‘Paw Patrol 3’ in the Works as 2nd Movie in Animated Franchise Hits Theaters

“Lord of the Rings.” “How to Train Your Dragon.”The Godfather.” These are just a few classic cinematic trilogies. And now we can add “PAW Patrol” to the group. To the delight of children everywhere and the… mixed emotions of their parents, Paramount just announced a “PAW Patrol 3.”

“‘PAW Patrol’ has entertained generations of preschoolers while subtly teaching them the value of community, inclusiveness and teamwork,” Spin Master Entertainment president Jennifer Dodge said. “On the cusp of the premiere of our second, super-powered film, the universal love for our pups is stronger than ever. We’re thrilled to announce a third feature film, expanding the ‘PAW Patrol’ universe further with an epic new adventure. Featuring action-packed missions and exploring new terrains, this movie will be larger-than-life and once again show how small paws can make big prints.”

“PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” is set to open theatrically this Thursday (you can watch a trailer below).

The first “PAW Patrol” film opened concurrently in theaters and on Paramount+ in the summer of 2021. It earned a robust $144 million worldwide. That was more than Walt Disney Animation’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” that same year. “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” was also quite profitable on a $26 million budget.

Whether this second film, during which the puppy protagonists get superpowers, repeats that COVID-era success remains to be seen, but these aren’t hugely expensive films. The “PAW Patrol” brand, on the other hand, is pretty massive in terms of ancillary sales and merchandise. The brand netted $2 billion in merchandise sales in 2019. It has amassed $8 billion in sales from 2014 to 2019.

The animated series, created by Keith Chapman and produced by Spin Master Entertainment, has run on Nickolodean since August 2013. The episodic running total stands at 10 seasons and 235 episodes.

This probably is not a case of a studio announcing a future sequel to gin up the presumption of success of an upcoming installment. Paramount announced a fourth “Star Trek” film just days before the global release of “Star Trek Beyond” in July 2016. Seven years later, audiences have yet to see a fourth film in the Bad Robot-produced, Kelvin timeline-set “Star Trek” series.

President of Paramount Animation & Nickelodeon Animation Ramsey Naito stated that “‘PAW Patrol’ remains in a class of its own as a beloved and recognizable cultural touchstone for kids and families everywhere. Alongside our partners at Spin Master, we are so excited to continue to bring these pups’ big-screen adventures to ‘PAW Patrol’s legion of fans around the world.”

Cal Brunker, who helmed the first two films, will also direct the third installment. Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master Entertainment’s president, with Laura Clunie, Spin Master’s senior VP of development, current series and feature film, and Toni Stevens, Spin Master’s senior VP of entertainment production and operations, will produce the film. Ronnen Harary, Spin Master’s co-founder, will executive produce. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.

No word on a release date for the third installment. There’s also no word on whether the plot will be a loose remake of “The Dark Knight,” where a desperate Mayor Humdinger hires the Kitten Catastrophe Crew to take out his canine nemesis only to realize that some animals A) can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with and B) just want to watch the world burn.

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