The Help is on its way to a third consecutive weekend box office triumph during a holiday frame that traditionally has proven soft for ticket sales.
Word of mouth continue to drive women to The Help nearly a month since it debuted. Down less than 20 percent again, it pulled in $3.6 million on Friday and should finish the four-day holiday weekend somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million.
Looking up at The Help are a trio of newcomers that never stood a chance. A pair of horror films, Apollo 18 and Shark Night 3D, tied on Friday with $2.8 million a piece. They’ll likely be battling neck-and-neck for second place through the three and four-day frames.
The third newcomer, The Debt, opened on Wednesday but still managed $2.6 million off a reduced screen count thanks in part to favorable reviews. It should be a lock for fourth place barring a monumental collapse in business.
Look for the full three-day weekend studio estimates tomorrow afternoon.
