So the big box office question that was posed this Halloween was whether Lionsgate promoting
Saw 3D as the 'final chapter' in the unprecedented horror franchise (7 very successful films in 7 years) would dupe enough cinema-goers into returning one more time to the death-trap franchise, thus generating the idea at the studio to actually continue making more. i.e. - the situation that saw a fifth Final Destination find itself commissioned after that supposed 'finale' last year. So, did it work? Well, with a
$24.2 million opening total, which is considerably higher than the previous two movies and indeed the first time this franchise has topped the charts since 2007, we should probably still bare in mind that it's well short of the franchise high $33 million... so I'm guessing we won't see a
Saw VIII in cinema's next year. A new movie where young people are shredded in overly elaborate traps
will happen but maybe not for a few years. But hey, who knows? It will feel weird if Lionsgate aren't in pre-production on a new Saw movie in the coming weeks, so maybe it's not all over yet.
After
Paranormal Activity 2's $41.5 million haul last week, which is added this weekend by a further
$16.5 million, it's clear enough that cheaply made but lucrative Paramount franchise has firmly taken over the 'new sequel every year' stakes from Saw. The sequel won't have the momentum to make a $100 million like the first movie did but when a film like this is made for just $3 million, well it's an incredible cash-cow for the studio.
Paranormal Activity 3, clearly, is opening in 12 months time. 1. Saw 3D - $22.5 million 2. Paranormal Activity 2 - $16.5 million ($65.6 million) 3. Red - $10.8 million ($58.9 million) 4. Jackass 3D - $8.4 million ($101.5 million) 5. Hereafter - $6.3 million ($22.1 million) 6. Secretariat - $5 million ($44.7 million) 7. The Social Network - $4.7 million ($79.6 million) 8. Life As We Know It - $4 million ($43.4 million) 9. The Town - $1.9 million ($87.6 million) 10. Conviction - $1.8 million ($2.3 million)