Five, count ‘em, five new releases entered the box office race on Friday, though it looks like none of them will be able to unseat Taken 2 by the time weekend estimates are out. First on Friday was Sinister with an estimated $7.5 million from 2,527 runs. With Paranormal Activity 4 waiting in the wings, the R-rated horror movie barely registered a week ago; but with a scary-effective marketing campaign and well-attended late shows, Sinister took the lead on its first day out. By Sunday, however, Sinister should fall behind Taken 2 and Argo. The well-reviewed feature from director Ben Affleck placed third with an estimated $5.9 million from 3,232 runs on Friday and is expected to get close to $20 million by weekend’s end. Among wide releases, Here Comes the Boom had the most trouble. Opening in 3,014 locations, the comedy placed fifth with an estimated $3.6 million. The final two players in Friday’s box office crush fell below the top five. CBS Films’ Seven Psychopaths earned an estimated $1.4 million for ninth place from 1,480 locations while Atlas Shrugged: Part II, in a head-scratching 1,012 runs, failed to crack  $1 million.

Title

Friday

Total

1.

 Sinister

$7,500,000

$7.5

2.

 Taken 2

$7,000,000

$71.3

3.

 Argo

$5,900,000

$5.9

4.

 Hotel Transylvania

$4,200,000

$89

5.

 Here Comes the Boom

$3,600,000

$3.6