The Big Picture
- This weekend’s box office will likely be a close battle between PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and The Creator, as both have been heavily promoted and Lionsgate is known for efficiently producing lower-budget films.
- Saw X attracted a substantial audience of Latino and Hispanic moviegoers, making up 41% of its viewers.
- Despite being funded entirely by New Regency, The Creator‘s initial box office performance has been slow, especially considering its premium offerings like IMAX, ScreenX, and 4D across 3,680 theaters.
It’s looking like a three-way battle to top the box office this weekend, which should hopefully kick-start things following a sluggish few weeks affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike. With New Regency/20th Century Studios/Disney’s original Gareth Edwards sci-fi movie The Creator, Paramount and Spin Master’s PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, and Lionsgate’s Saw X, there’s certainly variety to give moviegoers some extra choice for their weekend’s entertainment at the multiplexes.
Together, these top three films are expected to bring in around $45 million in ticket sales. All three are competing for the number one spot at the box office, aiming to earn a significant portion of that $45 million. However, it’s most likely going to be a close battle between PAW Patrol and The Creator since both of these films have been promoted heavily, and Lionsgate is known for efficiently producing their lower-budget movies. Sony is also expanding their movie, Dumb Money, wide this weekend but the film isn’t expected to branch out beyond single digits.
Last night, The Creator and Saw X had their preview screenings, but PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie didn’t participate because it’s mainly meant for afternoon showings during the weekends since school is still in session. The Creator made $1.6 million after starting its premium screenings on Wednesday night and continued with Thursday night showings beginning at 6 PM. On the other hand, Saw X also began its screenings at 6 PM and raked in $2 million.
People Love to See ‘Saw’
Notably, Saw X attracted a substantial audience of Latino and Hispanic moviegoers, making up 41% of its viewers. This initial box office performance for The Creator is a bit slow, especially considering that the $80 million production was entirely funded by New Regency. The sci-fi movie offers various premium experiences like IMAX, ScreenX, and 4D, and it’s being shown in a total of 3,680 theaters.
According to early predictions, Saw X was expected to make around $20 million at the box office. This was a big deal because it’s the first Saw movie with “Saw” in the title since 2010’s Saw 3D. The previous film in the series, 2021’s Spiral, didn’t do so well, opening with only $8.75 million and ending up with a total of $23.2 million in the United States.
When reviws for Saw X finally dropped, it turned out that the sequel had a surprisingly high rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the best-reviewed movie in the entire franchise. Saw X was made with a budget of $13 million and was shown in a record-breaking 3,262 theaters, which is the most widespread release for any Saw movie to date. So far, across nine movies, the Saw franchise has earned over $1 billion in theaters worldwide, making it one of the longest-running and most successful horror franchises in the history of cinema.
