
Published Jun 23, 2022
Synopsis
Distributed by: Paramount | Release Date: 7/15/22 | Run Time: 103 Minutes
A down-on-his-luck hound finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain's evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant trainer, the underdog must assume the role of fearsome samurai and team up with the felines to save the day. The only problem is -- they all hate dogs. Voices: Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, Mel Brooks, Ricky Gervias
Screening Notes
On the surface, the storyline appears so sweet and innocent…a dog defends a village of cats from an evil doer; but the underlying message of racial tolerance isn’t even slightly disguised. The cats are totally intolerant and hate dogs because they are “different and inferior”, considered immigrants in the land of cats, are “not wanted here”, and need to “go back where they came from”. On the other hand, the dog comes from a pretty rough and dangerous world and is simply trying to find a better life for himself. Also, throw in Samuel L. Jackson as the sidekick always drinking a bit too much “cat-nip”. The story naturally ends well, with the cats accepting the dog for who he is and grateful for what he’s done. The end message is super important and so on-point, but parents may squirm a little during the 100 minutes it takes to deliver the ideas about racial/social tolerance. But for all that, kids will likely just be focused on the cats who eat too many beans (you can guess what happens next) and the cute dog that learns some cool ninja fighting skills.
Boxoffice Estimate
July is a super month for kid’s titles, but Paws of Fury is unfortunately going to be squeezed by the much bigger Minions: Rise of Gru (WB 7/1) opening two weeks beforehand and “The Rock” and Kevin Hart teaming for DC Super Pets (WB 7/29), opening two weeks post. To add some simple moviegoer context, as of this date, the trailer for Paws has generated 8.9M youtube views, while Minions and Super Pets are both running 2.6x higher, at 23.2M views.
My modeling lands at an opening weekend totaling $13M, with a range between $12M and $15M, which tallies at around 50% of the average for the Comparative Titles noted. I’ve applied a 2.7x multiple, which is 80% of the Comp Titles average and leads to a total gross between $33 and $40M.

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