'Saw' Sharpens Up with ''Final Chapter,'' 'Paranormal Activity' Fades
November 1,2010 Monday
On Halloween weekend, the Saw franchise saved some face with its supposedly "final chapter" after the disappointment of its last movie, but it didn't restore its former gory glory. Among holdovers, Paranormal Activity 2 and others dissipated, while Red and others conserved. Overall business was up three percent over the same weekend last year when Michael Jackson's This Is It led. Saw 3D notched an estimated $22.5 million on over 3,500 screens at 2,808 locations. Add in its Thursday night previews, and its gross came to $24.2 million. That improved upon the $14.1 million launch of the last movie, Saw VI, but it was a far cry from Saw II through Saw V, which averaged nearly $32 million (or over $37 million adjusted for ticket price inflation). Approximately three quarters of Saw 3D's screens presented the picture in the 3D illusion, and they accounted for 92 percent of business. Paranormal Activity 2 suffered a 59 percent drop from last weekend.