The Grosses: “Paranormal Activity” Only Becoming MORE Popular

Top Five

(Full list)
1. "Paranormal Activity 3" $54,020,000 ($54,020,000)
2. "Real Steel" $11,319,000 ($67,226,640)
3. "Footloose" $10,850,000 ($30,863,031)
4. "The Three Musketeers" $8,800,000 ($8,800,000)
5. "The Ides of March" $4,900,000 ($29,159,326)

First Place.
Generally speaking, franchises provide diminishing returns. The first sequel usually has the biggest opening of the series, and they slowly dwindle until "American Pie 34" is sent straight to DVD. (Still starring Eugene Levy, of course.) If you can find a franchise that bucks this trend ("Fast Five," for example), you've got something special. Thus: "Paranormal Activity 3," which, shockingly, brought in $54 million this weekend, the largest October opening in history. It's already halfway to becoming the biggest "PA" movie. Who knew the "Catfish" guys were such big draws?

YOU FLOPPED. Boy, is Milla Jovovich ever gonna be cheesed off on Twitter today. The "star" of "The Three Musketeers" -- and wife of the director -- was angry about Summit Entertainment's lack of promotion last week, but frankly, this movie has looked like a dog for a while. No one will say how much the film cost to make, but suffice it to say, $8.8 million isn't gonna make that much of a dent, whatever it was. This should lead to only seven more "Three Musketeers" films over the next decade, rather than the usual 12.

Impressive Bridesmaid. "Real Steel" won the last two weekends and finished in second again this weekend, though it's worth remembering that it still has only brought in $67.2 million in three weeks, or just $13 million more than "Green Lantern" did its opening weekend. Not that it's gonna stop us from getting eight more "Real Steel" films, regardless.

Tiny Dancer. At last, some good news for indie releases. After "The Skin I Live In"'s success last weekend, there was more happiness for "Martha Marcy May Marlene," which earned the sixth-highest per screen average for an indie film this year. (Behind "The Tree of Life," "Midnight In Paris," "Jane Eyre," "The Skin I Live In" and "Senna," if you're curious.) "Being Elmo" and "Margin Call" did well too, and "Margin Call" was even on demand. With all the indies released last weekend, we're glad something broke out.

Next Week's Contestants. Antonio Banderas as an animated swashbuckling cat in "Puss In Boots." Justin Timberlake as a future runner in "In Time." Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson in "The Rum Diary." Those are three handsome fellas.