Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
Well, that worked. Produced for only $5 million, Paramount’s Paranormal Activity 3 surpassed everyone’s expectations and opened to a staggering $54 million, according to studio estimates.
That’s the biggest October debut ever, beating the $50.4 million opening of last year’s equally scary Jackass 3-D. Paramount is also claiming that PA3 clinched the best horror opening ever, topping Paranormal Activity 2‘s $40.7 million. But that record depends on how strictly one defines the horror genre. For instance, is I Am Legend more of a sci-fi or horror film? If you consider it to be the latter, then I Am Legend holds the horror record with its $77.2 million debut.
Regardless, no matter how you look at it, PA3 posted some huge numbers this weekend. The R-rated horror prequel secured the best opening since Rise of the Planet of the Apes premiered to $54.8 million in early August, and it essentially gave the box office a shot of adrenaline after two months of lackluster results. The series continued to attract a large proportion of younger moviegoers, with 53 percent of the audience under the age of 25. However, PA3 skewed slightly older than PA2, which drew an audience that was 60 percent under age 25.
Surprisingly, PA3 received a poor “C+” rating from CinemaScore graders. Horror films are frequently saddled with underwhelming grades from the market research firm, but by comparison, PA2 earned a more respectable “B” rating. Normally, PA3‘s low CinemaScore mark would foreshadow a significant drop next week. But considering that next weekend is Halloween weekend, and there won’t be a Saw movie (or any other horror film) to compete with it, PA3 may actually hold up fairly well.
Like the house that always handed out raisins for Halloween, the weekend’s two other new releases — The Three Musketeers and Johnny English Reborn — attracted very few visitors. The Three Musketeers, helmed by Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson, had to settle for fourth place with just $8.8 million. The PG-13 steampunk action film joined What’s Your Number?, Mars Needs Moms, Fright Night, and Apollo 18 to become the fifth movie this year to open to less than $10 million while playing in at least 3,000 theaters.
The movie failed to entice younger moviegoers, as only 36 percent of its audience was under the age of 25. Milla Jovovich, who stars in Musketeers and is married to Anderson, took to Twitter to accuse distributor Summit Entertainment of not properly marketing the film as a “fun family adventure.” The poorly reviewed movie garnered an okay “B” rating from CinemaScore graders.
Even before reaching American shores, the British spy comedy sequel Johnny English Reborn had already surpassed its $45 million budget by grossing $85.1 million overseas. Still, its $3.8 million opening (and eighth-place finish) this weekend is a disappointment, especially considering that the original Johnny English debuted to $9.1 million back in 2003. CinemaScore participants gave the PG-rated flick a “B” grade.
Second and third place went to holdovers Real Steel and Footloose, which tallied $11.3 million and $10.9 million, respectively. Both movies, along with The Ides of March in fifth place, dropped only about 30 percent from last week — an indication of strong word of mouth.
In semi-wide release, the G-rated basketball drama The Mighty Macs opened to $1.1 million at 975 theaters, for a paltry per-location average of $1,090. Among limited releases, two new movies stood out. The Wall Street thriller Margin Call collected a solid $582,000 from 56 locations. And the Sundance drama Martha Marcy May Marlene, featuring a breakout performance by Elizabeth Olsen, grossed $138,000 from four theaters for a superb $34,500 per-location average.
1. Paranormal Activity 3 — $54.0 mil
2. Real Steel — $11.3 mil
3. Footloose — $10.9 mil
4. The Three Musketeers — $8.8 mil
5. The Ides of March — $4.9 mil
Rowan Atkinson has barely done anything in the last seven years. I hope he’ll have a career renaissance with Johnny English Reborn and do more American mainstream movies from now on.
you said the same thing about Julianne Hough last week, and Evangeline Lilly the week before, and Ron Perlman and a host of others, you are very fickle for a spambot!
I hope Paranormal Activity enjoys the seven days they have this honor before Puss in Boots comes out.BTW,I wanna share a good news to you.My best friend ,she just has announced her wedding with a millionaire man who is a celebrity !they met via Millionaireloving.C óM ..it is the largest and best club for celebrity and their admirers to chat online.You do not have to be rich or famous. ,but you can meet one , It’s worthy a try,Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends!
That’s right Haisu, you SHOW those other spambots how it’s done!
Happy for Rowan Atkinson’s continued success, but Johnny English Reborn was such a waste of his monumental talent.
Can’t stand looking at Rowan Atkinson honestly he gives me the creeps, never thought he was funny, and I think Mr. Bean is just repulsive, in this case it seems that Britain loves crap!
Ian is a fool. Johnny English is a hilarious character and the movie is great. Unfortunately most American audiences are too daft to enjoy this movie and would rather watch mindless garbage like Real Steel or Paranormal Activity 3.
I’m a fool, eh? Rowan Atkinson’s talent has been wasted on the silver screen time and time again. Apart from memorable cameos in Richard Curtis rom coms and “The Lion King,”, he’s accepted terrible roles in worse movies over the last 20 years. One could offer some withering praise for “Bean” and mention a worthy scene or two from its sequel, but the man who captivated on television in “Bean,” “BlackAdder” and “Not the Nine O’Clock News” and impressed as ***in on the West End is wasted in movies like this.
Johnny English is beneath him, retreading bumbling spy antics and going for cheap laughs amidst some truly dire scripts. He’s very good in these films, but they’re terrible in spite of him.
Rowan Atkinson is British crap!
America loves garbage!!
Not this time, it rejected Johnny English, yet the rest world embraced it, looks like the rest of the world loved crap!
Your dumb. All of you.
go back and watch Jersey Shore, you LOL wannabe!
What is a LOL wannabe? You dumb.
“You dumb” that says all there needs to be said about you tv viewer, I think you should put down the remote and open a book!
It’s “you’re”.
Teddy who is you talking to? Not me your showing your left wing tendincys.
Who is I talking to?…this has got to be an act..lol..no one is that inbred..”left wing tendincys” way too much!
Hey TV Viewer you might as well post under the name “Bored Troll” you are way to obvious!
Come on fool what is it you talking bout? I show don’t know.
Troll Much?….is your name Festus or Cletus?….Happy Halloween Mr. TV Troll!
Oh ok Barry AKA Teddy, make up your mind who you gone be.
It’s spelled “you’re.” As in “you are.” Not your. If you’re going to call people dumb, maybe you should learn to spell first.
Actually I do not know Barry, but you thinking I am tells me that you are probably LOL or Cameron or one of the other losers that troll on here!
So you know what AKA means, but don’t know the difference between ‘Going” and “Gone”…such a bad act TV Veiwer!
Mainstream American movies? Rowan Atkinson?
I think you have your actors mixed up.
Mr Been was cutier than Pee Wee.
The Musketeers movies have been done to death and have become increasingly repetitious and monotonous. How many times have they made this same movie already? It’s the same story, just with different actors.
It’s almost as repetitious as the same comment you post over and over.
Cameron J the critic for the message board, what a douche you are!
Hey Cameron J I hope you get anal cancer!
Hmm… the only thing worse is the message board critic critic. Who wishes cancer on people.
Hmm that is the only one I did not write, you crybaby, I was thinking you wrote that about yourself and used my name ,so you could play the victim again!
@Cameron J..yeah I called you a Douche (which you are) but I would never wish cancer on anyone, not even you!
You should not wish cancer on anybody, but Cameron you sound like you need to calm down with the snide remarks!
I’m so happy to see America reject this garbage. Flying ships?
I think Real Steel, Footloose, and Ides of March’s 30 percent decline had less to do with word of mouth, and more to do with the fact that there is nothing else out there at the moment, plus of course “The Ryan Gosling Effect”
Right, when there is nothing but crap out there people will settle for crap, because that’s what America loves.
sadly ur right on this on for once lol
three musketeers only served to prove milla jovovich is still 1 of the worst actresses in hollywood
Milla isn’t a bad actress, but being married to a hack crapmeister hasn’t done her any favors. She needs to make a film with Vin Diesel, maybe she could be in the next F&F film. I bet Justin Lin could get a great performance out of her, if a visionary like him can’t, no one can. I wish people had stayed home and watched Fast Five, but I am glad the ‘LOL Effect’ took down that Musketeer movie, that’s something at least.
Fast Five is like Ex-Lax on DVD..give you the craps for days!
*sigh* Reality, you just look dumb. Even though I despise him, LOL is at least creative with his repetition.
Really Cameron J are you really being a critic for the trolls, I read your posts everyweek on here also, “creative’ is not an adjective I would use in describing them, usually you are just crying about something mean that one of the LOL’s said to you, you say you despise LOL but damn if you do not like feeding him. in fact I really think you are him!
Cameron J you are a tool..i hope you and LOL have a very happy Fast Five filled life together!
Cameron J you really are being kinda douchy!
Thank you Cameron, and I am only repetitious in my posting because Hollywood is repetitious in the movies it releases.
Cameron J ..Ha Ha My Boy showing your true colors, glad you came around, people like us need to stick together!
Cameron and LOL..Troll buddies for life!
@Cameron J
I am glad someone finally called you out!…., I have been visiting these message boards for awhile now, and have seen your snide, sarcastic, better than thou posts, ,,,,and I have also seen you cry boo hoo when someone says something back to you….. you need to grow up little man, even though I think calling you “Man” might be a stretch!
Cameron are you really LOL, if so wow, you really are sick!
Cameron, Woot and LOL are the same person, responding to his own posts, creating mayhem and hijacking the message boards week after week. It’s old and tired, but I guess he’s that pathetic and needs the attention.
@Queequeg
Well no one is denying it, so I guess it is true.weird people on here!
I denied it further down the page, although I don’t doubt Cameron has posted under my name, I would put money on that. Don’t know anything about Woot, never paid any attention to his/her posts.
Yeah I don’t think Woot is posting under LOL, but Cameron is the smartass snide version of LOL!..he needs to be called out more often!
You have a point but I think Ides of March would have had small declines even with better competition
@John ok I can agree with that, but with the other two, not so much, I have talked to three people that saw Footloose, and they all said the same thing, just watch the original on DVD, so much for word of mouth!
@Freddy definitly with you there on the other two.
I’ve heard nothing but good things from Footloose so I think that movie does have strong word of mouth. I saw it last week and enjoyed it. It wasn’t anything that will live on for decades to come but it was entertaining.
nope it did not need to be remade, just watch the original, the music and acting were better, the remake is just a tired retread designed to squeeze more money out of a concept the studio already owned!
So Footloose talks to you Captain?…you should seek help for the voices that speak to you!
I hope Paranormal Activity enjoys the seven days they have this honor before Puss in Boots comes out
wow this is so creative, obvious much?…PA3 already made it’s money and does not need your troll pity!
Just like with Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Too Big to Fail which were also about the global recession, Margin Call is a very important movie.
@Sheldon you have been posting that comment all week….STOP IT!
Obviously, all entitled to their opinions, of course. But I really loved Margin Call, including the haunting last scene. I loved it. And for whatever it is worth, so did all of the major critics in the country — AO Scott’s review in New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly, Variety, New York Magazine… etc. Most of which are saying it deserves awards attention for Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, and the writing and directing. Demi Moore and Penn Badgley were even good in it.
Again – not for everybody, I’m sure. But I thought the writer-director guy did a great job. I’m not a financial person, but it was the movie I wished Wall Street 2 had been.
@philos56 if it is an actual moviegoer’s opinion I respect it, and I will probably watch Margin Call on DVD, Sheldon is a spambot posing as as an actual moviegoer, so I had to call him out..btw don’t know about the awards attention, and I read a couple of so so reviews calling the dialogue stilted and the performances uneven…but will still probably catch it!
America loves crap.
Mmmmm, mmmmmm…thank you Hollywood for this crap, may we have some more please?
You sure can! So long as you keep giving me my cash I will continue to produce even crappier crap then before.
WHATEVER!
Just out of curiosity, how do you know that every movie that was mentioned in this article is crap? I sincerely doubt that you have seen all of them and you certainly haven’t seen every movie that has come out since you started your “America Loves Crap” crusade. In fact, I’d venture to guess that instead of going to see these movies to see if they are, in fact, crap, you’ve been doing the five knuckle shuffle to Paul Walker and Vin Diesel from Fast Five.
Trolls do not have a reason for what they do, it is just called a lack of a life!
I don’t need to lovingly gaze into the toilet bowl everytime I squeeze one out to know that what’s in there is crap. Yes, now that Fast Five is out on blue ray, I spend my weekends watching the film, frame by frame, and studying the special features. Everyone should just stay home and watch it, maybe Hollywood would get the message and they would make more films like Fast Five. It’s not just me that feels this way, even EW had an article that correctly called Fast Five a “pitch perfect” film.
@LOL “I don’t need to lovingly gaze into the toilet bowl everytime I squeeze one out to know that what’s in there is crap” no you just watch the TV screen and watch that pitch perfect piece of Crap called Fast Five, Vin Diesel is the King of Crap, Paul Walker Is the Clown Prince…and LOL is just that ilttle bit you wipe off at the end!
@Reality…that is so true and so funny, LMFAO!
@LOL
I just read both the movie review and the DVD review and no where do either of them use the phrase “pitch perfect.” Additionally, many (but not all) movies DO need to be seen before you label them as crap. Have you not heard of the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”? Well in this case, the cover is the trailer and the book is the movie. I realize that metaphors not having to do with Fast Five may be a little hard for you to follow, but please try your best to understand them.
I wasn’t referring to the reviews, EW called Fast Five “pitch perfect” in an article about how undewhelming this summer’s films were, except for Fast Five. It was posted on the site sometime in August I think. Hey, I’m not asking for every film to live up to Fast Five, that’s not a reasonable expectation, but Hollywood has shown it is in them to make an entertaining, thought provoking modern classic. Should it really be so hard for them to make a movie at least half as good?
Ahh yes the mythical article that no one can find, so it is very easy to quote, since it never really existed except in the mind of a troll!…if you are going to make a claim you have the burden of proving it, or shut up about it!
Ok Guess what I just found the article with the quote you keep going on about and it says.. “I’m talking about Fast Five. Yes, it’s a silly film — but for a few weeks in May, it was also the silly film that everyone was talking about it. Part of that can be credited to the film’s surprisingly pitch-perfect over-the-top tone ” …so you fail to mention that in the same article they call it “a silly” film or that the “Pitch Perfect” refrence is about the “OVER THE TOP” tone of the film, not the film itself..this is hardly praise, but you would make a good spin doctor!
oh and it was written by Darren Franich who is a reporter for EW not a Film Critic!
I don’t believe in “The Truth”!
You can’t handle the truth.
Thank you Truth for verifying that the article does indeed exist. I didn’t say anything in the above post about it being written by a critic, just that EW posted an article calling Fast Five “pitch perfect.”
Nope EW called the Fast Five “Silly” in the article and said The over the top tone was pitch perfect not the film itself, are you running for political office, you are taking “Pitch perfect” out of context, when really it was a back handed compliment at best!
Nope EW called Fast Five “Silly” in the article and said the over the top tone was pitch perfect, not the film itself, are you running for political office, you are taking “Pitch perfect” out of context, when really it was a back handed compliment at best!
What the writer perceived as the over the top tone was part of the film, so he was referring to the film. The article spoke glowingly of Fast Five, yes, on it’s surface, many would conclude aspects of the film were “silly” or “over the top” unfortuanately the writer didn’t delve deeper, hopefully he is studying the blue ray and gaining deeper knowledge of the film. But he was viewing it in context of summer films, and deemed it “pitch perfect” and he is absolutely right in that assessment.
Well LOL you are a “Pitch Perfect” idiot, but I am sure in your world you will just spin that as you are perfect, I will not comment again, because you cannot reason with insane trolls!…and if you really are that Cameron guy, shame on you for playing both roles, you are sick people!
I am not Cameron, but I am glad he has finally come around, one of many judging by the dismal failure of the Musketeer movie (despite the lovely Milla being in it). That puts the tally at at least 5, Green Lantern, 50/50, Dream House, The Thing, and now that Musketeer thing. I am only doing this to help my fellow Americans, hopefully one day you will appreciate my efforts on your behalf.
Yes because all of America reads EW’s massage board, the most important message board in history, wow the trolling on here is so excessive, I am sure most people stay away just because of that, every other posting is some kind oft Troll or Spam message!
It’s just a movie stupid.
hey LOL, I prefer you ver that Queen that calls itself Cameron J…he will probably cry over this, like he does every week about something you said!
America hates Cameron J!
‘Margin Call’, ‘The Mighty Macs’, ‘Oranges and Sunshine’, ‘Retreat’, ‘The Reunion’ and ‘Snowmen’ should have all gotten a nationwide theatrical release and were better than this week’s wide releases. They all have great casts:
‘Margin Call’ – Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci
‘The Mighty Macs’ – Carla Gugino, David Boreanaz, Marley Shelton, Ellen Burstyn
‘Oranges and Sunshine’ – Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving
‘Retreat’ – Cillian Murphy, Jamie Bell, Thandie Newton
‘The Reunion’ – John Cena, Ethan Embry, Michael Rispoli, Amy Smart
‘Snowmen’ – Ray Liotta, Christopher Lloyd
Yesterday the name was Rachel Bowden, you change your name more often than I change socks, and btw The Mighty Macs’opened in 1,000 theaters and still bombed, so that theory is shot!
The ratings on Rotten Tomatoes for those “better” movies are all over the place:
Snowmen – 60%
The Mighty Macs – 45%
Retreat – 86%
Oranges and Sunshine – 71%
The Reunion – 9%
Margin Call – 85%
As are the RT ratings among top critics:
Mighty Macs – 40%
Oranges and Sunshine – 50%
The Reunion – 14%
Margin Call – 89%
Hey Christos and DRG when I want your opinions I will give them to you!…the only opinion that counts is mine, I own this message board, look what I did to the Musketeers movie, I will do the same to you!
what a D-bag you are LOL!
Marginal Balls’, ‘The Mighty Big Macs’, ‘Oranges and Other Produce’, ‘Reheated Crap’, and ‘The Reunion Of Actors Nobody Cares About’ should have all gotten a nationwide theatrical release. If they were given a fair chance, any one of them could have been No. 1 this week and they deserve better than to be ignored by the public now. They all have interesting casts:
‘Marginal Balls’ – Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell,Ashton Kutcher, Charlie Sheen, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci
‘The Mighty Big Macs’ – John Goodman, Rosie O’Donnell, Mellissa McCarthy Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera
‘Oranges and Other Produce’ – Anne Hathaway, Rico Romero, Shane Ruiz, Gauadalupe Ramirez
‘Reheated Crap’ – Cillian Murphy, Jamie Bell, Thandie Newton, Julianne Hough, Kelsey Grammer
‘The Reunion of Actors Nobody Cares About’ – John Cena, Ethan Embry, Michael Rispoli, Amy Smart
Dude, no one cares.
Dude this coming from you, the king of everything nobody cares about!…well you are one of the other LOL’s aren’t you?
@LOL
Cameron don’t be like that!
In fairness, Three Musketeers had a fantastic cast (and one truly awful lead), and it was horrible. I felt horrible for Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans and Mads Michelson. Poor guys; I guess actors need to eat, too.
Just got back from PA3—awesome fun! The creepiest film in the series. I hope PA4 is announced soon.
Then you are an idiot.
You’re an idiot too with no taste or sense of humor.
I think you’re pretty dumb, “LOL”. Please commit suicide, but make sure you do it in a slow and painful way (for you—not for us!).
@Flip
Suicide is not funny, don’t like LOL, but the Suicide jokes are worse!
Enjoy your success while you can, PA3 because Puss in Boots is going to crush you next weekend
Cameron J didn’t you just say that!
No, it is not Cameron J. I’m a different user and I didnt see that he had wrote the same thing.
I jus left a big Cameron J in the toilet bowl, it was nasty!
Just to point out, do you know how stupid that comment is? Unless you wrote, acted in, directed, or produces Puss in Boots I don’t think its box office effects you at all. Talk about brainless competition.
You are a DOUCHE!!
Please kill yourself. You are a cancer to this site.
Wow John, Harsh much?
ok John, Cameron, LOL, or whoever you are, you need to chill out with the cancer stuff..not funny!
Hey I never said anything about cancer! I don’t stoop that low.
i am an american, i can hldray tell what some of the sky sports commentators are saying, i swear i thought i knew how to understand english but some of those guys need to back off the mic too.
11x its production budget (plus another $26M from foreign markets) after just one weekend? I don’t think Paramount really cares about next weekend.
who’s rejecting my replys and why?
Well when you tell people they should die, because they disagree with you, you should be rejected, I think you need some serious medical help with the obvious anger issues you have!
I Disagree, I Think the Producers Cutting out the Deleted scenes in the Previews were Genius idea, it makes it less predictable, People would Still Say it sucked cuz ya saw it coming..
America loves Carp!
and trout
…and tilapia.
I love shrimp.
You love Paul Walker’s shrimp!
hahahaha. YES! I got tricked.. and so I did it on ALL of my frindes and family. sooo funnny.My sister came over.. and I was like do you believe in ghosts? she was like no. and I showed her it.. and she freaked out and left the house.. and my dad went out in the garage and flickered the lights. she just about peed her pants. funniest thing ever.
Paramount has announced Paranormal Activity 4 will be in 3D. Charlie Sheen will star as Toby.
Blah.
Why would a high total for four theaters be considered superb when those areas may attract that sort of business? It’s not like this number would translate towards a nationwide basis. If so, Marcy would be the Dark Knight of midwest dramas.
“Footloose” gave me loose stools!
Blaine, Missouri is the stool capital of the world.
I don’t know what he would say about the ‘Red, White and Blaine’ celebration, but I’m sure Guffman would approve of your comment.
So would Corky. He can act, sing and dance and there is only one other person in the world who can do that and that’s Barbara Striesand.
Kick off your Sunday Stools!
It’s HALLOWEEN, people want to watch scarrry movies! People watch movies for entertainment. There is a lack of talent from movies studios these days just from all the movie REMAKES.
Your point?