Box Office: ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ Earns $2.3 Million on Thursday

variety.com:

Jordan Moreau After dominating the box office last weekend, “Thor: Love and Thunder” has two challengers standing in its way: “Where the Crawdads Sing” and “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.” Luckily for Thor, these two should be easier opponents than Loki, Thanos or Gorr the God Butcher.Both films open this weekend, with Sony’s “Where the Crawdads Sing” opening to $2.3 million in Thursday previews, and Paramount’s “Paws of Fury” launching with $505,000.Barring a box office miracle, neither film has a chance to take down “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which is expected to take in $55 million to $65 million in its second weekend, after earning a mighty $143 million last week. “Where the Crawdads Sing,” an adaptation of the popular novel, and “Paws of Fury,” an animated family flick, are both projected to take in $10 million this weekend.

In the battle for second place, box office analysts predict that “Where the Crawdads Sing” could edge out “Paws of Fury,” as some families may still be going to theaters for “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” “Where the Crawdads Sing” stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, who made a splash earlier this year with the horror comedy “Fresh,” opposite Sebastian Stan.

She plays an outcast girl named Kya, who grew up in the marshes of North Carolina and becomes tangled in a murder mystery. The film is produced by Reese Witherspoon, who co-signed the film after becoming a fan of the book.“Paws of Fury,” on the other hand, is an animated movie starring a beagle, voiced by Michael Cera, who wants to become a samurai master.