PAW Patrol releases seventh movie with dinosaur theme Friday

Hollywood’s pups are back, this time romping with dinosaurs. PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, the seventh feature from the Nickelodeon franchise, hits theaters Friday. The animated film swaps the usual city missions for prehistoric terrain, with Jennifer Hudson voicing a new pup, Chase leading the team, and Bill Nye and Paris Hilton lending their voices to cameo roles.

The franchise has been a ratings juggernaut for Nickelodeon since the TV series launched in 2013, spawning dozens of episodes, spin-offs and six prior movies. ViacomCBS has leaned into the brand’s global appeal, especially in markets like China where the pups are bigger than Mickey Mouse. The studio greenlit this dino detour partly to refresh the formula for post-pandemic family outings and partly because kids’ taste for mash-ups of animals and extinct creatures shows no sign of fading. Animation budgets are climbing, so the studio needs proven IP to offset risk.

In the film, the PAW Patrol chases a villain named Mr. Toucan who steals a meteorite that can bring dinosaurs to life. The pups travel back to the Cretaceous period, team up with baby dinos, and race to return the rock before modern-day chaos erupts. Hudson voices a new pup named Liberty, a strappy rescue dog from Adventure City who joins the core six. Nye plays a science-savvy T. rex, while Hilton voices a fashion-conscious pterodactyl named Mamma Bird. Early screenings clock in at 94 minutes, tight enough to hold short attention spans.

Merchandise is already rolling out: Hasbro has released a line of dinosaur-themed pup toys, Target reserved end-caps for backpacks and lunchboxes, and fast-food tie-ins promise toy giveaways. Industry analysts expect the movie to debut near $80 million worldwide over the opening weekend, proving once again that a well-marketed rescue formula can outrun even a T. rex-sized budget. For families, it’s another predictable thrill; for the studio, it’s another reliable payday.