'The Help' reigns over storm-soaked weekend

The Help remained Hollywood's top draw with US$14.3 million on a slow late-summer weekend whose business was even more sluggish as many East Coast theatres closed to ride out the storm there.

Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm yesterday, but the weekend already was a lost cause for many theatres in its path.

Studio executives estimate that about 1,000 theatres shut down for at least part of the weekend and that business may have been off 15 to 20 per cent because of the storm.

"It was a wild weekend," said Dave Hollis, head of distribution at Disney, which released DreamWorks Pictures' The Help.

"All things considered, to kind of come out with business down only 15 to 20 per cent is something to be pretty thankful for."

The Help has been the No. 1 film for two-straight weekends.

The acclaimed adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel about black Southern maids sharing stories about white employers amid the civil-rights movement raised its domestic total to US$96.6 million and should cross the US$100-million mark tomorrow.

Late August is often a dumping ground for movies with slim commercial prospects, and Irene cut even further into receipts for the weekend's three new wide releases.

Zoe Saldana's action tale Colombiana, released by Sony, opened in second-place with US$10.3 million.

Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes' horror story Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, a FilmDistrict release, debuted in third with US$8.7 million. Paul Rudd's comedy Our Idiot Brother, distributed by the Weinstein Co, premiered at No. 5 with US$6.6 million.

Colombiana features Avatar star Saldana as an assassin out for revenge against the drug lords responsible for her parents' deaths. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, produced by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth), is a remake of the 1970s TV movie about a household terrorised by tiny, savage creatures.

Our Idiot Brother stars Rudd as a happy-go-lucky guy doing time with his three sisters after serving a short prison sentence.

Business was strong last Friday night for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark in the New York City area, but as the storm crept closer Saturday, theatres either closed or became ghost towns, said Bob Berney, FilmDistrict's head of distribution.

Low turnout

Berney said he stopped by a theatre complex in suburban Westchester County last Saturday night and only about 25 people had turned out for 7:30 p.m. shows.

"It was just dead," Berney said. "They were open but no one was there, whereas in Manhattan, I think all the theatres were closed."

Studios base their weekend reports on actual revenues for Friday and Saturday and estimates for business yesterday.

But this weekend's numbers were more of a shot in the dark. Some theatres did not report their weekend grosses, and it was uncertain how many cinemas might have remain closed yesterday or how big an audience might turn up in the wake of the storm.

"I think everybody is trying to lean toward conservative estimates," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony, who said Colombiana managed to beat the studio's projections of an US$8-million opening weekend despite the weather.

Overall business plunged, with domestic revenues totalling US$88 million, down 23 per cent from the same weekend last year, when Takers led with US$20.5 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

"It's not like this was destined to be a blockbuster weekend, anyway," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "But going to the movies is not a top priority when you're concerned about severe weather."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through yesterday at United States and Canadian theatres, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers also are included. Final domestic figures will be released today.