‘Paranormal 3’ brings in strong $8 million in midnight screenings

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Buoyed by strong reviews and positive word of mouth, “Paranormal Activity 3” opened to strong business midnight Thursday, grossing $8 million. Those returns are about 30% better than the first “Paranormal” sequel, which grossed $6.3 million in its midnight shows in about 400 fewer locations.

Box office prognosticators say “Paranormal 3,” which focuses on the plight of two small girls in the late 1980s, could beat last year’s debut of “Paranormal Activity 2,” which sold $40.7 million in tickets in its first weekend. Some estimates are that the new, $5-million sequel could gross as much as $45 million this weekend.

Distributor Paramount Pictures also said the third film’s opening day receipts in France were 13% better than “Paranormal Activity 2,” while Russian sales were 45% higher and Australian sales were 14% higher.

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--John Horn