The Dog Stars and Coyote vs. Acme are heading for a surprising box office showdown this weekend. Early tracking and presale numbers reveal which film comes out on top as both compete for audiences in late August.
The Dog Stars’ box office predictions reveal it’ll beat Coyote vs. Acme
Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars projects a $10M-$14M domestic opening this weekend, according to Deadline. The 20th Century Studios film stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce. Disney positioned the reported net $70M production as counterprogramming in a Spider-Man/Odyssey-heavy summer. The film carries sour Rotten Tomatoes critical reviews at 36% certified. It opens across 3,300 theaters including 120 Imax and 675 PLF screens.
Meanwhile, Ketchup Entertainment’s Coyote vs. Acme initially tracked between $7M-$10M for its opening. However, exhibition sources now project a plus-or-minus $15M opening after strong presales. The live-action/animated hybrid earned $400K from sneaks last weekend. Director Dave Green’s film stars Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor. It holds a 95% certified fresh Rotten Tomatoes score.
Warner Bros Discovery initially shelved the $70M production and took a $30M tax write-down in November 2023. Ketchup Entertainment later acquired global rights for $50M in March 2025. The distributor sold some foreign territories for less than $20M. Thursday previews for Coyote vs. Acme begin at noon across North America.
The Dog Stars aims for a $25M-$30M global debut, with $15M from 55 overseas territories. Disney has no plans to release the film in China. Foreign opening comps sit near The Amateur at $17M and The Creator at $22M. Both films skew best with men over 25 as their first-choice audience.
A cult following formed online after Warner Bros canceled Coyote vs. Acme. Ketchup fueled that momentum through two San Diego Comic-Con appearances and an April trailer launch. That trailer generated 25M views within its first 24 hours. The film begins a slow overseas rollout this weekend in Latin America and the UK via Altitude.