Disney's 'Free Guy' Holds Off 'PAW Patrol' To Remain Top Dog At Box Office

The Walt Disney Company’s DIS science-fiction comedy “Free Guy” held the top ranking for the U.S. weekend box office for the second consecutive week, swatting off four new releases with $18.8 million in ticket sales across 4,165 theaters.

What Happened: Although “Free Guy” experienced a 34% decline in ticket sales from its premiere weekend, it brought in a total of $58.8 million to date from the U.S. while earning $17.1 million from 46 overseas markets.

The closest competition for “Free Guy” was “PAW Patrol: The Movie,” a big-screen adaptation of the popular animated children’s series from ViacomCBS VIAC Paramount Pictures, which brought in $13 million from 3,184 theaters. “PAW Patrol: The Movie” was also popular overseas, taking in $21.5 million across 33 foreign markets.

However, the weekend’s other new releases turned in disappointing box office performances.

Lionsgate’s (NYSE: LGF-A) “The Protégé,” an action-thriller starring Michael Keaton, Maggie Q, and Samuel L. Jackson, absorbed $2.9 million from 2,577 theaters to place seventh among the weekend’s top 10 films, while “The Night House,” a psychological horror film from Disney’s Searchlight Pictures, starring Rebecca Hall ranked eighth with $2.8 million from 2,240 theaters and AT&T’s T Warner Bros. snagged a ninth-place ranking with $2 million from 3,265 theaters with the science-fiction thriller “Reminiscence” starring Hugh Jackman.

What Else Happened: Another Disney title, “Jungle Cruise” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, held its ground for a third place ranking of $6.2 million in 3,575. “Jungle Cruise” sailed into its fourth week in theaters while simultaneously playing on the Disney+ streaming service for a $30 viewing fee.

While Disney did not publish how much money “Jungle Cruise” earned via Disney+, it stated that its Marvel Entertainment feature “Black Widow” earned $125 million in revenue from the streaming service. However, the revelation came via court documents filed in the breach of contract lawsuit brought by the film’s star, Scarlett Johansson, who alleged her earnings were diluted because of the simultaneous theatrical-streaming distribution and not the theatrical-exclusive release guaranteed in her contract.

According to a Bloomberg report, Disney is claiming in its court filings that it offered to provide Johansson with online revenue in the calculations of her contract’s box office-related bonuses. The company has been pressing to have the lawsuit settled in arbitration while Johansson’s attorneys are seeking a trial.

What’s Coming Next: The sole major national film release for the upcoming Aug. 27 weekend is “Candyman” from Comcast Corporation’s CMCSA Universal Pictures. The film is the fourth in the “Candyman” horror flick franchise that last offered “Candyman: Day of the Dead” in 1999.

“Candyman” has been a long time getting to the theaters – production took place in the summer of 2019 and its initial release date was June 2020. However, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the film’s release being repeatedly delayed – the first trailer for the film began circulating in February 2020 while an updated trailer dropped two months ago.

Chalamet Times Two: In other film news, Timothée Chalamet will have two films in Spotlight section of the upcoming New York Film Festival: Warner Bros’ release of Denis Villeneuve's version of “Dune” co-starring Zendaya, Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa. and Wes Anderson's “The French Dispatch” from Searchlight Pictures co-starring Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand.

Chalamet will also be competing against himself at the box office, with “Dune” and “The French Dispatch” both opening Oct. 22. The New York Film Festival runs Sept. 24 to Oct. 10.

Photo: Ryan Reynolds in "Free Guy," courtesy of Disney.