I'm using a full manual edited front-page.
To show Featured Products I inserted:

Code:
<?php require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_modules_featured_products.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'templates'). '/tpl_modules_featured_products.php'); ?>
This has worked fine yet but shows up PHP (8.0.27) errors with the most recent zen-cart German edition v157f.

Code:
[26-Apr-2023 08:24:23 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError: str_repeat(): Argument #2 ($times) must be of type int, string given in /includes/templates/responsive_classic/templates/tpl_modules_products_featured_listing.php:105
Stack trace:
#0 /includes/templates/responsive_classic/templates/tpl_modules_products_featured_listing.php(105): str_repeat()
#1 /includes/templates/responsive_classic/templates/tpl_featured_products_default.php(89): require('...')
#2 /includes/templates/responsive_classic/common/tpl_main_page.php(179): require('...')
#3 /index.php(95): require('...')
#4 {main}
thrown in /includes/templates/responsive_classic/templates/tpl_modules_products_featured_listing.php on line 105

[26-Apr-2023 08:24:23 Europe/Berlin] Request URI: /index.php?main_page=featured_products&disp_order=1&page=3, IP address: 23.22.35.162
--> PHP Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError: str_repeat(): Argument #2 ($times) must be of type int, string given in /includes/templates/responsive_classic/templates/tpl_modules_products_featured_listing.php:105
Stack trace:
#0 /includes/templates/responsive_classic/templates/tpl_modules_products_featured_listing.php(105): str_repeat()
#1 /includes/templates/responsive_classic/templates/tpl_featured_products_default.php(89): require('...')
#2 /includes/templates/responsive_classic/common/tpl_main_page.php(179): require('...')
#3 /index.php(95): require('...')
#4 {main}
thrown in /includes/templates/responsive_classic/templates/tpl_modules_products_featured_listing.php on line 105.