Box Office: Paw Patrol Beats Saw X, The Creator

Name: The Creator
Released: 2023-09-29T04:00:00+00:00
Cast: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Madeleine Yuna Voyles

Jamie Lovett

10/01/2023 02:30 pm EDT

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie will defeat fellow newcomers Saw X and The Creator for first place at this weekend's box office. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie leads with an opening weekend total of $23 million despite Saw X having the best preview night. Saw X lands in second place with $18 million for the weekend. The Creator will open with $14 million domestic, including $5.6 million on its first day, meaning international markets will likely decide whether the original sci-fi story becomes a success or a bomb. All three films have been positively reviewed, with The Creator's reception being significantly more mixed than either PAW Patrol's or Saw's (which is a surprise in the case of Saw X). ComicBook.com's Jamie Jirak awarded The Creator 4 stars. In her review, she writes:

"The Creator's story starts off unbalanced, but the third act elevates the film by taking it to unexpected and emotional places. If you can stick out the worn tropes, the movie is worth the journey. Edwards' newest project is almost guaranteed to be a frontrunner for the Best Visual Effects Oscar while Fraser and Soffer's cinematography also deserves to be in the conversation. When it comes to sci-fi, visuals are deeply important, and The Creator never misses a beat. The new film is a feast for the eyes and should be seen on the biggest screen possible."

Dumb Money looks increasingly like a flop, landing outside the top five in its third weekend. Meanwhile, The Nun II and A Haunting in Venice remain in the middle of the box office chart alongside Andrew Hyatt's faith-based Duck Dynasty biopic, The Blind. The list of the top 10 movies at the box office this weekend follows. These films are all playing now in theaters.

1. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie

Opening Weekend
Total: $23 million

The PAW Patrol pups magically gain superpowers after a meteor strikes Adventure City. However, things take a turn for the worse when Humdinger and a mad scientist steal their powers and turn themselves into supervillains. As the team springs into action to save the city, Skye soon learns that even the smallest pup can make the biggest difference.

Cal Brunker directed PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and co-wrote the screenplay with Bob Barlen. The film's voice cast includes Christian Corrao, Luxton Handspiker, Callum Shoniker, Ron Pardo, Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Christian Convery, Kim Kardashian, North West, Saint West, James Marsden, Kristen Bell, and Finn Lee-Epp.

2. Saw X

Opening Weekend
Total: $18 million

Hoping for a miraculous cure, John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure, only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer uses deranged and ingenious traps to turn the tables on the con artists.

Kevin Greutert directed Saw X from a screenplay by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. It stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Renata Vaca, and Michael Beach.

3. The Creator

(Photo: 20th Century Studios)

Opening Weekend
Total: $14 million

As a future war between the human race and artificial intelligence rages on, ex-special forces agent Joshua is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI. The Creator has developed a mysterious weapon that has the power to end the war and all of mankind. As Joshua and his team of elite operatives venture into enemy-occupied territory, they soon discover the world-ending weapon is actually an AI in the form of a young child.

Gareth Edwards directed The Creator and co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Weitz. It stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney, and Madeleine Yuna Voyles.

4. The Nun II

Week Four
Weekend: $4.67 million
Total: $76.7 million

In 1956 France, a priest is violently murdered, and Sister Irene begins to investigate. She once again comes face-to-face with a powerful evil.

Michael Chaves directed The Nun II from a screenplay by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and Akela Cooper, based on a story by Cooper. It stars Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons, Storm Reid, and Anna Popplewell.

5. The Blind

(Photo: Fathom Events)

Opening Weekend
Total: $4.1 million

Long before Phil Robertson was a reality TV star, he fell in love, started a family, and began to spiral out of control. The Blind shares never-before-revealed moments in Phil's life as he seeks to conquer the shame of his past, ultimately finding redemption in an unlikely place.

Andrew Hyatt directed The Blind from a screenplay he co-wrote with Stephanie Katz. The film stars Aron Von Andrian, Amelia Eve, Connor Tillman, Emily DeForest, John Ales, Aaron Dalla Villa, Brielle Robillard, and Matthew Erick White.

6. A Haunting In Venice

(Photo: Rob Youngson)

Week Three
Weekend: $3.8 million
Total: $31.6 million

Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot investigates a murder while attending a Halloween seance at a haunted palazzo in Venice, Italy.

Kenneth Branagh directed A Haunting in Venice from a screenplay by Michael Green, based on Agatha Christie's 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party. The film stars Branagh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh.

7. Dumb Money

(Photo: Sony)

Week Three
Weekend: $3.5 million
Total: $7.3 million

Everyday people flip the script on Wall Street and get rich by turning GameStop into one of the world's hottest companies. In the middle of everything is Keith Gill, a regular guy who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock. When his social media posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets wealthy -- until the billionaires fight back and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

Craig Gillespie directed Dumb Money from a screenplay by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, based on the 2021 book The Antisocial Network by Ben Mezrich. The film stars Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D'Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen.

8. The Equalizer 3

(Photo: Columbia Pictures)

Week Five
Weekend: $2.7 million
Total: $85.9 million

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall finds solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Now living in Southern Italy, he soon discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall becomes their protector by taking on the mafia.

Antoine Fuqua directed The Equalizer 3, the final installment of the film trilogy inspired by the 1985 The Equalizer television series. It stars Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Sonia Ammar, and Remo Girone.

9. Expend4bles

(Photo: Lionsgate)

Week Two
Weekend: $2.4 million
Total: $13.2 million

Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the Expendables are the world's last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table.

Scott Waugh directed Expend4bles from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams. The film stars Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy García.

10. Barbie

Week 11
Weekend: $1.43 million
Total: $633 million

In Barbie, to live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken. From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig comes Barbie, which hit theaters on July 21st. Barbie stars Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. The film also stars Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Jamie Demetriou, Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren. Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach, based on Barbie by Mattel.

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