Paramount’s ‘Paranormal Activity’ cut down Lionsgate/Twisted Pictures’ ‘Saw VI’ at the box office.
Becoming the biggest box office phenomenon of the year, Paramount’s microbudgeted horror pic “Paranormal Activity” toppled “Saw VI” to win the weekend at $22 million from 1,945 theaters and hit an out-of-this-world cume of $62.5 million.
“Saw VI,” coming in No. 2, opened to an estimated $14.8 million from 3,036 theaters — an opening gross less than half that of any of the previous four films in the horror franchise. It also came in below the original “Saw” (2004), which opened just north of $18 million. Lionsgate was quick to assure that the franchise will continue.
Even without competish from “Paranormal Activity,” “Saw VI” also showed franchise wear overseas, where it grossed $5 million from 800 runs in eight markets. In the U.K., it came in No. 2 behind Disney holdover “Up.” Worldwide opening total for “Saw VI” was $19.8 million.
“Up,” the Mouse House and Pixar toon, won the weekend foreign crown with $19 million from 4,789 runs in 26 territories; international cume is $324.2 million.
“Paranormal Activity” doesn’t begin its run internationally until later this month.
Elsewhere at the domestic B.O., the three other new nationwide releases all came in on the lower end of expectations and couldn’t compete with a healthy crop of holdovers.
Summit Entertainment’s family entry “Astro Boy” came in No. 6, grossing an estimated $7 million from 3,014 theaters. Toon was fully financed and produced by Imagi Entertainment.
Universal’s Halloween entry “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” grossed an estimated $6.3 million from 2,754 runs to place No. 8. Film was co-financed by U and Relativity Entertainment and produced for $40 million.
Released in far fewer runs, Fox Searchlight’s Amelia Earhart biopic “Amelia” grossed a solid, but hardly spectacular, $4 million from 818 theaters for a per-location average of $4,921. Driven by older women, the pic’s fate will depend upon its legs. “Amelia,” directed by Mira Nair and starring Hilary Swank, placed No. 11 for the sesh.
Claiming the highest per-location average of the weekend was Sony Pictures Classics’ specialty title “An Education,” which grossed an estimated $408,002 from 31 screens in its third frame for a cume of $980,896.
Among new prestige titles, Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist” grossed an estimated $73,500 from six locations for a per-location average of $12,250. Freestyle Releasing’s Uma Thurman starrer “Motherhood” struggled in opening to an estimated $57,544 from 48 runs for a per-location average of $1,199.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. “Paranormal Activity,” $22 million.
2. “Saw VI,” $14.8 million.
3. “Where the Wild Things Are,” $14.4 million.
4. “Law Abiding Citizen,” $12.7 million.
5. “Couples Retreat,” $11.1 million.
6. “Astro Boy,” $7 million.
7. “The Stepfather,” $6.5 million.
8. “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant,” $6.3 million.
9. “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” $5.6 million.
10. “Zombieland,” $4.3 million.
[Credit: Variety / Hollywood.com]