Sequel bought in $6.3 million at the box office on Thursday, the highest midnight gross for an R-rated film.
By Kara Warner
"Paranormal Activity 2"
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Given the thousands of fans who lined up at theaters around the country for the midnight screenings of "Paranormal Activity 2" this week, it's no surprise that the early reports of the film's box-office performance so far are quite positive.
According to Paramount, the sequel brought in a record-breaking $6.3 million from 1,800 screens on Thursday, passing the previous $4.6 million record held by "Watchmen" to become the all-time highest midnight grosser for an R-rated film.
Reviews for the follow-up to "Paranoramal Activity" have been mostly positive, but the real story behind the film's success is the response from the fans, many of whom participated in the "Demand it!" campaign in order to bring early screenings of the film to their desired city. And so far, their reactions are likely exactly what the filmmakers want to hear.
"I was, like, scared, like, out of my mind scared," moviegoer Jolanda Kumkaw told MTV News after the midnight screening in Los Angeles.
"I'm still shaking," one fan said. Another added, "I'm just at a loss for words. That's just way worse than the first one, but good ... in a good way."
"Paranormal Activity" director and "PA 2" producer Oren Peli said that what makes the films so scary is twofold, the found footage factor that connects audiences to the story on a personal level, as well as tapping into a universal primal fear: things that go bump in the night.
"It taps into people's primal fears of what happens at night and while you're asleep and most vulnerable," he said. "So, the first one, and this one as well, kind of taps into those types of fears that everyone, across the world, shares."
Check out everything we've got on "Paranormal Activity 2."
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