With
solid word of mouth, an agreeably inspiring take on entrenched racial
injustice in 1960's America, and an appealing cast that includes Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain, the cinematic take on Kathryn Stockett's bestselling novel became the first film since True Grit to debut outside of the top spot, then leap up in subsequent weeks.
This weekend's estimate was down just 21% from its opening, with $20.4
million adding to a $71.8 million total in twelve days. Barring any
unforeseen disaster, this assures a take of well over $100 million for
the film, which is not based on a pre-existing franchise, toy property,
or a superhero comic book.
The Help swapped spots with the previous number one film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which held sway for two consecutive weeks, thanks to positive reviews, consistent word of mouth, and some nifty visual effects. In its third weekend, the quasi-prequel/reboot starring Andy Serkis and James Franco softened by an estimated 41% and brought its domestic total to a cool $133.7 million.
Among new releases, the one that fared best was the Robert Rodriguez-directed sequel Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, the "4D" release boasting novelty 3D and and updated version of occasional mega-novelty Smell-O-Vision. The film's estimated $12.0 million haul is enough to place it ahead of its fellow newcomers this week, but marked a series low for the Spy Kids franchise. Back in 2003, Spy Kids 3D: Game Over opened to $33 million, and though that entry was in 3D, it was prior to the substantial 3D surcharge. Factor in inflation and this is by far the least-attended debut for a Spy Kids film, and is all but guaranteed to be the lowest-grossing in the franchise.
For months now, star Jason Momoa has voiced his confidence that the reboot Conan the Barbarian would lead to continued sequels exploring Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age, but based on the film's 4th place opening, with $10 million estimate, a franchise seems fairly unlikely. 3D tickets accounted for roughly 61% of Conan's haul, which is more in line with pre-summer expectations for the format. Over the last 3 months, 3D has generally been about 40% of receipts, well below industry hopes.
The other big new release this weekend, a remake of Tom Holland's 1985 horror-comedy Fright Night, fared worse than Conan, however, debuting just ahead of The Smurfs, which added an estimated $8.0 million in its fourth weekend for a $117 million total. Almost certainly the most aggressively marketed of the new releases, Fright Night's Thursday midnight showings bring its weekend totals to an $8.3 million estimate, but without those, it looks to have earned $7.9 million, which would put it behind The Smurfs and just ahead of Final Destination 5, which debuted last weekend and declined almost 60% in its second. Like Conan, Fright Night apparently benefited from a 3D bump, with the format bringing in 61% of business.
One Day, the romance starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, played on roughly half the number of screens as its fellow new releases, and opened in ninth place with a $5.1 million estimate.
Here are the top ten estimates for the weekend of August 19-21:
1. The Help $20.4 million $71.8 million
2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes $16.3 million $133.7 million
3. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World $12.0 million New Release
4. Conan the Barbarian $10.0 million New Release
5. Fright Night $8.3 million New Release
6. The Smurfs $8.0 million $117.7 million
7. Final Destination 5 $7.7 million $32.3 million
8. 30 Minutes or Less $6.3 million $25.7 million
9. One Day $5.1 million New Release
10. Crazy, Stupid, Love. $4.9 million $64.4 million
Next week brings three very different new releases, with the horror film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, the indie comedy Our Idiot Brother, and the sexy actioner Colombiana all making their way into theaters.
