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A Low-Budget Horror Film Is Going To Tear Apart 'The Internship' At The Box Office This Weekend

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the purge

The movie people are dying to see this weekend isn't the Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson Google comedy "The Internship."

Instead, people are heading out in droves to see low-budget horror film "The Purge."

The Universal film has already earned more than its $3 million budget in late night showings. Thursday evening, the movie took in $3.4 million at theaters.

"The Purge" follows a 12-hour period where crime is legalized once a year. Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey star as a family held hostage for the duration. 

Fandango told us the film was 54% of its ticket sales yesterday both online and in mobile. As of late last night, the film is their number one horror film of the year when it comes to presale tickets — bigger than those of April's "Evil Dead" reboot and January's "Mama." 

"Evil Dead" earned $25.8 million opening weekend while Guillermo del Toro's "Mama" brought in $28.4 million.

According to Fandango, most people are heading out to see the movie because the premise of a horror film is refreshing in theaters crowded with superheroes and sci-fi "after earth" tales. 

A Fandango survey that polled more than 1,000 "Purge" ticket buyers shows 94% of moviegoers bought a ticket because of "the film's unusual premise." 

"'The Purge' definitely struck a nerve with moviegoers, with social media buzz that's been off the charts," says Fandango President Paul Yanover.

the purge posterThe film has been engaging potential moviegoers by asking them what they would do during "the purge" in a series of photos. The hashtag #SurviveTheNight has been used to gain traction on Facebook and Twitter and it's working.  

The film has nearly 500,000 people talking about the film on Facebook. 

However, one of the key factors that probably has moviegoers excited is that it's from Jason Blum, the producer of low-budget Hollywood success "Paranormal Activity."

That film cost an estimated $15,000 to produce. It earned $193 million worldwide and has led to a successful horror franchise.

It also helps that master-of-explosions Michael Bay ("Transformers") is also a producer on the film.

And "The Internship"?

We're told the film accounted for 7% of all sales on Fandango yesterday. 

The film is receiving terrible reviews. 

The Google comedy is currently sitting as the fourth-most anticipated movie of the weekend on the movie-ticket selling site behind "Now You See Me" and "Fast & Furious 6," but ahead of Will Smith's "After Earth." 

Boxoffice.com predicts "The Purge" will earn $21 million opening weekend while projections for "The Internship" are currently at a generous $15.6 million. 

Watch the trailer for "The Purge" below:

SEE ALSO: Why Will Smith's "After Earth" is a disaster >

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