‘The Help’ tops ‘The Debt’ at box office

LOS ANGELES—”The Help,” a drama about African-American housekeepers employed in the US south before the Civil Rights era, topped weekend box sales for a third straight week, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The Disney film brought in an estimated $14.2 million in receipts, only slightly less than the previous weekend, for a total to date of $118.6 million, according to initial figures from movie data tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The film, a largely unheralded summer hit, comfortably held off “The Debt,” an Israeli espionage thriller starring Oscar winner Helen Mirren, which grossed $9.7 million in its first weekend.

“The Debt” is the latest hit from the critically-acclaimed Focus Features label that produced and distributed low-budget successes “The American” and “Syriana,” both starring George Clooney.

“Apollo 18,” about a disputed 1974 mission to the Moon, opened in third place, returning $8.7 million, and “Shark Night 3D” took fourth, with $8.6 million, according to the preliminary figures.

In the number five spot was “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” the prequel to the 1968 classic “Planet of the Apes.” It earned $7.8 million over the weekend, pushing its total take to $160 million.

Action flick “Colombiana,” with $7.4 million in receipts, slipped from its second-placed debut last week to sixth place, and “Our Idiot Brother” followed with $5.2 million.

“Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” came in eighth, with $4.9 million, and “Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World,” fell from sixth to ninth week-on-week, bringing in $4.6 million.

“The Smurfs,” a live-action and animation film starring Neil Patrick Harris and pop star Katy Perry, rounded out the top 10 among movie goers, grossing $4 million.

Final weekend figures are released on Monday.