tops box office

Liam Neeson, fighter of wolves, may be the closest thing the box office has to an alpha male.

With a $134.1 million domestic total, it's the first $100 million hit with Cruise in the lead role since 2006's "Mission: Impossible III."

"Paranormal Activity 3" didn't just go bump in the night. It made a ton of noise at the box office with a huge, $54 million opening.

Maybe it's just us, but we were really disappointed by "Super 8."

After invading Los Angeles, aliens have taken the box office, too.

Will Ferrell connected with audiences as a bumbling, clueless cop opposite an easy-to-rage Mark Wahlberg. "The Other Guys" earned an estimated $35.6 million, marking Ferrell's second-highest grossing opener ever and the first film to knock "Inception" out of the top spot.

The other new wide release, "Step Up 3D," benefited little from the extra dimension. In fact, the third iteration in the dance franchise opened to third place and $15 million, the lowest bow of the loosely connected trilogy.

"The Other Guys" are the main guys at the box office, knocking off "Inception" to take the No.

"The Other Guys" are the main guys at the box office, knocking off "Inception" to take the No.

James Cameron's "Avatar" is on a course to sink "Titanic" at the box office. FILE - In this file film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, the character Neytiri, voiced...

FILE - In this file film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, the character Neytiri, voiced by Zoe Saldana, right, and the character Jake, voiced by Sam ...

*As expected, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" has taken over the box office with a Wednesday total of $7.4 million in the U.S. and $12.7 million overseas -- a worldwide sum of $20.1 million on its first full day in theaters.

Distributor Sony said the $7.4 million domestic haul is the best ever for a movie on a Wednesday in October, reports the AP.

"This Is It" was easily the No. 1 film domestically, coming in ahead of the $1.5 million gross for "Paranormal Activity," last weekend's top box-office earner.