‘ Dog’s Purpose,’ while hobbled, runs at ‘ Split’
Concerns over animal treatment could be a factor
A Dog’s Purpose has underperformed LOS ANGELES slightly at the box office as it opened in theaters amid controversy over animal treatment on set and calls for a boycott.
Based on early projections, the family film was expected to open upward of $ 20 million, but studio estimates Sunday indicated it took in $ 18.4million for a second- place start. Still, it’s a healthy debut for a movie that cost only $ 22 million to produce.
Representatives of Universal Pictures, which distributed the Amblin produced film starring Dennis Quaid, say the opening was in line with their hopes.
Audiences gave the film an A grade on Cinema Score, indicating that word of mouth should be positive going forward.
“It’s a great start for what I think is going to be a long- term playout on the title,” says Nick Carpou, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.
First place went again to M. Night Shyamalan’s multiple- personality thriller Split, which grossed $ 26.3 million, a relatively minuscule 34% drop from its first weekend, nearly unheard of for a horror movie.
Rounding out the top five: Hidden Figures with $ 14 million, new opener Resident Evil: The Final Chapter with $ 13.9 million, and La La Land with $ 12.1 million. Damien Chazelle’s candycolored musical crossed the $ 100 million mark domestically after earning 14 Oscar nominations last week.
Butmany eyes were on A Dog’s Purpose this weekend. A week and a half before the movie opened, TMZ posted video of a frightened dog that apparently was forced into rushing water during filming. The footage quickly went viral. PETA called for a boycott of the film, while the studio and filmmakers canceled media interviews and the premiere but proceeded with releasing the film as planned.
Carpou acknowledges that the video, which he and the filmmakers have said is “highly edited,” surfaced at “a very inopportune moment in the buildup to the release of our movie” and they knew it would have some effect.
Industry observers such as Paul Dergarabedian, com Score senior media analyst, note that the video and the resulting media attention heightened awareness about the movie. Even without the controversy, he says, the weekend likely would have played out in the same way, with A Dog’s Purpose in second place.
“It had an impact, we just don’t know what the impact is,” he says.