Paranormal Activity Slays Saw VI in Horror Showdown

Paranormal Activity took the number one spot this weekend with $22 million and outperformed the expected top earner, Saw VI. Saw VI came in second with an opening of $14.8 million. Paranormal Activity came in third last week, but after an aggressive marketing campaign by Paramount, the buzz around the film continues to grow. The highly profitable Saw franchise, which for the past six years has released a film around Halloween, opened to similar numbers last year and took the second stop. But, Saw V fell to High School Musical 3, which was expected considering the disparity in genre and R rating. The franchise’s inability to take the number one spot from another thriller may force Lionsgate to rethink the future of the Saw series.

Where the Wild Things Are fell from the number one spot this week, and brought in $12.7 million to capture the number three spot. Law Abiding Citizen and Couples Retreat rounded at the top five, earning $12.7 and $11 million respectively.

The only movie opening in wide release this week is Michael Jackson’s This Is It, so Paranormal Activity may find itself in the number one spot again or—with the anticipation of Halloween—audiences may remind us of the appeal and thrill of the Saw franchise.