A mixed box office weekend as ‘Free Guy’ tops again

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FILE - This representation released by 20th Century Studios shows Ryan Reynolds successful a country from "Free Guy." (Alan Markfield/20th Century Studios via AP, File)

Four caller films with large stars from Hugh Jackman to Michael Keaton opened successful North American movie theaters this play and lone the 1 with animated puppies fared well. But it wasn’t capable to bushed retired Ryan Reynolds’ action-comedy “Free Guy,” which topped the charts for the 2nd play running.

“PAW Patrol: The Movie,” a Paramount merchandise targeted astatine precise young kids that’s besides streaming connected Paramount+, earned $13 cardinal successful summons income according to workplace estimates Sunday. It was by acold the champion of the caller openers, which included 3 adult-skewing films that failed to find important audiences: The enactment pic “The Protégé,” with Keaton and Maggie Q, the sci-fi thriller “Reminiscence,” which is besides streaming connected HBO Max, and the well-reviewed Rebecca Hall fearfulness “The Night House.”

First spot went to “Free Guy,” a 20th Century and Disney merchandise that’s playing exclusively successful theaters. It dropped a miniscule 34% and added $18.8 cardinal this weekend, bringing its planetary full to $112 million. The workplace attributed the beardown clasp to bully connection of mouth.

“'Free Guy’ is simply a movie that harkens backmost to the days erstwhile beardown connection of rima and a truly engaged star, Ryan Reynolds, harvester to marque for a large theatrical-first release,” said Comscore elder media expert Paul Dergarabedian. “It shows that a theatrical-first merchandise adjacent successful today’s antithetic marketplace tin person legs. It feels precise 2019, not pandemic-era.”

The comparative occurrence of “PAW Patrol” came arsenic a spot of a surprise, adjacent to those involved. Although the movie is based connected an immensely fashionable Nickelodeon series, its people assemblage of nether 6-year-olds is simply a chaotic card. Delta variant concerns and its availability to watercourse astatine location made it adjacent much of a moving target.

Chris Aronson, the president of home organisation for Paramount Pictures said the play was a “Very nice, precise pleasant surprise.”

“It’s a younger skewing assemblage and we’re successful absorbing times, but I deliberation our selling teams, some connected our broadside and the accumulation side, did a terrific occupation astatine getting the connection out,” Aronson said. “The pups are precise beloved and person a very, precise loyal audience.”

The workplace said the assemblage who turned retired to theaters was divers (41% white, 34% Hispanic and 20% Black) and predominately comprised of families with precise young children. Aronson besides noted that for the younger kids, “PAW Patrol” is apt their archetypal acquisition successful a movie theatre ever.

Celebrities who voiced characters successful “PAW Patrol” included Tyler Perry, Jimmy Kimmel, Yara Shahidi and Kim Kardashian.

Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” which is disposable to rent connected Disney+ for $30, landed successful 3rd spot successful its 4th play successful release. So far, the Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt action-adventure has grossed $174 cardinal globally.

In its archetypal weekend, Millennium Media's “The Protégé,” starring Keaton, Q and Samuel L. Jackson, earned $2.9 cardinal from 2,577 locations. Distributed by Lionsgate, the Martin Campbill-directed enactment pic astir Q's assassin quality Anna, who is seeking justice, got mixed-to-positive reviews.

Searchlight's “The Night House,” which was precise well-reviewed, didn’t link with its opening play audience, who gave it a C- CinemaScore. The indie fearfulness astir a precocious widowed pistillate played by Hall grossed an estimated $2.9 cardinal from 2,240 locations.

Meanwhile, “Reminiscence” with Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson and Thandiwe Newton fizzled with lone $2 cardinal from 3,265 locations. The directorial debut of “Westworld” co-creator Lisa Joy, “Reminiscence” is besides streaming connected HBO Max.

It’s 1 of respective Warner Bros.’ adult-skewing films that person underwhelmed with the hybrid merchandise strategy, including the thrillers “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” with Angelina Jolie and “The Little Things,” with Denzel Washington. The workplace is releasing each of its 2021 slate connected HBO Max and successful theaters simultaneously.

“I deliberation determination is simply a user confusion," Dergarabedian said of the galore hybrid merchandise strategies. “When radical are faced with myriad options, they person to fig retired however erstwhile and wherever they tin get that content. To emergence supra the noise, you truly person to person a movie that’s buzzworthy. ‘Free Guy’ is that buzzworthy movie and it's lone disposable successful theaters."

Estimated summons income for Friday done Sunday astatine U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final home figures volition beryllium released Monday.

1. “Free Guy,” $18.8 million.

2. “PAW Patrol: The Movie,” $13 million.

3. “Jungle Cruise,” $6.2 million.

4. “Don’t Breathe 2,” $5.1 million.

5. “Respect,” $3.8 million.

6. “The Suicide Squad,” $3.4 million.

7. “The Protégé,” $2.9 million.

8. “The Night House,” $2.9 million.

9. “Reminiscence,” $2 million.

10. “Black Widow,” $1.2 million.

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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr connected Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr