Paranormal 4 should have little trouble this weekend when it comes to battling off competition for the top spot in the US Box Office Chart, however studio insiders are predicting that the fourth instalment of the horror campaign might have a little more trouble than it's predecessors in the race for the top spot, with a handful of films already in the box office still over-performing.

The better than expected outings from films Argi, Taken 2, Sinister and Hotel Transylvania might inflict a fair amount of damage to the extended franchise's latest offering, reflecting poorly on the overall box office impact the film makes. Still, these titles are unlikely to stand in the way of the horror film's rise to the top of the charts when it opens this weekend, with analysts predicting an impressive return for the horror franchise.

Tracking suggests that Paranormal 4 will open with takings around the $30 million point, perhaps higher, which would be a good start for a horror film but no where near as good as the last outing. When Paranormal Activity 3 opened last October it took in an ample $52.6 million, not only a record for the franchise, but a record for any horror film. When Paranormal 2 opened two years ago this month, its takings were also fairly impressive, coming in at $40.7 million on the opening weekend. It is around this mark too that the more optimistic box office observers are predicting number four to come in at.