'Spider-Man' dominates weekend, holdovers perform solidly

Capping a stellar first week, "The Amazing Spider-Man" dominated the weekend, grossing $65 million Friday to Sunday, bringing its six-day total to $140 million.

The film has earned $140 million to date.

The reboot has also done very well overseas, grossing an addition $201 million in foreign markets, for a worldwide total of $341 million.

The R-rated comedy from director Seth MacFarlane, "Ted," continues to defy expectations, bringing home a very solid $32 million in its second weekend for a 10-day total of $120 million.

Pixar's "Brave" is also holding up well, grossing $20.1 million in is third weekend for a total of $174 million.

Oliver Stone's "Savages," the only one of this week's debuting films to wait for Friday, earned a rather pedestrian $16 million over the weekend.

"Magic Mike" rounded out the top five with $15.6 million for a $72.7 million total.

The concert film "Katy Perry: Part of Me" had to settle for eighth place, grossing $7.1 million for the weekend. The movie, which opened Thursday, has grossed $10.2 million to date on a budget of $12 million. Despite the small opening compared to its fellow newcomers, "Part of Me" is already number eight on the highest grossing concert films list, only $110,000 behind "U2 3D."

Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" had another solid weekend in semi-wide release, taking home another $4.6 million, good enough for ninth place on the weekend. It only dropped five percent from its take from last weekend. It's now the director's second highest grossing film ever with $26.8 million, although it has a steep climb to reach "The Royal Tenenbaums," which earned $52 million in 2001.

Another auteur director saw his latest film get an expansion with Woody Allen's "To Rome with Love" expanding to 800 theaters, earning $3.5 million and 10th place.

The complete list of the weekend's top 10 grossing films is:

1. "The Amazing Spider-Man," $65 million (Total: $140 million)
2. "Ted," $32.5 million (Total: $120.2 million)
3. "Brave," $20.1 million (Total: $174.5 million)
4. "Savages," $16.1 million (New)
5. "Magic Mike," $15.6 million (Total: $72.7 million) 
6. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection," $10.2 million (Total: $45.8 million)
7. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," $7.7 million (Total: $196 million)
8. "Katy Perry: Part of Me," $7.1 million (Total: $10.2 million) 
9. "Moonrise Kingdom," $4.6 million (Total: $26.8)  
10. "To Rome with Love," $3.5 million (Total: $5.6 million)

Katy Perry no match for 'Spider-Man' at the box office

With three films debuting on different days this week, "Katy Perry: Part of Me" opened Thursday to a disappointing fifth place finish for the day, bringing in less than a fifth of what "The Amazing Spider-Man" grossed on its fourth day of release.

The film grossed $3 million on Thurday.

The concert film took home $3.1 million on Thursday compared to the $15.8 million haul from "Spider-Man." The superhero reboot had grossed $75 million in its first four days, with the traditional weekend still to go.

"Part of Me" was also behind "Ted" with $8 million, "Brave" with $4.9 million and "Magic Mike" with $4.5 million.

The film will also have to contend with the R-rated drug drama "Savages" from director Oliver Stone, which opened today. Neither movie is expected to come close to "Spider-Man."

'Spider-Man' rules over Fourth of July box office

"The Amazing Spider-Man" dominated the Fourth of July holiday, grossing $23.3 million on Wednesday after debuting Tuesday with a record-breaking $34.1 million.

The film earned $34 million Wednesday.

The reboot's first-day haul was the highest Tuesday opening ever, topping the original "Transformers," which grossed $27.8 million in 2007. The film's Wednesday take was the second highest non-opening Wednesday ever, this time falling behind "Transformers," which grossed $29 million on its second day.

The fast start puts "The Amazing Spider-Man" on track to have a very solid first weekend, when it will face the additional competition of "Katy Perry's Part of Me" and director Oliver Stone's "Savages."

In second place for Wednesday was last weekend's headliner, "Ted," which actually fell slightly from Tuesday with $8 million.

Pixar's "Brave" and "Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection," on the other hand, both benefitted from the mid-week holiday, bringing home $6.4 million and $3.1 million respectively, both double-digit percentage point increases.

Showing R-ratings and the Fourth of July aren't necessarily a good mix, "Magic Mike" also dropped from Tuesday to Wednesday, grossing $3 million, and rounding out the top five.

'Rock of Ages,' 'That's My Boy' no match for holdovers

This weekend's two wide releases both tanked, failing to unseat either of last week's debuts.

"Rock of Ages" had to settle for third.

"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" remained at the top, dropping only 41 percent from its opening tally with $35.5 million. It's 10 days total now sits at $120 million.

Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" also held onto its number two position, picking up $20 million (a drop of 60 percent) for a total of $88 million.

The musical adaptation of "Rock of Ages," featuring an ensemble cast led by Tom Cruise, had to settle for third place with $15 million. The musical was made for $75 million.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" fell one spot from last week, grossing $13.8 million for a three week total of $122 million.

Adam Sandler's latest comedy "That's My Boy" rounded out the top five in its debut, picking up $13 million on a budget of $70 million.

Meanwhile, Marvel's "The Avengers" continues to close in on $600 million, grossing $8.8 million in its seveth weekend for a domestic total of $586 million.

The only film to see a week-to-week increase in its returns was Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," which is continuing its slow expansion, adding 82 theaters this weekend and taking home $2.1 million for a total of $6.7 million.


The complete list of the weekend's top 10 grossing films is:

1. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," $60.3 million (Total: $120.4 million)
2. "Prometheus," $50 million (Total: $88.8 million)
3. "Rock of Ages," $15 million (New)
4. "Snow White and the Huntsman," $13.8 million (Total: $122.6 million)
5. "That's My Boy," $13 million (New) 
6. "MIB 3," $10 million (Total: $152.6 million)
7. "Marvel's The Avengers," $8.8 million (Total: $586.7 million)
8. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," $2.2 million (Total: $35.1 million)
9. "Moonrise Kingdom," $2.1 million (Total: $6.7 million)
10. "What to Expect When You're Expecting," $1.3 million (Total: $38.7 million)

Analysis: 'Hunger Games' crosses $400 million

This weekend, "The Hunger Games" became the 14th film to cross $400 million at the domestic box office, and the 11th to achieve the feat during its initial release.

It's the 14th film to cross $400 million.

The movie, which hit theaters on March 23, crossed the mark Sunday, its 80th day of release. Of the 11 films to cross $400 million at the domestic box office, "The Hunger Games" was the slowest to do so.

It's also the second movie of 2012 to cross $400 million after "The Avengers," which conversely did it the fastest, in only 14 days. The only other year to see two movies reach the mark was 2009 with "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Avatar."

The point of this analysis is to look at how "The Hunger Games" has performed at both the domestic and worldwide box offices and what it portends for the future of the franchise.

Based on the best-selling book by Suzanne Collins, "The Hunger Games" starred Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone," "X-Men First Class") as Katniss Everdeen with Josh Hutcherson ("The Kids are Alright") as Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth ("The Last Song") as Gale Hawthorne. The cast also included Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley and Toby Jones.

"The Hunger Games" was directed by Gary Ross ("Seabiscuit," "Pleasantville") based on a screenplay from Bill Ray ("State of Play").

'Madagascar' ecapes from 'Prometheus' to earn top spot at weekend box office

Two new movies left their mark at the domestic box office this weekend with the animated "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" topping Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" $60 million to $50 million.

The film grossed $60 million.

For the former, the receipts were down slightly from 2009's "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," which earned $63 million on a much less crowded February weekend. That film went on to gross $180 million domestically and $423 million worldwide.

As for "Prometheus," the sci-fi thriller's $50 million was the fourth highest opening weekend ever to not land in the top spot behind "The Day After Tomorrow," "Sherlock Holmes" and "Wanted." Compared to the "Alien" films, it is by far the highest opening weekend, but since the last film hit theaters 15 years ago, it's not exactly a fair comparison (that's leaving out the "AVP" films, but "Prometheus" dominated them as well).

Last week's number one, "Snow White and the Huntsman," fell to third with $23 million, a 59 percent drop from its debut. It has held up solidly overseas, and the film has grossed $182 million worldwide to date on a reported budget of $170 million (excluding marketing). That should make Universal feel better about its decision to pursue a sequel to the fairy tale film.

"MIB 3" earned $13.5 million for a total of $135 million in domestic markets, but it's done much better overseas, grossing $352 million for a worldwide total of $487 million. The film reported cost $225 million.

Rounding out the top five was Marvel's "The Avengers," which continued to pad its position as third on the all-time domestic and worldwide lists with another $10.8 million over the weekend. It's totals now stand at $571 million domestically and $1.39 billion worldwide. It trails only "Titanic" and "Avatar" on both lists.

Also worth noting is director Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," which has been turning heads by grossing massive amounts of money in only a handful of screens. It expanded slightly this weekend to 96 theaters, where it grossed $1.5 million, good enough to crack the top 10.

The complete list of the weekend's top 10 grossing films is:

1. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," $60.3 million (New)
2. "Prometheus," $50 million (New)
3. "Snow White and the Huntsman," $23 million (Total: $98.5 million)
4. "MIB 3," $13.5 million (Total: $135.5 million)
5. "Marvel's The Avengers," $10.8 million (Total: $571.8 million)
6. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," $3.2 million (Total: $31 million)
7. "What to Expect When You're Expecting," $2.7 million (Total: $35.7 million)
8. "Battleship," $2.2 million (Total: $59.8 million) 
9. "The Dictator," $2.1 million (Total: $55.1 million)
10. "Moonrise Kingdom," $1.5 million (Total: $3.7 million)

'The Vow,' 'Safe House' lead record-breaking box office weekend

Romantic drama "The Vow" and the action thriller "Safe House" led the charge for a record-breaking weekend at the box office in which four films debuted with $20 million or more for the first time ever during a non-holiday weekend.

"The Vow" earned $41.7 million.

Additionally, if studio estimates hold up, "The Vow" and "Safe House" will be able to claim the sixth and 12th highest February openings respectively.

Starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, "The Vow" grossed $41.7 million, well above its reported $30 million budget. In a close second was "Safe House," featuring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, which took home $39.3 million, about half of its $80 million budget.

Dwayne Johnson's "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" was in third place with $27.5 million. The film is riding ahead of its predecessor, 2008's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," which debuted with $21 million. That film, which starred Brendan Fraser, went on to gross $101 million domestically and another $140 million in foreign markets. The sequel has a ways to go to make back its $79 million budget, but a strong early showing overseas, where the film has already earned $41 million, will help.

Meanwhile, George Lucas' odyssey to re-release his famous franchise in 3D began this weekend with "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," which had to settle for fourth place with $23 million. While it was good enough to set the record, it was barely a third of what the film did during its first release in February 2000. As for 3D re-releases, "Phantom Menace" finds itself in between "The Lion King," whose re-release boasted an opening weekend of $30 million, and "Beauty and the Beast," which earned $17.7 million in its first weekend back in theaters.

Rounding out the top five was last week's champ "Chronicle," which dropped 44 percent to $12.3 million. The film has grossed $40.1 million in two weeks, nearly quadrupling its $12 million budget.

"The Descendents" is continuing to have solid business, dropping one place to ninth with $3.5 million and a total of $70.7 million. It is currently the fourth highest grossing film among the nine Academy Award Best Picture nominees and it could find itself in second place by the time the Oscars air in two weeks. "The Help" remains the clear winner (money-wise, at least) in that category with $169 million, following by "War Horse" with $78 million and "Moneyball" with $75 million.

The complete list of the weekend's top 10 grossing films is:

1. "The Vow," $41.7 million (New)
2. "Safe House," $39.3 million (New)
3. "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," $27.5 million (New)
4. "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (in 3D)," $23 million (New)
5. "Chronicle," $12.3 million (Total: $40.1 million)
6. "The Woman in Black," $10.3 million (Total: $35.4 million)
7. "The Grey," $5 million (Total: $42.8 million)
8. "Big Miracle," $3.9 million (Total: $13.2 million) 
9. "The Descendants," $3.5 million (Total: $70.7 million)
10. "Underworld Awakening," $2.5 million (Total: $58.9 million)

'Chronicle' flies over Harry Potter to take weekend box office crown

The found-footage style film "Chronicle" narrowly beat out fellow newcomer "The Woman in Black" to lay claim to first place at the box office for what was a surprisingly strong February weekend.

"Chronicle" earned $22 million.

The low budget "Chronicle," which follows three teens who gain superpowers, earned $22 million over the weekend, almost double its reported budget of $12 million.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe tried his hand at the horror genre with "The Woman in Black," which grossed $21 million for a respectable second place finish.

Last weekend's champ "The Grey," dropped 51 percent in its second weekend with $9.5 million and third place. Over two weeks, the $25 million picture has earned $34.7 million.

The Drew Barrymore-starring film "Big Miracle," inspired by a real-life whale rescue in Alaska, trailed its competitors with only $8.5 million in its first weekend. The movie has a reported budget of $40 million.

Rounding out the top five was "Underworld Awakening," which earned $5.6 million for a three week total of $54 million. The fourth film in the franchise was made for a reported $70 million.


The complete list of the weekend's top 10 grossing films is:

1. "Chronicle," $22 million (New)
2. "The Woman in Black," $21 million (New)
3. "The Grey," $9.5 million (Total: $34.7 million)
4. "Big Miracle," $8.5 million (New)
5. "Underworld Awakening," $5.6 million (Total: $54.3 million)
6. "One for the Money," $5.2 million (Total: $19.6 million)
7. "Red Tails," $5 million (Total: $41.3 million)
8. "The Descendants," $4.6 million (Total: $65.5 million)
9. "Man on a Ledge," $4.5 million (Total: $14.7 million)
10. "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," $3.9 million (Total: $26.7 million)

'Underworld" takes a bite out of the weekend box office

"Underworld Awakening," the fourth film in the vampires versus werewolves franchise proved their still life in the undead series, leading the weekend box office with $25.3 million.

The movie grossed $25.2 in its debut.

The George Lucas-produced "Red Tails," documenting the real-life accomplishments of African American pilots during World War II, came in second with $18.7 million.

Last week's champ, "Contraband," fell to third with $12 million. "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" expanded into wide release in its fifth weekend jumping to fourth place with $10 million.

Rounding out the top five was the 3D re-release of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" with $8.7 million followed by newcomer "Haywire," which debuted in sixth place with $8.4 million.

The complete list of the weekend's top 10 grossing films is:

1. "Underworld Awakening," $25.3 million (New)
2. "Red Tails," $18.7 million (New)
3. "Contraband," $12 million (Total: $45.9 million)
4. "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," $10 million (Total: $10.7 million)
5. "Beauty and the Beast 3D," $8.7 million (Total: $33.5 million) 
6. "Haywire," $8.4 million (New)
7. "Joyful Noise," $5.9 million (Total: $21.7 million)
8. "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," $5.5 million (Total: $197.3 million)
9. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," $4.5 million (Total: $178.3 million) 
10. "The Iron Lady," $3.6 million (Total: $12.5 million)

'The Devil Inside' possesses weekend box office

The new year got off to a surprisingly fast start thanks to an over-performing horror film that's getting decided mixed reviews from audiences.

The surprise winner earned $34.5 million.

The low budget, found-footage horror film "The Devil Inside" dominated the weekend box office, grossing an estimated $34.5 million, good for the third highest grossing January weekend ever behind 2008's "Cloverfield" and the 1997 re-release of "Star Wars."

Paramount picked up the film for only $1 million and managed to make its money back on the Thursday midnight showings alone. The downside was the incredibly poor reception from those who did see the movie, leading to a rare "F" CinemaScore.

Following in second place was "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," which picked up $20.5 million in its fourth weekend.

"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" also performed dutifully in its fourth weekend, bringing in slightly more than $14 million.

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" had the smallest weekend to weekend drop-off of any returning film in the top 10, finishing with $11.3 million. It still has some ground to make up with a total gross over three weeks of $76 million compared to its $90 million production budget.

Rounding out the top five was "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" with $9.5 million.

Meanwhile, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" expanded into a semi-wide release on some 800 screens, grossing $5.7 million and placing ninth in its fifth week.

The top 10 grossing films were:

1. "The Devil Inside," $34.5 million (New)
2. "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," $20.5 million ($170.2 million) 
3. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," $14 million ($157.4 million) 
4. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," $11.3 million (Total: $76.8 million)
5. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," $9.5 million ($111.5 million) 
6. "War Horse," $8.6 million ($56.8 million)
7. "We Bought a Zoo," $8.4 million (Total: $56.5 million)
8. "The Adventures of Tintin," $6.6 million ($61.8 million) 
9. "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," $5.7 million (Total: $10.4 million)
10. "New Year's Eve," $3.2 million ($52 million)

Harry Potter enchanted the domestic box office in 2011

With 2012 now upon us, it's time to look back at the top grossing films of 2011.

Although "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" ($141 million to date) and "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" ($136 million) have a shot of cracking the top 10, the following list is pretty solid.

Harry Potter ruled the box office one more time.

There aren't many surprises considering seven of the top 10 films are either sequels or new installments in existing franchises. The rest consist of a remake of a famous series and two comic book adaptations from Marvel.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" led the way in 2011 with $381 million at the domestic box office, good for number 13 on the all-time box office list (discounting inflation of course). Proving the decision to split the J.K. Rowling's seventh and final book into two movies was both a creative and financial success, the combined gross from both parts topped out at $676 million.

"Deathly Hallows Part 2" was the highest grossing film in the franchise both in the U.S. and overseas, carrying it on to a $1.3 billion worldwide total, making it the third highest grossing film in history behind James Cameron's "Avatar" and "Titanic."

Coming in second for the year was "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," grossing $352 million, the only other film of 2011 to break the $300 million mark. It's at 19 on the all-time domestic list, while it's $1.12 billion worldwide gross is good for number four behind "Deathly Hallows Part 2."

The "Twilight" franchise also decided to split it's final installment in two and the first part of "Breaking Dawn" came in at number three for the year with $276 million.

Paramount takes the 2011 worldwide box office crown

Paramount boasted a record $5.17 billion worldwide box office gross in 2011.

Paramount Pictures announced today it ended 2011 in the No. 1 position among all studios, having achieved the highest total combined gross of any studio for the year, earning a record $5.17 billion worldwide. The studio, which released a total of 16 new releases domestically this year, placed first in the North American market share with $1.96 billion, while also amassing record grosses at the international box office with $3.21 billion.

Warner Bros. had held the title for the past three years.

“This achievement reflects the combined efforts of our entire team across the globe and the careful process by which we select the projects and partners we  believe in,” said Paramount Pictures Chairman & CEO Brad Grey. “We produce pictures that aspire to entertain audiences around the world, while at the same  time we have sought to find innovative ways to reach movie-goers in this changing entertainment environment.

'The Lion King' re-release rules the box office

Seventeen years after Disney's "The Lion King" first hit theaters, the 3-D re-release managed to earn more than the other three films making their first debut this past weekend...combined.

"The Lion King" earned $30.1 million.

"Lion King" grabbed $30.1 million over the weekend, good enough for the fourth highest September opening in history and more than any movie has earned since the first weekend of August, when "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" earned $54 million in its debut.

Of course, the re-release benefited from the premium prices which go along with 3-D, but there's no denying "The Lion King" ruled the box office this weekend.

Last week's box office champ, "Contagion," fell to second place with $14.5 million and a two-week total of $44.2 million.

The critically praised "Drive" fared the best of the (true) newcomers with $11.4 million. "The Help" continues its strong--and lengthy--run at the box office, cleaning up another $6.5 million in its sixth week in theaters for a total of $147.4 million.

The "Straw Dogs" remake couldn't sniff out an audience, earning only $5.1 million for the weekend, figuring out to a paltry $2,128 per theater. Faring even worse was the Sarah Jessica Parker-starring "I Don't Know How She Does It," which earned only $4.4 million with an extra 68 theaters compared to "Straw Dogs."

"The Debt" followed with $2.9 million in its third weekend, while "Warrior" drew in $2.8 million in its second. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" ($2.6 million) and "Columbiana" ($2.3 million) rounded out the top 10.

The top ten grosses of the weekend (based on actual returns released today) were:

1. "The Lion King," $30,151,614 (New)
2. "Contagion," $14,548,433 ($44.2 million) 
3. "Drive," $11,340,461 (New) 
4. "The Help," $6,513,039 (Total: $147.4 million)
5. "Straw Dogs," $5,123,760 (New) 
6. "I Don't Know How She Does It," $4,402,201 (New)
7. "The Debt," $2,942,631 (Total: $26.5 million)
8. "Warrior," $2,860,325 ($10 million) 
9. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," $2,658,131 (Total: $171.6 million)
10. "Colombiana," $2,330,291 ($33.3 million)

'Contagion' sweeps through the weekend box office

"Contagion" infected the box office this weekend, producing the largest box office gross in a month to take the number one spot.

"Contagion" grossed $23.1 million.

The Steven Soderbergh-directed ensemble thriller earned an estimated $23.1 million in its debut weekend, the largest three-day total since the weekend of Aug. 12, during which "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" earned $27.5 million in its second week.

Since that time, there have been significantly more box office failures than successes, with the lone bright spot being "The Help," which dropped to number two this weekend after three straight weeks in the top spot. The film earned $8.7 million in its fifth week in theaters for a total of $137 million.

The mix-martial arts drama "Warrior" didn't have much of a punch, earning $5.6 million in its debut weekend, the only other newcomer to make it into the top 10.

Last week's number two film, "The Debt," fell to number four with $4.9 million and a total of $21 million.

"Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star," the other wide release of the weekend, utterly failed to shine, finishing with $1.4 million in 15th place. It's notable that the limited release "Laugh at My Pain" outdrew "Bucky Larson" with $2 million in only 97 theaters compared to the latter's 1,977

The weekend's top 10 grossing films according to studio estimates were: 

1. "Contagion," $23,135,000 (New)
2. "The Help," $8,691,000 (Total: $137 million)
3. "Warrior," $5,607,000 (New) 
4. "The Debt," $4,905,000 (Total: $21.9 million)
5. "Colombiana," $4,000,000 ($29.7 million)
6. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," $3,875,000 (Total: $167.8 million) 
7. "Shark Night 3D," $3,533,000 ($14.8 million)  
8. "Apollo 18," $2,913,000 ($15 million)
9. "Our Idiot Brother," $2,761,000 ($21.4 million)
10. "Sky Kids: All the Time in the World," $2,506,000 ($34.2 million)

'The Help' helps itself to the weekend box office crown

For the second week in a row, a bevy of newcomers crashed and burned at the U.S. box office, while last week's number two film, "The Help," rose to the top, continuing its impressive run.

"The Help" earned $16.3 million.

"The Help" scored $16.3 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates, falling only 21.4 percent from its debut, for a total of $71.8 million over 12 days. Made for a reported $25 million, the film has been of the few success stories of the late summer season.

Meanwhile, last week's number one film, "The Rise of the Planet of the Apes," swapped positions with "The Help," finishing its third weekend with $16.3 million for a total of $133 million.

Unfortunately for their rivals, "Rise" and "The Help" have been the only August releases to find any success at the box office.

Of the four new films to debut this weekend, "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" fared the best with $12 million on a budget of $27 million. The fourth film in director Robert Rodriguez's children's series arrived eight years after the last installment and opened to little more than a third of what 2003's "Spy Kids 3D: Game Over" did. The long wait in between movies forced the introduction of new spy kids, while the earlier films' original audience is now either in high school or college.

The remake "Conan the Barbarian" likewise failed to find its original's audience, looting a paltry $10 million from the box office. The film had the largest budget--$90 million--of the weekend debuts, and therefore the most to prove and the most the lose.

"Fright Night," another 1980s remake, did little better, scoring only $7.9 million but with one third the budget.

Rounding out the newcomers, the romantic drama "One Day" barely make it into the weekend's top 10 with $5.1 million. It's budget is reported to be $15 million.

Among the rest, "The Smurfs" continued to produce strong returns, drawing $8 million in its fourth weekend for a total of $117 million. Last weekend's other movies--"Final Destination 5" and "30 Minutes or Less"--both dropped more than 50 percent after failing to impress during their debuts.

The weekend's top 10 films were as follows:

1. "The Help," $20,479,000 (Total: $71.8 million)
2. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," $16,300,000 (Total: $133.7 million)
3. "Sky Kids: All the Time in the World," $12,020,000 (New)
4. "Conan the Barbarian." $10,000,000 (New)
5. "The Smurfs," $8,000,000 (Total: $117.7 million)
6. "Fright Night," $7,900,000 (New)
7. "Final Destination 5," $18,400,000 ($32.3 million)
8. "30 Minutes or Less," $6,300,000 ($25.7 million)
9. "One Day," $5,128,000 (New)
10. "Crazy, Stupid, Love," $4,950,000 (Total: $64.4 million)

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' rules box office for a second weekend

The apes continued their conquest of the domestic box office this weekend, with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" remaining on top for the second straight week, according to studio estimates.

The film earned $27.5 million.

The reboot raised $27.5 million over the weekend, crossing the $100 million mark on Sunday. Made on a budget of $97 million, the film has earned $179 million worldwide after 10 days in theaters. Its writers recently said in an interview that they envision a trilogy, and with numbers like these, their dream may become reality.

Finishing in a strong second was newcomer "The Help," based on the best-selling novel from author Kathryn Stockett. Starting off strong on Wednesday, the film maintained its momentum through Sunday, finishing with $25.5 million for the weekend and $34.4 million over five days.

The news wasn't nearly as good for the other three films making their debuts. "Final Destination 5" had to settle for third place with $18.4 million, well short of last year's "The Final Destination," which opened with $27.4 million. It was the first film in the franchise to not build on its predecessor's opening and the smallest opening since "Final Destination 2" debuted with $16 million in 2003. Perhaps death has finally come to claim its last victim.

"30 Minutes or Less," which saw director Ruben Fleischer re-team with his "Zombieland' star Jesse Eisenberg for another edgy comedy, didn't live up to expectations, with "30 Minutes or Less" earning only $13 million, short of "Zombieland, which debuted with $24.7 million and went on to earn $75.5 million.

Even worse was "Glee The 3D Concert Movie," the documentary chronicling the world tour featuring the cast of Fox's hit musical series. The film failed to crack the top ten, grossing $5.7 million over the weekend. The saving grace for the documentary is that it was reportedly made for a low budget of less than $10 million.

The weekend's top 10 were as follows:

1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes," $27,500,000 (Total: $104.9 million)
2. "The Help," $25,525,000 (Total: $34.4 million)
3. "Final Destination 5," $18,400,000 (New)
4. "The Smurfs," $13,500,000 (Total: $101.5 million)
5. "30 Minutes or Less," $13,000,000 (New)
6. "Cowboys & Aliens," $7,613,000 (Total: $84.5 million)
7. "Captain America: The First Avenger," $7,125,000 (Total: $156.9 million)
8. "Crazy, Stupid, Love," $6,930,000 (Total: $55.4 million)
9. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," $6,875,000 (Total: $357 million)
10. "The Change-Up," $6,219,000 (Total: $25.8 million)

11. "Glee The 3D Concert Movie," $5,700,000 (New)

'Deathly Hallows' up to third among worldwide box office champs

It's been a good week for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."

The film has now grossed $1.146 billion.

On Tuesday, the Warner Bros. Pictures’ film became the top-grossing release of 2011 in all categories: domestic box office, international box office and worldwide box office. It already held the international and worldwide titles, but it wasn't until Tuesday that it passed "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" domestically.

A day earlier, the film's tallies reached $344.8 million domestically and $801.5 million internationally, for an worldwide box office gross of $1.146 billion, making "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" the third-highest-grossing film worldwide of all time.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 can truly be called a global phenomenon," said Warner Bros. President of International Distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek. "The filmmakers and cast, who dedicated their talents to the success of these films for over a decade, share in this piece of cinema history. We congratulate and thank them all.”

“This is another incredible milestone for the last chapter of this historic film series, and for the Harry Potter franchise as a whole," Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution, Dan Fellman said. "In a crowded and very competitive summer, it is a tribute to both the film and the people behind it that moviegoers are still turning out to enjoy it—whether for the first time or for a repeat viewing.”

Never before has a film franchise held up both creatively and financially for so long over so many installments. It's doubtful we'll see another like it for some time.

'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' becomes third movie of the year to cross $1 billion

When "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" crossed the $1 billion mark this past weekend, it was only a matter of time that "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" followed suit.

It has gross $1.004 billion so far.

Yesterday, the Michael Bay-directed film did just that, becoming the 10th film to accomplish the feat and third this summer. It took "Dark of the Moon" about twice the amount of time to do so compared to "Death Hallows," 37 days versus 19. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," did it in 46 days.

As of yesterday, "Dark of the Moon" has grossed $340 million domestically and $664 million overseas, according to Box Office Mojo.

“'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' is the first billion dollar grossing movie in the history of Paramount Pictures, marking a substantial milestone in the 99 year life of this legendary studio," said Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures in a press release today.

“We are grateful for the extraordinary work of  Michael Bay and his film-making team, executive producer Steven Spielberg and everyone at Paramount around the globe who played a part in helping make this latest 'Tranformers' one of the 10 highest grossing films worldwide of all time."

"Deathly Hallows" trails "Dark of the Moon" for domestic total, but it is showing more legs for now and may catch up before the battle is over. Additionally, with "Potter" opening in China this weekend, it should stretch its international lead, which sits at $34 million.

"Deathly Hallows" now holds number six on the all-time worldwide gross list with "On Stranger Tides" in seventh and "Dark of the Moon" in ninth.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' joins $1 billion club

It's official. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" has become the eighth film and second this year to pass the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.

The film crossed $1 billion in 19 days.

According to Box Office Mojo, the film, the eighth in the "Harry Potter" franchise, broke the barrier on its 19th day of release, tying James Cameron's "Avatar" as the fastest to do so.

Domestically, it finished in fourth place this weekend with $21.9 million, for a four week total of $318 million. That puts it over previous franchise champ, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," with hauled in $317 million during its 2001 release. "Death Hallows Part 2," however, is benefiting from higher ticket prices, including premium 3D and IMAX showings.

Internationally, the film raised $66.4 million over the weekend, bringing its total to $690 million, and with its debut in China set for next weekend, there is more galleons yet to be had.

According to Mojo's tallies, "Deathly Hallows Part 2" now stands at 26th all-time domestically (not taking into account for inflation) and eighth worldwide.

“What’s truly astounding is that these kind of numbers are being achieved so early in the film’s release,” The Hollywood Reporter quoted Warners Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman and president of international distribution Veronikia Kwan-Rubinek.

Already this summer, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strange Tides" crossed the $1 billion mark, and "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is expected to do so soon. Last year, "Alice in Wonderland" and "Toy Story 3" accomplished the feat.