The fright flick brought in a surprising $34.5 million in its opening weekend.
The low-budget tale about exorcism surpassed industry expectations and reversed the disappointing trend of recent weeks at the box office.
Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" was bumped to No.2, bringing in $20.5 million.
"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" came in third with $14.1 million.
The top 10 films of the weekend were:
1. "The Devil Inside," $34.5 million.
2. "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," $20.5 million
($27.7 million international).
3. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," $14.1 million ($43.4
million international).
4. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," $11.3 million ($12.6
million international).
5. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," $9.5 million ($30.1
million international).
6. "War Horse," $8.6 million.
7. "We Bought a Zoo," $8.5 million.
8. "The Adventures of Tintin," $6.6 million ($5.3 million
international).
9. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," $5.8 million.
10. "New Year's Eve," $3.3 million ($5.3 million
international).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
