LOS ANGELES - Lowbudget horror prevailed at last weekend’s box office as Paranormal Activity expanded to nationwide release and took the No. 1 spot with $21.1 million.

Shot for a reported $15,000, the independent horror sensation easily beat an established fright-film franchise as Saw VI opened at No. 2 with $14.1 million. It was the weakest debut ever for the Saw series, whose previous sequels all topped $30 million over opening weekend.

The top 15 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. Paranormal Activity, Paramount, $21,104,070, 1,945 locations, $10,850 average,$61,580,588, five weeks.

2. Saw VI, Lionsgate, $14,118,444, 3,036 locations, $4,650 average, $14,118,444, one week.

3. Where the Wild Things Are, Warner Bros., $14,019,406, 3,735 locations, $3,754 average, $53,558,981, two weeks.

4. Law Abiding Citizen, Overture, $12,403,888, 2,890 locations, $4,292 average, $40,008,703, two weeks.

5. Couples Retreat, Universal, $10,620,685, 3,074 locations, $3,455 average, $77,736,885, three weeks.

6. Astro Boy, Summit, $6,702,923, 3,014 locations, $2,224 average, $6,702,923, one week.

7. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, Universal, $6,293,205, 2,754 locations, $2,285 average, $6,293,205, one week.

8. The Stepfather, Columbia Screen Gems, $6,230,969, 2,734 locations, $2,279 average, $20,082,652, two weeks.

9. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Columbia, $5,250,541, 2,741 locations, $1,916 average, $114,854,877, six weeks.

10. Zombieland, Columbia, $4,205,812, 2,447 locations, $1,719 average, $67,213,384, four weeks.

11. Amelia, Fox Searchlight, $3,904,047, 820 locations, $4,761 average, $3,904,047, one week.

12. A Serious Man, Focus, $1,093,217, 176 locations, $6,211 average, $3,196,496, four weeks.

13. Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3-D, Disney, $1,009,900, 778 locations, $1,298 average, $30,144,903, four weeks.

14. Good Hair, Roadside Attractions, $945,958, 466 locations, $2,030 average, $2,803,709, three weeks.

15. The Invention of Lying, Warner Bros., $839,209, 802 locations, $1,046 average, $16,956,375, four weeks.

MovieStyle, Pages 36 on 10/30/2009

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