The Help takes control at US box office on $21m

Both films have earned high approval ratings from the critics and clearly have the commercial appeal to boot. They also demonstrated enough stamina to keep four new releases at bay.

The best performer of the new arrivals was Dimension Films’ Spy Kids: All The Time In The World, which opened third on an estimated $12m – the lowest opening weekend of the franchise to date. Jessica Alba stars in the family action release.

Lionsgate’s Conan The Barbarian reboot starring Jason Momoa opened in fourth on $10m, while DreamWorks’ Fright Night starring Colin Farrell and distributed through Buena Vista launched in sixth place on $7.9m.

Focus Features’ romance One Day with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess arrived in ninth place on $5.1m. Sony’s The Smurfs ranks fifth and has amassed $117m after four weekends.

Woody Allen’s Midnight In Paris stands at $50.7m. SPC announced last week that it intended to expand the film wide on Aug 26 as it attempts to keep the comedy alive for as long as possible into awards season.

Next weekend’s wide releases are FilmDistrict’s Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark with Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes; TriStar’s action film Columbiana with Zoe Saldana; and TWC’s comedy Our Idiot Brother with Paul Rudd.

Estimated Top 10 North America Aug 19-21, 2011
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (2) The Help (Disney/DreamWorks) WDSMPI $20.5m $71.8m

2 (1) Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (Fox) Fox Int’l $16.3m $133.8m

3 (-) Spy Kids: All The Time In The World (TWC/Dimension) TWC $12m –

4 (-) Conan The Barbarian (Lionsgate) Nu Image $10m –

5 (4) The Smurfs (Sony) SPRI $8m $17.7m

6 (-) Fright Night (Disney/DreamWorks) WDSMPI $7.9m $8.3m

7 (3) Final Destination 5 (Warner Bros/New Line) $7.7m $32.3m

8 (5) 30 Minutes Or Less (Sony) SPRI $6.3m $25.8m

9 (-) One Day (Focus) UPI $5.1m –

10 (9) Crazy, Stupid, Love. (Warner Bros) WBPI $4.9m $64.4m