1. Paranormal Activity 4 - $42.5m (NEW) - $12,456 PTA
2. Alex Cross - $15.2m (NEW) - $5,986 PTA
3. Argo - $13.7m (-29.6%) - $4,219 PTA
4. Taken 2 - $13.1m (-40.1%) - $3,755 PTA
5. Hotel Transylvania - $12.2m (-29.2%) - $4,048 PTA
6. Here Comes The Boom - $7.4m (-37.4%) - $2,455 PTA
7. Sinister - $6.7m (-62.8%) - $2,636 PTA
8. Pitch Perfect - $6.4m (-30.9%) - $2,406 PTA
9. Frankenweenie - $4.9m (-30.5%) - $2,075 PTA
10. Looper - $3.9m (-37.1%) - $1,755 PTA
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Well, it's that time of year again.
Paranormal Activity 4 is finally arriving into theaters, but it would be hard pressed to reach its predecessor's $52m opening weekend. If Saw was any indication, Paranormal Activity would have peaked with its third installment. (I'm talking about opening weekends. Saw 2 was the highest grosser.) In fact, most franchises suffer drops in fourth installments. Paranormal Activity 4 will still definitely be a big film, and social media is clearly pumped for this, but I'm not convinced that this film will break the fourth-film-curse. To make matters worse, it's getting pretty bleh early reactions. (PA1 and PA3 were actually fresh on the tomatometer, and PA2 barely missed it. PA4 is currently at 35%.) Critics don't always speak for general audiences, but this is probably a bad sign for WOM and staying power. It's almost locked to have under a 2x multiplier.
Alex Cross is the second wide release this week. Tyler Perry plays the titular James Patterson character who must track down Matthew Fox. (Between Cross, Jack Reacher, and Jack Ryan, Hollywood is probably going through a famous literary agent adaption phase.) While fans of the book and/or Tyler Perry and people seeking a good action movie will probably go see it, it will be hard pressed to break out. Early word of mouth, as well as reactions to the trailer, were not so pretty across the net. Also, Tyler Perry's general box office appeal is past its peak. (Madea's Witness Protection is the only exception, but that had summer weekdays to boost its gross.) Also, it will struggle to compete with Paranormal. Don't expect big numbers from this film. (And it's currently bombing on Rotten Tomatoes, as well.)
You may have also noticed some lower than normal drops for many PG-13 films. Let's fact it, many teenagers buy tickets to PG-13 movies to get into R-rated movies. A major one is coming this weekend. Expect the major beneficiaries to be Taken 2 and Pitch Perfect, and maybe Alex Cross to a lesser extent. In addition, Argo is having fantastic word of mouth, (Including an A+ CinemaScore!) while Sinister's buzz is weaker, and it's facing direct competition this weekend...
