'The Help' Stays Strong at US Weekend B-O

AUG 29, 2011 - The Help seemed relatively unfazed by Hurricane Irene over the weekend, while the three new nationwide releases Colombiana, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Our Idiot Brother were blown away. The drama packed an estimated US$14.3 million, down just 28 percent from last weekend, lifting its total to US$96.6 million in 19 days, surpassing the final gross of Julie & Julia.

The weekend as a whole, though, was the second-slowest of the year so far, ahead of only Super Bowl weekend (Feb. 4-6), but business was poised to flounder, hurricane or no.

Colombiana was the most successful debut with an estimated $10.3 million on approximately 2,900 screens at 2,614 locations. On the bright side, it improved on the US$9.4 million first weekend of Zoe Saldana's last action turn in the ensemble The Losers as well as producer Luc Besson's last action movie, From Paris with Love (US$8.2 million), but it was otherwise tepid as late August action movies often are.

Last weekend's flops showed no traction. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World tumbled 51 percent to an estimated US$5.7 million for a paltry US$21.7 million sum in ten days. Conan the Barbarian crumbled 69 percent to an estimated US$3.1, mustering just $16.6 million in ten days. Fright Night bled 61 percent to an estimated US$3 million for an anaemic US$14.2 million tally in 10 days.

Here are the Top 5 North American B-O studio estimates for Aug 26-28, 2011 weekend, in terms of rank, (previous week ranking), Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo. (US$1=RM3).

1. (1) The Help (Buena Vista) $14.3 million ($96.6 mil) 3

2. (-) Colombiana (TriStar) $10.3 million ($10.3 mil) 1

3. (-) Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (FilmDistrict) $8.7 million ($8.7 mil) 1

4. (2) Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Fox) $8.7 million ($148.5 mil) 4

5. (-) Our Idiot Brother (Weinstein Company) $6.6 million ($6.6 mil) 1