Dog's Purpose Doesn't Roll Over

A Dog's Purpose has underperformed 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 in the mid $20-million range, reports the AP, but studio estimates Sunday indicated it took in $18.4 million for a second-place start. Yet it's hardly a bomb for a movie that cost only $22 million to produce. First place went again to M. Night Shyamalan's multiple personality thriller Split. It grossed $26.3 million, representing a 34% drop from its first weekend. Rounding out the top five were Hidden Figures with $14 million, new opener Resident Evil: The Final Chapter with $13.9 million, and La La Land, which has now earned over $100 million. (More box office stories.)