The third film in Paramount Pictures' fright franchise scared its way to No. 1 with $54 million - the biggest debut for a horror movie.
The movie serves as a prequel to the low-budget 2007 original and sees two young sisters befriending a strange and invisible force in their home.
The robot boxing movie "Real Steel" starring Hugh Jackman came in at No. 2 with just over $11 million.
The remake of the 1980s classic dance flick "Footloose" came in at No. 3 with just under $11 million.
Another remake of a different kind, "The Three Musketeers" came in at No.4 with $8.8 million, and the political thriller "The Ides of March" rounded out the top five with $4.9 million.
The top 10 movies of the weekend were:
1. "Paranormal Activity 3," $54 million. ($26 million
international.)
2. "Real Steel," $11.3 million. ($18.5 million international.)
3. "Footloose," $10.85 million.
4. "The Three Musketeers," $8.8 million. ($17.1 million
international.)
5. "The Ides of March," $4.9 million.
6. "Dolphin Tale," $4.2 million.
7. "Moneyball," $4.05 million.
8. "Johnny English Reborn," $3.8 million. ($13.5 million
international.)
9. "The Thing," $3.1 million.
10. "50/50," $2.8 million.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
