Amid competition from not one but four new releases, Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy remained free and secure at the top of the box office charts in both North America and overseas (more about the international market later in the story).

Director Shawn Levy’s video game-inspired action-comedy took in $18.8 million on its second week. Free Guy’s 34 % drop was considered by box office analysts as among the smallest sophomore week drops of any release since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Pundits credit Ryan’s proven box office appeal, the critics and moviegoers’ high scores for the film and the fact that Free Guy is not being streamed simultaneously.

Box office experts are also citing how PAW Patrol: The Movie, an animated movie based on the Nickelodeon series, earned six times more than Hugh Jackman’s Reminiscence. And both movies are being streamed. The surprise second placer, voiced by Tyler Perry, Ron Pardo, Will Brisbin and Randall Park, raked in $13 million.

PAW Patrol: The Movie, directed by Carl Brunker based on the TV series about pup cops, could be another pandemic sleeper animated hit, like The Croods: A New Age.

Staying strong was Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt’s Jungle Cruise which collected another $6.2 million to rank third and increased the Disney title’s overall take after four weeks to $92.5 million.

Director Rodo Sayagues’ horror thriller sequel, Don’t Breathe 2, took the fourth spot with $5.05 million.

Respect, the biopic which continues to earn plaudits for Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, occupied the fifth slot with $3.81 million.

Margot Robbie’s The Suicide Squad drew $3.41 million and continued its slide even as it placed sixth.

Maggie Q’s The Protégé, one of the first action movies released by a Hollywood studio (Lionsgate) that stars a Southeast Asian woman as the lead, debuted at number seven with $2.94 million. The Martin Campbell-directed film, which co-stars Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson, is a major break for Maggie Q.

The Night House, Rebecca Hall’s horror-thriller which was directed by David Bruckner, opened with $2.87 million to take the eight place.

Remarkably, The Night House, The Protégé and PAW Patrol: The Movie beat Hugh’s Reminiscence which had to settle for the ninth berth. Writer-director Lisa Joy’s mystery/romance/sci-fi, which also features Rebecca Ferguson and Thandie Newton, could only muster $2 million on its debut.

M. Night Shyamalan’s Old hung on and grabbed the tenth place with $1.1 million. With its $45.1 million cumulative earnings, Old has already earned more than its production  budget of $18 million.

The overseas chart reflected more or less the action in the United States and Canada. Free Guy, opening at the top in Portugal, Spain and Brazil, and performing solidly in more than 40 markets, drew $17.1 million.

PAW Patrol: The Movie followed with $12.8 million. Still seeing action in the international charts were The Suicide Squad ($8.7 million), The Boss Baby: Family Business ($8.4 million) and F9 ($7.27 million).

Pixar’s Luca, which Disney did not release theatrically in North America and instead went straight to streaming, got shown in movie theaters in China and bowed at $5 million. Director Enrico Casarosa’s animation feature about a sea monster who can turn into a human boy is one of only a handful of recent Hollywood titles that secured release dates in China.

Luca managed to get the number two spot in the world’s biggest film market where Donnie Yen’s action-crime flick Raging Fire still reigned supreme with $12.2 million. Rounding out the Chinese top four were another animation movie, Green Snake ($2.8 million) and Leste Chen’s drama, Upcoming Summer ($2.6 million).