Though reigning supreme, the Tate Taylor-directed drama only grossed $14.5 million as a result of Hurricane Irene disaster that affected the ticket sales in U.S. theaters.
- Aug 29, 2011
AceShowbiz - Although Hurricane Irene that swept over the East Coast forced 1000 theaters to close, "The Help" still managed to rule the North American box office for the second week. Dropping 28|percent| from last week, the drama starring Emma Stone raked in $14.5 million which could be the lowest grossing weekend of the year.
The national disaster also affected the performance of other films, including newcomer "Colombiana" which landed on the second place with only $10.4 million. Rory Bruer, Sony president of worldwide distribution said, "If the number stick, it's certainly in the realm of what we were hoping for."
*Another new release "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" was placed the third this weekend with $8.5 million, while "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" dropped to number four with $8.8 million. Rounding up the top five was "Our Idiot Brother", which has just been released in U.S. theaters on August 26, with $7 million.
It was reported earlier that Hurricane Irene threat forced some cinemas in Philadelphia and New York City to temporarily shut their doors. The situation caused the domestic ticket sales to reach only $90 million, dropping 25|percent| from the same weekend last year. That was the second worst showing in 2011 after Super Bowl weekend ($87 million).
Top Ten Movies at Box Office for August 26-28:
*UPDATE (Aug. 30, 2011 - 00:42 AM GMT): When the final figures came out on Monday, August 29, it was revealed that "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" grossed more than "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark". Thus, the sci-fi movie secured the third position on the chart, while the new release landed on the fourth position.
