Little-horror-movie-that-could Paranormal Activity continues to defy all box office rules, leaping to the number one spot at the box office on Friday with an estimated $7.6 million — in its fifth weekend in theaters.
Okay, technically, it’s the ultra-low-budget flick’s first weekend opening in a true wide release (1,945 theaters), but it still managed to snag enough horror fans to force Saw VI into the second spot with $7 million, well below the opening-day take of every Saw film since the first one.
None of the other new releases this weekend are faring well, either:
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant dug up $2.2 million for seventh place,
the animated sci-fi action film Astro Boy struggled mightily with just $1.8 million for eighth place, and
the biopic Amelia landed outside the top 10, with $1.3 million in 818 theaters.
1. Paranormal Activity – $7.6 million
2. Saw VI — $7 million
3. Where the Wild Things Are — $4.4 million
4. Law Abiding Citizen — $4.1 million
5. Couples Retreat — $3.7 million
For the first time since its September release, "Paranormal" debuted in the number one spot with a $7.6 million intake on Friday, heralding a potential $21 million weekend according to Deadline Hollywood Daily's best projections.
Executives at Paramount are thinking that "Paranormal" could well be the studio's most profitable film in modern history, which would certainly be the case if it rises past $100 million by the end of Halloween weekend.
"Paranormal Activity" seems to have frightened away the rest of the competition, as the weekend's other newcomers did considerably worse in comparison. "Saw VI," the sixth installment in the long-running horror franchise, opened in second place with a poor Friday showing of $7 million and a probable $18 million weekend. Should the results play out as expected, "Saw VI" will be a severe underperformer for Lionsgate, and could finally herald the end of the franchise.
The remainder of Friday's top five was filled with recurring players "Where The Wild Things Are," "Law Abiding Citizen" and "Couples Retreat." The Spike Jonze-directed "Wild Things" is no longer expected to recoup its budget in theaters, thanks largely due to the film's oft-mentioned post-production woes.
But the real troubles rest with the weekend's other high profile releases, such as "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant." The vampire-centric film wound up in seventh place with a $2.2 million Friday finish, indicating that it won't capture the same success as "Twilight" despite the creature crush emphasis — but when you compare gothic head shots of Robert Pattinson and John C. Reilly, it's easy to see why the tween crowd isn't flocking to theaters in quite the same way.
"Astro Boy," meanwhile, underperformed severely at eighth place and $1.8 million by end of Friday. The Imagi Studios animated film could do better overseas considering "Astro's" Japan-based manga roots, but it looks like American audiences aren't exactly embracing the little robot boy with a machine gun for a butt.
http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2009-...x-office-grave
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/10/24...office-report/