Two movies about supernatural forces open wide this weekend to get audiences in the mood for Halloween. A year ago, Paramount took the low-budget horror film Paranormal Activity and marketed it into a pop culture phenomenon that grossed over $107 million. A sequel Paranormal Activity 2 [PNAC2] was quickly produced using the same captured-on-home-video setup. Strong presales indicate fan interest remain high on the R-rated horror series. Opening in 3216 theaters, Paranormal Activity 2 could scare up $30 million.
By breaking all the rules, Jackass 3D [JCKA3] broke the box office record for opening weekend in October. While the first two Jackass dropped less than 50% in its second weekend, the third film’s super-sized opening was front-loaded by midnight screenings. A drop-off around 58% would ring in roughly $21 million in its sophomore weekend.
The other otherworldly film Hereafter [HAFTR] targets the older, high-brow moviegoers. Clint Eastwood [CEAST] directs Matt Damon [MDAMO] in a R-rated drama about mortality and the search for answers about afterlife. Reviews have been mixed on the melodramatic film which earned $0.22 million in limited release last weekend. Expanding up to 2181 theaters, Hereafter may settle with around $14 million.
With its older-skewing target audience, Red [RED1] should hold around 60% of its opening weekend and take home another $13 million.
That’s the whisper from the trading floor.
Tag(s): PNAC2, JCKA3, HAFTR, CEAST, MDAMO, RED1