Film News: ‘The Devil Inside’ Tops Box Office, Beats ‘Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol’

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CHICAGO – After two weeks at the top of the box office, “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” has finally been dethroned. The new horror movie about demonic possession “The Devil Inside” dominated the weekend box office with an estimated $34.5 million, $14 million more than “Ghost Protocol,” which came in at number two.

Being the only major new release of the weekend, “The Devil Inside” was an incredible success as the film was made for only $1 million. You can add it to the list of horror films that have been made for cheap, but made a major gross at the box office along the lines of “The Blair Witch Project,” “Saw,” and “Paranormal Activity.”

Another note to be made about the estimated results was “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” coming in at number nine. The film made minor money in its limited release run, but its wide release this weekend raised its weekend gross by 431%.

Will “The Devil Inside” be able to go two for two next weekend? It will have to beat out all the current releases again, along with the new releases of “Beauty and the Beast 3D,” “The Iron Lady,” and “Contraband” to reclaim the crown. I would say the film has its work cut out for it.

1. The Devil Inside – $34.5 million – new
2. Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol – $20.5 million – down 30% — $170.2 million total
3. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows– $14.1 million – down 33% — $157.4 million total
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo– $11.3 million – down 24% — $76.8 million total
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked– $9.5 million – down 42% — $111.6 million total
6. War Horse – $8.6 million – down 40% — $56.8 million total
7. We Bought a Zoo– $8.5 million – down 36% — $56.5 million total
8. The Adventures of Tintin– $6.6 million – down 42% — $61.9 million total
9. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – $5.8 million – up 431% — $10.4 million total
10. New Year’s Eve– $3.3 million – down 49% — $52 million total

By TIM MARTENS Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com tim@hollywoodchicago.com