'Paranormal Activity 3' Debuts on Top with $54 Million

Comstock Images/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- There was a lot of activity at the box office this weekend.

Paranormal Activity 3 opened in first place, earning an estimated $54 million -- a record debut total for a horror flick.  It surpassed the $40.7 million raised by the second film in the series last year.

Paranormal Activity 3 also enjoyed the best-ever debut for an October release.  The 2010 film Jackass 3D held the previous mark: $50.35 million.

Real Steel, which was the box office champ the previous two weekends, dropped to second place, with $11.3 million.  The Three Musketeers premiered in the fourth spot, with $8.8 million; the comedy sequel Johnny English Reborn opened in eighth place, with $3.8 million; and the new sports drama The Mighty Macs finished outside the top 10, with $1.1 million.

Here are the top 10 movies from Friday through Sunday, with estimated ticket sales:

1. Paranormal Activity 3, $54 million.
2. Real Steel, $11.3 million.
3. Footloose, $10.85 million.
4. The Three Musketeers, $8.8 million.
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.
9. The Thing, $3.1 million.
10. 50/50, $2.8 million.

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