Saw X Leads The Creator in Box Office Previews

Jigsaw cut the legs off The Creator at the Thursday box office, so to speak. Saw X, the 10th installment in the horror-torture franchise, and The Creator, Gareth Edwards' original sci-fi followup to his Star Wars: Rogue One, opened for Thursday night previews opposite the animated PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. The R-Rated Saw X saw $2 million in previews with showtimes starting at 6 p.m., while the PG-13 The Creator generated $1.6 million. According to projections, PAW Patrol is expected to take the no. 1 spot this weekend with a haul between $18 million to $20 million, with Saw X coming in second place with $15m to $18m, followed by The Creator at $16, to $19m.

The winner will be revealed when studios report the weekend actual totals on Sunday. Also in theaters this weekend is Sony's true story-inspired GameStop stock dramedy Dumb Money, which has earned $2.7 million since opening in a staggered limited release two weeks ago. Dumb Money is tracking to earn an additional $5m to $8m as it expands into more than 2,700 theaters.

The crowded October box office will continue next week with Universal and Blumhouse horror revival The Exorcist: Believer, which is expecting a $30 million-plus start when it opens October 6th. Previously dated closer to Halloween on October 13th, Blumhouse moved the R-rated, 50-years-later Exorcist sequel up one week to avoid the hotly-anticipated Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film. (RIP "The Exorswift.") Superstar Taylor Swift's concert documentary experience is on track for a massive, record-breaking $100 million-plus opening weekend when it hits theaters and select Imax screens on October 13th. Also on the way is Martin Scorsese's acclaimed western crime saga Killers of the Flower Moon, now looking at a $24 million domestic start when the Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro-starring epic hits theaters October 20th.  

This weekend's three-way race for first place is one where the three contenders are all "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie received an 85% from critics, while Saw X is the first Saw movie in the franchise's 10-movie, 19-year history to score a "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Creator trails the pack with a still-fresh 68%.

"A diverse slate of new films from the categories of horror, family and sci-fi, plus the expansion of Dumb Money should create a situation where each of these films can find their target audience," Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst, told Variety.

Read ComicBook's spoiler-free Saw X review and The Creator review.