Box office update: 'Paranormal Activity 4' scares up $15M on Friday

Box office update: 'Paranormal Activity 4' scares up $15M on Friday

"Paranormal Activity 4 grossed an estimated $15.0 million on Friday (that includes Thursday night grosses), and since front-loaded horror sequels typically earn about half of their opening weekends on their first Friday (PA3 earned $26.3 million on Friday; PA2 found $20.1 million), the poorly-reviewed film could be looking at a $30 million weekend. While that’s enough to easily win the weekend — not to mention a terrific start for a film that cost Paramount only $5 million — it’s also a rather distressing figure, which suggests that audiences’ interest in the franchise is quickly waning.

Argo stuck around in second place, dipping by only 14 percent from its first Friday to $5.1 million. Incredibly, the Ben Affleck-directed spy drama may decline by less than 10 percent in its second weekend to about $17-18 million. Clearly, that “A+” CinemaScore grade is no fluke."