing $3.5 million in 2,837 places.