End Of Oak Street Vs Paw Patrol: Who Prevails In This Dino Box Office Battle?

Things are looking up for movie theaters. This has been one of the most lucrative summers at the box office in years. But before we head to the fall, we've got a few big weekends left. One of them is just on the horizon, and it promises one of the strangest battles we've seen in some time. Yes, Summer 2026 features a bizarre dinosaur movie showdown, with Warner Bros.' "The End of Oak Street" and Paramount's "Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie" going head-to-head. The question is, which one will come out on top?

On one side, we have an original sci-fi movie for grown-ups with human-snacking dinosaurs in it. On the other side, a family-friendly dinosaur movie within an established, successful franchise. One is a risky, bigger-budget bet. The other is pretty much a sure thing. Still, which one has the most juice heading into the opening weekend next Friday?

Directed by David Robert Mitchell ("It Follows"), "The End of Oak Street" looks to debut in the $30-$45 million range domestically next weekend, per Box Office Theory. Meanwhile, the latest entry in the "Paw Patrol" franchise is poised for an opening in the $14 to $19 million range. If these numbers hold, there will be a clear winner. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" has been ruling the box office, though, and it's already the highest-grossing film of 2026 overall with over $1 billion to its name. So, it remains to be seen if either of these dino-movies can take the number one spot during what will be the third weekend for Spidey's latest.

In any event, their positions on the chart might not matter much beyond bragging rights. The box office is a game of relativity and, relatively speaking, both of these movies have very different needs financially.

Directed by Carl Brunker, who previously helmed "Paw Patrol: The Might Movie," the latest "Paw Patrol" flick follows the PAW Patrol pups as their ship gets caught in a mysterious storm, and they find themselves on an uncharted island filled with dinosaurs. However, when PAW Patrol's arch-rival Mayor Humdinger (Ron Pardo) begins recklessly mining the island in an effort to exploit its natural resources, he inadvertently causes a huge, dormant volcano to erupt. Kid-friendly chaos ensues.

For Paramount, coming in at number one hardly matters. This movie is going to be a winner pretty much no matter what. For one thing, the budgets for these "Paw Patrol" movies are shockingly low, with "The Mighty Movie" costing just $30 million. In 2023, "Saw X" scored the best box office debut for the franchise in over a decade, but it still lost out to that "Paw Patrol" film, which opened to $22.7 million en route to $201.7 million worldwide.

In that instance, the PG movie prevailed over the R-rated horror movie. In this instance, it might go the other way. Even so, an over/under $15 million domestic debut still gives "The Dino Movie" the opportunity to leg out and justify its modest budget. "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" was Hollywood's first $1 billion hit of 2026 and, yes, it opened big, but it also had long legs. These animated movies for kids often do these days. So, opening weekend is just one part of the equation.

What's more, the "Paw Patrol" franchise tends to perform overseas. This is to say nothing of the millions in merchandise "The Dino MOvie" will help move. It's set up for success regardless of its position on the chart. Paramount's thriftiness will pay off.

Things are much less certain for "The End of Oak Street." For one, it's much more expensive, with a reported $85 million budget. While it's not as much as a "Jurassic World" movie, it's still a lot for an original dinosaur film. Especially when "Under the Sea Lake" — David Robert Mitchell's last movie — was dumped to VOD after an extended delay with very little by way of a theatrical release.

"Oak Street" centers on a mysterious cosmic event that transports the titular suburban neighborhood to a time and place filled with deadly dinosaurs. The cast is led by Anne Hathaway ("Interstellar") and Ewan McGregor ("Obi-Wan Kenobi").

It certainly doesn't hurt that Hathaway is coming off of two massive hits back-to-back with "The Devil Wears Prada 2" and "The Odyssey." It also helps that a big dinosaur movie is an easier sell to overseas audiences, which could really come in handy beyond a semi-promising domestic opening. If it opens closer to $45 million, "Oak Street" may not be far off from last year's "Weapons" ($43.5 million opening/$270 million worldwide), another high-concept genre original that opened in August.

In a worst-cast scenario, it could prove to be a disappointment like this past May's "Mortal Kombat II," which pulled in $129.4 million worldwide after a $38.5 million opening. Warner Bros. needs this movie to make at least $200 million globally to even begin to be considered a theatrical success, if not more. It's tough out there for non-"Jurassic" dinosaur films. 2023's "65" made just $60 million on a $45 million budget. But who knows? Maybe this can be the one to break the curse.

"The End of Oak Street" and "Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie" hit theaters on August 14, 2026.