Box Office: 'The Help' Tops New Releases

by Brian Kesler

School is back in session and the box office saw its second-slowest weekend of the year with only 'The Help' doing much business.

In its third week, 'The Help' gained an estimated $14.3M, putting it's total at $96.6M. For a film with a $25M budget, it's doing quite well, though trailing 28% from last weekend. Good word of mouth and the popularity of the book no doubt have helped its staying power.

The only new release to compete was the Zoe Saldana propelled action flick, 'Colombiana,' with an estimated $10.3M. While reception for the film has not been kind, and it will likely not see the staying power of 'The Help,' its gross is more than expected from analysts who had predicted 'Don't be Afraid of the Dark' to be battling it out with 'The Help.'

Speaking of the horror remake, 'Don't be Afraid of the Dark,' it flopped with an estimated $8.69M, which is quite a fall, especially considering its playing in over 100 more theaters than 'Colombiana' and roughly the same as 'The Help.' Critics had not been kind to film, but audience reception is comparatively better than for 'Colombiana.' 'Don't be Afraid of the Dark,' however, had half the budget that 'Colombiana' did, and may earn its money back faster.

The only new film that gained it's budget back, and then some, this weekend was 'Our Idiot Brother.' But, with a measly $5M budget, the indie film didn't need much of an audience to be a success. The film premiered in the fifth slot of the box office and made only $6.59M. The film has received mildly positive feedback from both critics and audiences and may not have enough stamina to make it past next week.

Among holdovers, 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' continued its success in fourth place with an estimated $8.65M, which brings its total barely under the $150M mark. The 'Conan the Barbarian' remake had the worst holdover, tumbling nearly 70% to eighth place after its second place debut. With a $90M budget and only a $16M gross thus far, plus not much hope for its remaining in theaters, the film is a certifiable flop.

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