Disney’s late-summer hit The Help tops the box office chart for the second consecutive weekend with $14.3 million and another modest 28% weekend over weekend drop. The film opened three weeks ago in the number two spot, but has reclaimed dominance in the marketplace as great word-of-mouth for the film continues to sweep the nation. The $100 million mark will be crossed this week for this audiences pleasing film.
Sony’s Colombiana added some late summer action sizzle to the mix with Zoe Saldana kicking butt as a cold-blooded assassin in this stylized PG-13 romp written by the legendary Luc Besson. Besson has had his hand in such films as Taken, The Professional and La Femme Nikita. $10.3 million was the result as aficionados hit theaters to get their late-summer action fix.
Yet another horror re-make hit theaters this weekend as Film District’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark updates the 1973 movie of the same name with the unique sensibility of Guillermo del Toro who serves as screenwriter. Starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce this R-rated story of a young girl who discovers creatures in her new home sent horror fans to the multi-plex looking for a good scare and an opening weekend of $8.7 million.
Fox’s Rise of The Planet of the Apes enters its fourth weekend with a fourth place finish of $8.65 million and is closing in on $150 million in domestic revenue by Sunday night.
Opening this weekend with $6.6 million is the R-rated off-beat comedy Our Idiot Bother from the Weinstein Company and the producers of Little Miss Sunshine. The film starring comedy mainstay Paul Rudd as a stoned out idealist who crashes into the lives of his sisters found favor with audiences looking for some light-hearted escapism.
A very tough weekend on the east coast as Hurricane Irene took its toll on the box office and the nerves of many on the eastern seaboard. The weekend was off a solid 23% from the same weekend a year ago when Takers and The Last Exorcism had strong late-August debuts with over $20 million each.
Weekend Box Office
Top Movies for Weekend of August 26, 2011 (estimates)
Movie Weekend Gross Total to Date
1 The Help (PG13) $14.3M $96.6M
2 Colombiana (PG13) $10.3M $10.3M
3 Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (R) $8.7M $8.7M
4 Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG13) $8.65M $148.4M
5 Our Idiot Brother (NR) $6.6M $6.6M
