Paranormal Activity 4 haunts top of movie charts

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - The fourth Paranormal Activity fright flick crept into the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office with US$30.2 million (S$37 million) in United States (US) and Canadian ticket sales.

Iran hostage thriller Argo earned US$16.6 million and took second place, studio estimates released on Sunday showed.

Two-time box office leader Taken 2 fell to the No. 4 spot with US$13.4 million from Friday through Sunday.

Low-budget Paranormal Activity 4 opened short of distributor Paramount's projection for at least US$35 million in domestic receipts during the movie's lead off weekend. The film also trailed its predecessor in the haunted house series. The third Paranormal rung up $53 million in its debut last October.