Low budget horror movie The Devil Inside, which has been likened to Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project, stunned its blockbuster competition by climbing to the top the North American box office this weekend - taking $35.5 million on its way. The movie follows the story of a woman who investigates exorcisms and is shot in a mockumentary style.
As with Paranormal Activity, the film appears to have pulled in the weekend audiences with a series of clever online marketing campaigns. Don Harris, the president of domestic distribution for Paramount, said, "The marketing campaign was very much like Paranormal Activity.It was online, trying to find the younger movie-goer, the fans for this genre". The movie stormed to the top spot, leaving last week's number one Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol dropping to number two with takings of $20.5 million. The success behind the movie is a curious talking point, given it has largely been ripped apart by critics and was bought by Paramount for just $1 million after being independently produced. The weekend's takings certainly took industry experts by surprise - Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian said, "This one caught everyone looking, but the devil got his due.It's just very difficult to track the horror fan base, no question about it". Simon Quarterman - A British actor who has briefly appeared in Midsomer Murders, Holby City and Eastenders - is the only recognisable face in The Devil Inside.
Elsewhere on this this week's box office, Guy Ritchie's well-received Sherlock Holmes sequel A Game of Shadows dropped one place to number three, taking $14.1 million, while possible Oscar contender The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo had a strong weekend and climbed one place to number four. The surprise success for The Devil Inside will delight Paramount executives, not least because of their decision to make a fourth Paranormal Activity movie, set to hit cinemas in October 2012.