Third 'Paranormal' tops weekend box office

"Paranormal Activity 3" didn't just go bump in the night. It made a ton of noise at the box office with a record-setting, $54- million opening.

The third film in Paramount Pictures' low-budget franchise, which was No. 1 at the box office, had the biggest debut ever for a horror movie, according to studio estimates Sunday. It broke the record part two set a year ago with $40.7 million. It's also the biggest opening ever for an October release, topping the $50.35-million Paramount's "Jackass 3D" made last year.

"Paranormal Activity 3" is actually a prequel, with the discovery of disturbing home-movie footage from 1988. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who made the creepy documentary "Catfish," took over directing duties this time.

Last week's No. 1 release, the futuristic boxing robot adventure "Real Steel," fell to second place. It made $11.3 million for a domestic total of $67.2 million. Worldwide, the Disney movie has grossed $153.3 million.

Among the other new releases this week, Summit Entertainment's 3-D version of "The Three Musketeers" came in fourth place with $8.8 million. And Universal's "Johnny English Reborn," a sequel to the 2003 spy parody starring Rowan Atkinson, opened at No. 8 with $3.8 million. But it's already a huge hit internationally, having made $104.5 million so far.