Film News: ‘The Help’ Takes Top Spot at Box Office Again

For the third week in a row, a first for the year 2011, the same film has finished number one at the box office. The drama “The Help” finished in the top spot for the third week in a row in its fourth weekend in theaters. This is quite the accomplishment considering the film finished in second place in its opening weekend, the weekend the film produced the highest numbers.
 
The three-weekend run may be due to word-of-mouth sending audiences to see the film or the fact that heavy hitter movies haven’t been opening for several weeks, but either way, the $14.2 million was good enough for first place again. While the numbers are slowing for “The Help,” even with it finishing at number one, the film has now reached $118.6 million on a film that was made for $25 million.
 
This week’s new releases finished behind “The Help” in positions two, three and four. “The Debt” finished with $9.7 million, the thriller “Apollo 18” brought in $8.7 million, and “Shark Night 3D” finished in fourth with $8.6 million.

Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer star in The Help.
Photo credit: Dale Robinette for DreamWorks Pictures

 
Meanwhile, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” finished in fifth place adding $7.8 million to its total gross, which has now reached the $160 million mark. “Apes” was the highest grossing release of August, even if it didn’t reach number one as many times as “The Help.”
 
Next week will pose a mighty challenge for the run “The Help” has had when the film goes up against the new releases of “Contagion,” the new Steven Soderbergh film, and Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte’s new MMA film “Warrior,” which Hollywood Chicago’s Brian Tallerico gave a perfect 5 out of 5 rating .
 
1. The Help — $14.2 million – down 2% — $118.6 million total
2. The Debt — $9.7 million – new
3. Apollo 18 — $8.7 million — new
4. Shark Night 3D — $8.6 million — new
5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes — $7.8 million – down 12% — $160 million total
6. Colombiana — $7.4 million — down 29% — $22 million total
7. Our Idiot Brother — $5.2 million — down 26% — $15.4 million total
8. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark — $4.9 million – down 42% — $16.4 million total
9. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D — $4.6 million – down 23% — $29 million total
10. The Smurfs — $4 million – down 16% — $132 million total
 

By TIM MARTENS
Contributing Writer
HollywoodChicago.com