Box Office: Stepping on Law Abiding Things

The comedy Couples Retreat led the box office this past weekend, but the big surprise was the scare flick Paranormal Activity which managed to take number four while playing only 160 theaters. Here's the top five:

1. Couples Retreat: $34.3 million
2. Zombieland: $14.8 million
3. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: $11.5 million
4. Paranormal Activity: $7.9 million
5. Toy Story / Toy Story 2: $7.7 million

We've got three new films going into wide release this Friday:

Law Abiding Citizen
What's It All About: Jaimie Foxx is the District Attorney and Gerard Butler is the crazed man determined to avenge himself upon the legal system that allowed his wife and daughter's murderers to go free.
Why It Might Do Well: Foxx is an Oscar-winner.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The plot feels like a recycled Death Wish for the twenty-first century.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $11 million


Where the Wild Things Are
What's It All About: Spike Jonze directs this feature adaptation of the classic children's book.
Why It Might Do Well: The book has been around since 1963 and has built quite a following.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Will kids go for the cool but non-digital characters?
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $36 million






The Stepfather
What's It All About: A teenage boy returns from military school to find that his mom's new boyfriend -- a serial killer who preys on families -- has moved in.
Why It Might Do Well: It's Halloween time and Zombieland and Paranormal Activity have proven America's love of a good scare.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Or this might prove to be yet another lame horror remake.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $8 million

Paranormal Activity is also going into wider release this weekend, and based on how well it's done so far I'm betting it has a major impact. Here's my prediction:

1. Where the Wild Things Are
2. Paranormal Activity
3. Couples Retreat
4. Law Abiding Citizen
5. The Stepfather

Congratulation to one8een as he or she was the only one to not only predict Paranormal Activity would land in the top five but to pull off a perfect score as well. Here's how we all did:

1. one8een: 16
2. WJDR: 11
2. Brandon: 11
2. Jessejames is back: 11
2. Ray: 11
2. greatone: 11
2. Vera: 11
2. Garrett: 11
3. lostinafog: 8
4. Abe: 6
5. Sebastian: 4
5. Sully: 4

Post your predictions for the top five movies in the comments section below before 5:00PM Eastern Time on Friday. One point for every top five movie correctly named, two points for every correct placement, and one extra point for the top movie.