In this undated file film publicity image released by Disney, from left, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis are shown in a scene from "The Help." "The Help" continues to clean up at the box office, taking over the No. 1 spot with $20.5 million in its second weekend. AP
LOS ANGELES—”The Help,” a drama about a Southern white woman who writes a book about black women housekeepers in pre-Civil Rights era America, topped the weekend box office, final figures showed Monday.
Despite some predictions that Hurricane Irene’s charge up the US east coast would sour North American box office earnings, “The Help” needed little help attracting a crowd almost equal to that seen last week, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.
The Disney film brought in an estimated $14.5 million over the weekend for a total of $96.8 million to date, the firm said.
“The Help” dusted “Colombiana,” a Sony picture starring Zoe Saldana which brought in $10.4 million in its premiere weekend.
In the number three spot was “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” The prequel to the 1968 classic “Planet of the Apes” earned $8.86 million over the weekend, bringing its total gross to $148.7 million.
“Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” debuted in the number four position, raking in $8.5 million, while “Our Idiot Brother,” starring Paul Rudd, debuted in fifth place with a $7-million take.
“Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World,” fell to the number-six spot, bringing in $6 million.
Live-action and animation flick “The Smurfs,” starring Neil Patrick Harris and Katy Perry, pulled in $4.8 million and finished in seventh place.
“Conan the Barbarian,” with Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa in this remake of the beefcake classic, came in eighth, taking in $3.2 million.
Romantic comedy “Crazy, Stupid Love” came in ninth place at $3.11 million. The comedy has earned $69.7 million so far. Rounding out the top ten was “Fright Night,” another release from Disney, slightly behind at $3.1 million.