Weekend Receipts: Help, Apes Hold Off Anemic New Releases

On a weekend congested with reboots, remakes, prequels and sequels, it was a book adaptation that stirred Americans to visit the movie theater. Indeed, week two of The Help sent a message that we might have a sleeper hit in the making, while week three of Rise of the Planet of the Apes suggested we might have a new blockbuster franchise in our midst. The new-release class, meanwhile? Enh. Your Weekend Receipts are here.

1. The Help

Gross: $20,479,000 ($71,801,000)

Screens: 2,690 (PSA: $7,613)

Weeks: 2 (change: -21.4%)

Better late than never for DreamWorks, which succumbed to a narrow defeat in last week's box-office derby only to trade place with Fox and Apes this weekend. A stunningly low week-two drop -- propped up in large part by excellent word-of-mouth among devotees of Katherine Stockett's source novel -- will do that kind of thing for you. And with little in the way of female-skewing competition coming up on Friday, that slide may not be any steeper when we reconvene for the next round of Receipts.

2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Gross: $16,300,000 ($133,764,000)

Screens: 3,471 (PSA: $4,696)

Weeks: 3 (change: -41.4%)

It's time to start thinking of titles for the next Apes film, which this one's continued strong performance makes all but inevitable. Surge of the Planet of the Apes? Escape From the Planet of the Apes? Apes: The 3-D Concert Movie? I'm all ears.

3. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

Gross: $12.020,000 (new)

Screens: 3,295 (PSA: $3,648)

Weeks: 1

So much for the irresistible appeal of Aromascope.

4. Conan the Barbarian

Gross: $10,000,000 (new)

Screens: 3,015 (PSA: $3,317)

Weeks: 1

Like Spy Kids, Conan seemingly had plenty going for it: Established brand, wide-open action market, a 3-D bump, aggressive marketing from Lionsgate... everything, it appears, except for demand. Has director Marcus Nispel lost his reboot touch? Don't answer that.

5. The Smurfs

Gross: $8,000,000 ($117,745,000)

Screens: 3,057 (PSA: $2,617)

Weeks: 4 (change: -41.7%)

6. Fright Night

Gross: $7,900,000 (new)

Screens: 3,114 (PSA: $2,537)

Weeks: 1

Wow. Quite the letdown for the vampire remake, but at least there's this: Only $100,000 separates The Smurfs and Fright Night, so maybe that top-five finish isn't totally out of reach? Watch for actuals on Monday to see which horror film pulls it out.

9. One Day

Gross: $5,128,000 (new)

Screens: 1,719 (PSA: $2,983)

Weeks: 1

There can only be room for one Anne Hathaway romance in any given frame, and despite Focus Features' best efforts, I think we all know which one had the market cornered this weekend.

[Numbers via Box Office Guru]