For the third year in a row, Paramount looks to dominate the weekend before Halloween with its low-budget, found footage horror franchise. After disposing the Saw series last year, Paranormal Activity 3 [PNAC3] has the horror market all to itself. Although Paranormal Activity 2 opened to $40.7 million last year, many complained it was too similar to the original. Filmmakers wisely set the latest installment as a prequel and multiplied the jump scare factor as seen in the trailers. Buzz and interest remain high for fans of the series. Stalking into 3221 theaters, Paranormal Activity 3 looks to once again hit $40 million.
Writer-director Paul Anderson [PANDE] updates the classic tale The Three Musketeers [3MSKT] with 3D special effects. However, the famed heroes are played by actors lacking any starpower, while recognizable faces Milla Jovovich [MJOVO], Orlando Bloom [OBLOO], and Christoph Waltz [CWALT] are only supporting characters. With Disney’s 1993 star-studded adaptation still fresh in memory, Summit’s PG-13 remake is unlikely to draw many adults. Poor reviews may deter anyone but the young male audience. Parrying in 3017 theaters, The Three Musketeers may be on guard for about $14 million.
After a couple of weeks as the champ, Real Steel [RSTEL] looks to get knocked down a couple of spots. The boxing robots could sock away another $9.5 million.
The dance remake Footloose [FTLOS] met expectation, but did not break out as Paramount hoped. With its target female audience at Paranormal Activity 3, Footloose may lose 50% to $8 million in its second weekend.
Rowan Atkinson [RATKI] returns as a bumbling spy in the comedy Johnny English Reborn [JENG2]. The original Johnny English opened to $9.1 million in 2003, while Mr. Bean’s Holiday cleared $9.9 million in 2007. However, today’s moviegoers may have outgrown Atkinson’s brand of PG-rated humor. Johnny English Reborn may tally $5 million from 1551 locations.
That’s the whisper from the trading floor.
Tag(s): PNAC3, PANDE, 3MSKT, MJOVO, OBLOO, CWALT, RSTEL, FTLOS, RATKI, JENG2