“Saw VII: 3D” Release Date Moved To Oct. 29 To Avoid Competition With “Paranormal Activity 2″

Horror sequels Paranormal Activity 2 and Saw VII: 3D will no longer slay victims on the same opening weekend.

Both horror blockbusters had been slated for Oct. 22 release dates, however Lionsgate — who produces Saw — has decided to bow out of a box office showdown with the eagerly-anticipated follow-up to last year’s Paranormal Activity. Paranormal Activity 2 will remain in the Oct. 22 slot while Saw 3D will move back to its customary Halloween weekend opening. The seventh — and final — installment in the horror franchise will now open Oct. 29.

The Saw slasher franchise was recently named the “Most Successful Horror Film Franchise” by the Guinness Book of World Records. Iconic horror series including A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th have produced more sequels, but Saw has been the most financially successful.

The franchise consists of six movies, each one having come out consecutively every Halloween weekend since 2004. The horror features have grossed more than $73O million at the worldwide box-office and sold more than thirty million DVDs.

Despite all of this, Jigsaw — the homicidal maniac who subjects his victims to psychological torture before killing them — has proven no match for the positively frightening Paranormal Activity 2.

The Los Angeles Times writes: “Last October, Saw VI opened on the same weekend that Paranormal Activity played in a nationwide release for the first time and grossed a disappointing $14.1 million, compared to $21.1 million for Paranormal. Executives at Lionsgate apparently decided they would rather concede the Oct. 22 date than repeat the same experience.”