Tops at the Box Office: 'Paranormal Activity 4' retains the horror crown

1. Paranormal Activity 4- $30.2M
As expected, the fourth in the Paranormal Activity franchise has taken the top spot. Not surprising considering it's become a Halloween season event, much the same way Saw was before it was dethroned by the "found footage" horror king. But there may be some cause for Paramount to be concerned. This one is opening at a smaller debut than the previous two, although that blow is cushioned by the miniscule $5M budget. This is actually the most expensive of the lot, as crazy as that sounds. But one also to consider how smart the studio has been cultivating the series for the international audience, thanks in part to a Japanese installment that came out a couple of years ago. Because of it, their global haul annually equals or surpasses the domestic, and that will probably be the case here. In all, expect there to be plenty more scares to come.
2. Argo- $16.6M/$43.2M
Wow. Want to see the immediate results strong word of mouth can bring? Ben Affleck's Iran hostage thriller slipped a tiny 16% in its second week. Considering the Oscar hype hasn't truly kicked off, this one could be around for awhile and possibly overtake The Town domestically.
3. Hotel Transylvania- $13.5M/$119M
4. Taken 2- $13.4M/$106M
5. Alex Cross- $11.75M
Somehow...someway...audiences felt sorry were generous enough to grant Tyler Perry's Alex Cross an 'A' Cinemascore, but they didn't exactly turn out in droves. Perry remains an unproven commodity when not all dolled up in a dress and wig, but with a sequel in Double Cross on the way, somebody clearly has faith in him. It'll be interesting to see how this does in a second week, because a strong hold could mean the studio confidence is justified.
6. Sinister- $9M/$32M
7. Here Comes the Boom- $8.5M/$23.2M
8. Pitch Perfect- $7M/$45.7M
9. Frankenweenie- $4.4M/$28.3M
10. Looper- $4.2M/$57.8M