“PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3” TORTURES COMPETITION AND MOVIEGOERS AT BOX OFFICE

Still from Paranormal Activity 3

Exceeding all expectations, Paranormal Activity 3 makes an absolute killing - pardon the pun - at the Box Office this weekend.  The Film tortured Moviegoers and its Competitors to the tune of $54 million for Paramount Pictures. Produced only for $5 million, the Horror was a hit overseas also, taking-in $26 million there too. Overall, we are looking at $80 million worldwide for the latest in the critically and commercially successful installment of this Franchise.

Disney is still going strong with Real Steel in second spot, taking-in $11 million in its third week, now accumulating $67 million total domestically and over $153 million worldwide. Footloose (2011) in its second weekend earns $10.8 million, good enough to keep it in third, now totaling $36 million worldwide for Paramount also.

The Three Musketeers, the big-budget first installment of the forthcoming series, earns $8.8 million in fourth spot domestically, which might seem disappointing.  Overseas though, it has performed quite well, earning $64.4 million already.

The Ides of March still is going steady for Sony Pictures and Alliance Films, taking-in $4.9 million this weekend in its third week, now earning $29.1 million; it has yet to open overseas.

Johnny English Reborn starring Rowan Atkinson is the latest follow-up in the Action-Comedy franchise.  Despite only debuting in eighth with $3.8 million this weekend, it has done extremely well overseas where it has made $104.5 million already. Meanwhile, The Thing (2011) slips to ninth in its second week with $3.1 million for Universal Pictures, earning $14 million total.

"REAL STEEL" OUT-DANCES "FOOTLOOSE (2011)" TO THE FINISH

Still from Footloose

In a tepid weekend at the Box Office, last week's champion Real Steel performs consistently well in its second week for Walt Disney Motion Pictures/Dreamworks, holding on at the top with $16 million. To-date it has earned just-under $52 million.

Paramount Pictures just misses the top spot, despite leading out the gate on Friday night with the 2011 Remake of Footloose, taking-in $15.5 million from 3,549 theatres, well on its way to recouping the $24 million it cost to make. Audiences and Critics have been responding well also to the Film, with it sitting at 73% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes.

Another Remake debuting this weekend is The Thing for Universal Pictures, earning $9 million, not faring so well critically with 33% on the Tomatometer.

It surprises me still that George Clooney's The Ides of March managed to pull-in only $7.5 million this weekend, earning $22.1 million cumulative in two weeks, landing just-ahead of another Film which premiered at TIFF 2011, Moneyball. The Brad Pitt Baseball Dramedy pulled-in $5.5 million in its fourth week of release for Sony Pictures.

Debuting in eighth spot this weekend is 20th Century Fox Comedy The Big Year starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson with only $3 million. Not only did the Film receive poor reviews (39% on the Tomatometer), a telltale sign also is a lack of promotion it received.