Weekend Box Office Results

Estimated sales in the U.S. and Canada: Movie (studio) 3-day gross (millions) Percentage change from last weekend Total (millions) Days in release 1 Avatar (Fox/Dune/Ingenious) $30 -14% $594.4 45 2 Edge of Darkness (Warner Bros./GK Films) $17.1 NA $17.1 3 3 When in Rome (Disney)

I haven't seen "2016: Obama's America," Dinesh D'Souza's exploration of the inner Barack Obama, but I can pretty confidently make this prediction: The movie's box-office totals will not be a bellwether for November's election. That's not a knock on the film, which has drawn mixed reviews -- for example, The Times' Betsy Sharkey panned it, The Arizona Republic's Bill Goodykoontz saw a bit more filmmaking talent in its frames. It's just the reality that even a wildly successful movie draws only a fraction of the electorate to the multiplex.

It's going to be a good weekend at the box office for Paramount Pictures. The premiere of the studio's low-budget horror sequel, "Paranormal Activity 2," is the favorite to be No. 1, people who have seen prerelease surveys predicted. Even if it falls a bit short, however, Paramount can still pop the champagne. That's because the other movie gunning for the top spot is the studio's "Jackass 3D," which finished first last weekend. Paramount has accelerated television and online marketing for the new "Paranormal" film recently and has seen interest grow among young moviegoers and particularly Latinos.

It's going to be a good weekend at the box office for Paramount Pictures. The premiere of the studio's low-budget horror sequel, "Paranormal Activity 2," is the favorite to be No. 1, people who have seen prerelease surveys predicted. Even if it falls a bit short, however, Paramount can still pop the champagne. That's because the other movie gunning for the top spot is the studio's "Jackass 3D," which finished first last weekend. Paramount has accelerated television and online marketing for the new "Paranormal" film recently and has seen interest grow among young moviegoers and particularly Latinos.

Estimated sales in the U.S. and Canada: Movie (studio) 3-day gross (millions) Percentage change from last weekend Total (millions) Days in release 1 Avatar (Fox/Dune/Ingenious) $30 -14% $594.4 45 2 Edge of Darkness (Warner Bros./GK Films) $17.1 NA $17.1 3 3 When in Rome (Disney)