Box Office: 'Megamind' scores massive $47M

Wow! DreamWorks Animation's latest family adventure "Megamind" stormed the North American box office this weekend with a superb $47.6 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Playing at 3,944 sites, "Megamind," which features the voices of Brad Pitt and Will Ferrell, scored a huge average of $12,081 per theater. The animated film's budget is estimated at a big $130 million.

Coming in second this weekend was Todd Phillips' comedy "Due Date" with Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The flick collected $33.5 million via an average of $9,985 per sites at 3,355 theaters.

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'Despicable Me' rules overseas box office

"Despicable Me" is a big hit overseas, and the 3D-animated adventure (which I failed to like) reclaimed the No. 1 spot on the internatinal circuit with a weekend gross of $22.8 million for a total of $235.4 million.

Two films tied for second place overseas. "Paranormal Activity 2" gave up the top spot and dropped to No. 2 with $14 million ($46 million total). David Fincher's "The Social Network" bagged the same amount.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate's sequel "Saw 3D" opened in 25 markets, earning $11.5 million, which was enough for third place. France's "Les Petits Muchoirs" (Little White Lies) followed with $9.4 million at No. 4.

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Box Office: 'Saw 3D' wins weekend with $22M

Lionsgate scored an easy win at the North American box office as Kevin Greutert's horror sequel "Saw 3D" bagged a solid $22.5 million from ticket sales at 2,808 sites, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Saw 3D," the supposedly last installment in the profitable series, scored a strong average of $8,013 per theater. The seventh film outperformed its 2009 predecessor by $8 million on opening weekend.

Last week's box office winner "Paranormal Activity 2" slipped to second place this weekend, earning another $16.5 million for a cumulative gross of $65.6 million after just a little more than a week in release.

At No. 3, Summit's action comedy "RED" picked up $10.8 million, reaching its total gross to $58.9 million. Following in fourth place with $8.4 million was "Jackass 3D," which brought its total to $101.5 million.

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'Saw 3D' kills at Friday box office with $9M

Lionsgate's "Saw 3D" stormed the North American box office this Friday, earning $9 million in ticket sales from 2,808 locations. That's $3 million more than "Saw VI" scored on its opening day a year ago.

"Saw 3D," directed by Kevin Greutert, kicked off its theatrical run late Thursday, collecting $1.7 million. This brings the film's early cumulative gross to $10.7 million. This is supposedly the last in the series.

Still going strong at No. 2 Friday was "Paranormal Activity 2," which bagged $5.8 million for a total gross of $54.9 million after a superb one-week run. The horror sequel is playing at 3,239 sites currently.

At No. 3, "RED" picked up $3.4 million, reaching a total haul of $51.4 million. Paramount's "Jackass 3D" followed in fourth place with a daily gross of $3.1 million. Cumulative gross stands at $96.2 million.

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'Paranormal Activity 2' bags huge $20M Friday

Wow! What a glorious start it's been for Paramount's "Paranormal Activity 2" at the North American box office: the sequel to last year's horror sensation scored a big $20.1 million in ticket sales Friday.

The Tod Williams-helmed sequel scored a strong average of $6,250 per theater at 3,216 locations. The $20 million daily gross also includes $6.3 million the flick earned from nationwide midnight screenings.

"Jackass 3D" delivered quite a solid performance Friday as well, picking up another $7.5 million for a total domestic gross of $73.1 million. The sequel earned $2,433 per theater at 3,111 locations.

At No. 3, "RED" generated $4.5 million, lifting its total haul to $33 million. Following in fourth place was Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter," which finished Friday with a daily take of $4.1 million (from 2,181 sites).

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'Paranormal Activity 2' bags $6.3 million already

Paramount Pictures is in for a successful weekend, because "Paranormal Activity 2" is en route to generate close to $30 million. The horror sequel already bagged $6.3 million from midnight screenings.

The Tod Williams-directed "Activity 2" showed at 1,800 screens late Thursday and early Friday, and screenings started as early as 10 p.m. The "Paranormal Activity" sequel is now playing at 3,216 locations.

You can my review of the sequel here. The first film, directed by Oren Peli, scored $107 million. 

Movie Review: "Paranormal Activity 2"

Seen on: October 21, 2010

The players: Director: Tod Williams, Writer: Michael R. Perry, Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim, Sprague Grayden

Facts of interest: Budget estimated at around $2.8 million.

The plot: Weird stuff is happening in a family home in California.

Our thoughts: It only took one year for a sequel to Oren Peli’s excellent hit horror flick “Paranormal Activity” to arrive in theaters, and now “Paranormal Activity 2” is already en route to box office glory. Sure, this second installment boasts a decent level of suspense and a series of unexpected loud noises, but at the end of the day, it’s by far not as captivating or surprising as its scary predecessor.

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This week's new movie releases - Oct. 22, 2010

Opening wide this week in North American theaters are Clint Eastwood's supernatural drama "Hereafter" with Matt Damon and Cecile de France; and Tod Williams' suspense thriller "Paranormal Activity 2."

Paranormal Activity 2: I'm not ashamed to admit I loved "Paranormal Activity." It was an interesting experiment filled with superb suspense, and it had me tied to my seat all throughout. A sequel is quite unnecessary, but as long as it provides tons of solid scares, I'm game. My excitement rating: 7/10.

Hereafter: Clint Eastwood is back in action with "Hereafter," a supernatural movie that could have been much better with a stronger story (Peter Morgan penned the script). That said, the cast is great, the film's pace flows well, and the production values really deliver the goods. My review rating: 7/10.

New 'Paranormal Activity 2' trailer hits

Who's ready for "Paranormal Activity 2"? The sequel to the hit horror flick opens Oct. 22, 2010, and a new trailer has debuted online. See below if you're still interested in this low-budget horror thing...

Looks like the sequel uses the tricks from the first one and recycles them a bit. This preview may not be as creepy as it should, but it definitely reveals a lot more about the story. Killer baby, anyone?

It took long enough to lock down a director for this follow-up, but Tod Williams is the man who ended up getting the job. Michael R. Perry wrote the script. The budget for this sequel was about $2.7 million.

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'Paranormal Activity 2' gets a trailer

The first teaser trailer for "Paranormal Activity 2" is now finally online, and you can check it out after the jump. The rather unnecessary sequel to last year's ultra-scary hit horror movie will open Oct. 22, 2010.

It doesn't show us much, but then again, it's enough to get our attention. No, I don't particularly need a sequel, but truth be told, if it turns out to be quite a suspenseful experience, I'm open to it after all.

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