Paranormal Activity 4 is US box-office hit for horror genre fans

As expected, the fourth entry in Hollywood's most high-profile genre franchise ruled the roost in the US after a relatively easy launch.Paranormal Activity 4 was in dominant form outside North America too, as it edged out Taken 2 thanks to a $26.5m weekend debut in 22 countries, which contributed to a $56.7m (£35.4m) worldwide opening weekend.

That's a decent start for a movie with no name stars and an uninspiring response from reviewers (in territories where the film actually received a press showing). Heck, the musings of critics mean little to genre fans and indeed the franchise's supporters the world over were champing at the bit to see this in opening weekends from the UK to Russia. Paramount's top brass will be keen to focus on the global haul and play down the fact that this is, in real terms, the lowest release of the series so far –PA3 opened exactly one year ago on $52.6m domestic and PA2 launched exactly one year before that on $40.7m. Neither figure is adjusted for inflation.

Paranormal Activity, the big daddy that started it all, doesn't count as a comparable because Paramount wasn't too sure what to expect after buying distribution rights to the then unknown $15,000 horror movie. They released it in 12 theatres on 25 September 2009, word of mouth spread like wildfire and then came that extraordinary third weekend when the studio expanded the theatre count to 160 and it took a whopping $7.9m. The following weekend it was up to 760 and grossed $19.6m, and the weekend after that was the high point, when it reached No 1 on $21.1m from 1,945 venues. The first movie finished on $107.9m and remains the biggest result of the franchise, even though PA3, which ended on $104m, is surely the best of the lot.

Paranormal Activity came from outside the studio system, which is by no means unusual. The independent space is churning out some great stuff these days and it's been an engine at the US box office. The exit from the top 10 of Seven Psychopaths and The Perks of Being a Wallflower has diluted independent cinema's representation in the upper echelons.

North American top 10, 19-21 October 2012

1. Paranormal Activity 4, $30.2m
2. Argo, $16.6m. Total: $43.2m
3. Hotel Transylvania, $113.5m. Total: $119m
4. Taken 2, $13.4m. Total: $105.9m
5. Alex Cross, $11.8m
6. Sinister, $9m. Total: $31.9m
7. Here Comes the Boom, $8.5m. Total: $23.2m
8. Pitch Perfect, $7m. Total: $45.8m
9. Frankenweenie, $4.4m. Total: $28.3m
10. Looper, $4.2m. Total: $57.8m

The Guardian