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Surprise summer hit "The Help" retained the No. 1 spot at movie theater box offices on Sunday, beating back three newcomers and appearing headed for victory over a long U.S. holiday weekend.
Movie studio estimates showed the civil rights-era story about the racial divide between white women in Mississippi and the black women who worked for them had taken in $14.2 million over three days ending on Sunday and appeared headed toward $18 million by Monday, the U.S. Labor Day holiday.
The movie, backed by DreamWorks and released by the film division of The Walt Disney Co, topped No. 2 film, spy thriller "The Debt," which collected $9.7 million through Sunday and was poised for an $11.6 million haul by Monday, according to industry watcher Hollywood.com Box Office.
"The Debt," a newcomer to theaters from Focus Features, raked in an average of $5,300 per theater from 1,800 venues through Sunday. It is expected have sold $14 million worth of tickets in domestic -- U.S. and Canadian -- theaters by the time the holiday ends on Monday.
Taking the No. 3 spot was another new movie, space alien mystery "Apollo 18," which purports to use "found footage" of an ill-fated trip to the moon to tell its otherworldly tale. It had taken in $8.7 million, or $2,600 per venue, for the three days ending on Sunday. A Monday forecast was not available for the movie released by privately held Weinstein Co.
Close behind was the weekend's third new release, another thriller, "Shark Night (3-D)." It was seen collecting $8.6 million through Sunday and adding $1.9 million on Monday, to end at $10.5 million, according to its studio, closely held Relativity Media. For the three days ending on Sunday, its average was estimated at $3,000 per venue.
Rounding out the top five was holdover sci-fi flick "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," from 20th Century Fox, with $7.8 million in its fifth week in theaters. Like "the Help," its strong performance -- $160 million overall and still climbing -- has surprised box office watchers.
"The Help," in its fourth week, is expected to see its total domestic ticket sales reach $122 million by the time the long holiday weekend ends in the United States on Monday.
Movie studio estimates showed the civil rights-era story about the racial divide between white women in Mississippi and the black women who worked for them had taken in $14.2 million over three days ending on Sunday and appeared headed toward $18 million by Monday, the U.S. Labor Day holiday.
The movie, backed by DreamWorks and released by the film division of The Walt Disney Co, topped No. 2 film, spy thriller "The Debt," which collected $9.7 million through Sunday and was poised for an $11.6 million haul by Monday, according to industry watcher Hollywood.com Box Office.
"The Debt," a newcomer to theaters from Focus Features, raked in an average of $5,300 per theater from 1,800 venues through Sunday. It is expected have sold $14 million worth of tickets in domestic -- U.S. and Canadian -- theaters by the time the holiday ends on Monday.
Taking the No. 3 spot was another new movie, space alien mystery "Apollo 18," which purports to use "found footage" of an ill-fated trip to the moon to tell its otherworldly tale. It had taken in $8.7 million, or $2,600 per venue, for the three days ending on Sunday. A Monday forecast was not available for the movie released by privately held Weinstein Co.
Close behind was the weekend's third new release, another thriller, "Shark Night (3-D)." It was seen collecting $8.6 million through Sunday and adding $1.9 million on Monday, to end at $10.5 million, according to its studio, closely held Relativity Media. For the three days ending on Sunday, its average was estimated at $3,000 per venue.
Rounding out the top five was holdover sci-fi flick "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," from 20th Century Fox, with $7.8 million in its fifth week in theaters. Like "the Help," its strong performance -- $160 million overall and still climbing -- has surprised box office watchers.
"The Help," in its fourth week, is expected to see its total domestic ticket sales reach $122 million by the time the long holiday weekend ends in the United States on Monday.
