Paw Patrol box office numbers turned heads this weekend as the animated sequel nearly overtook a star-driven original Dino movie. The family film fell just short of The End of Oak Street for third place, losing by a razor-thin margin of $500,000.

Neither prehistoric-like picture managed to shake Spider-Man from the number one position, nor did they challenge The Odyssey in second. Yet the close race between a preschool franchise and an Anne Hathaway-Ewan McGregor survival film provided one of the weekend’s more compelling box office to watch.

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie holds its own against The End of Oak Street

Paramount released Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie across 3,545 North American theaters, where it collected $20.5 million. That box office number represents the strongest opening day performance in franchise history, beating the $6.8 million debut day posted by The Mighty Movie in 2023.

Moviegoers rewarded the animated adventure with an A CinemaScore. Critics also embraced the sequel, which currently sits at 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score stands even higher at 95%. After all, global receipts tell a similar success story.

The Dino movie has already accumulated $69 million worldwide, with international markets contributing $48.5 million. The film follows the Paw Patrol as a storm strands them on a dinosaur island, where they meet Rex and battle Mayor Humdinger’s destructive mining scheme. Cal Brunker directed the sequel, based on Keith Chapman’s long-running television series.

The End of Oak Street claimed third place with an estimated $21 million from 3,446 locations. The film added $26 million internationally for a $47 million global start. David Robert Mitchell wrote and directed the movie, which stars McGregor and Hathaway as 1982 suburban parents whose neighborhood suddenly shifts to prehistoric times. Critics have responded well, pushing the Rotten Tomatoes score to 86%.

Industry analysts expected the family-friendly Paw Patrol to dominate the weekend outright. Instead, adult audiences seeking an original concept gave The End of Oak Street a narrow victory. The $500,000 difference suggests both films found their respective audiences without cannibalizing one another.