The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films and then check back on Monday for the final figures based on actual box office.
Last October’s horror face-off had a rematch this Halloween weekend, but this time, the seventh installment of the long-running horror franchise Saw 3D (Lionsgate) took down the low-budget upstart Paranormal Activity 2 (Paramount) in its second weekend. While the reportedly final chapter in the “Saw” franchise (and the first in 3D) didn’t achieve the $30 million plus weekend of past installments, the estimated $24.2 million it brought in over the Halloween weekend, roughly $10.8 million from Friday including Thursday night previews, was enough to win the weekend. It had a $10 million bump over the opening of the previous chapter Saw VI last year, which was the first to tank when faced with the heavy buzz for the original Paranormal Activity. Produced for a reported $20 million, Saw 3D should ultimately be profitable even if it will probably end up somewhere in the $50 million range.
Meanwhile, Paranormal Activity 2 brought in $16.5 million in its second weekend, a 59% drop from its record-setting horror opening as it settled for second place. With a ten-day gross of $65.5 million, the horror sequel which reportedly cost $3 million to make is already very profitable even when accounting for the money Paramount spent on marketing.
The star-studded Bruce Willis action-comedy RED (Summit) maintained third place with $10.8 million and nearly $59 million after three weeks in theaters
Paramount’s other big October opener, Jackass 3D, crossed the $100 million mark this weekend with $8.4 million to take fourth place with a three-week total of $101.6 million compared to its own production budget of $20 million.
Clint Eastwood’s drama Hereafter (Warner Bros.), starring Matt Damon, added another $6.3 million in its second weekend in wide release to bring its total to $22.2 million.
Remaining in sixth place, the horse racing drama Secretariat (Disney) added another $5.1 million to bring its four-week total to $45 million.
David Fincher’s The Social Network (Sony) dropped to seventh place with $4.7 million and just under $80 million total, while the Katherine Heigl romantic comedy Life As We Know It (Warner Bros.) dropped to eighth place with $4 million and a four-week total of $43.5 million.
Tony Goldwyn’s drama Conviction, starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell, expanded into 565 theaters on Friday, allowing it to break into the Top 10 with an estimated $1.8 million.
Opening just outside the Top 12 at lucky #13 was the third chapter in the “Millennium Trilogy” based on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling novels, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, which grossed $915 thousand in just 153 theaters this weekend, averaging nearly $6 thousand per site.
Click here for the full box office results of the top 12 films.
