Despite some strong new competition, Rise of the Planet of the Apes remained king of the box-office swingers across the pond this weekend, as the film dipped just 49% to take in $27.5 million. That was enough to keep it ahead of The Help, which enjoyed a solid launch, earning $25.5 million across the weekend and more than $35 million thanks to opening early.
Final Destination 5, however, had to make do with third place, taking in $18.4 million, which might sound the death knell for the franchise. Given the relatively low budget for the movies, though, it could still perform well enough to earn another outing. The Smurfs dropped from second place to fourth with $13.5 million, but that was enough to beat out one of the other new arrivals for the weekend, comedy 30 Minutes or Less. It would seem that the new movie didn’t exactly connect with audiences, as it took in just $13 million in fifth.
Cowboys & Aliens was sixth with $7.6 million, and will have to go some to make its budget back. Captain America: The First Avenger retreated to seventh place, earning $7.1 million, while Crazy, Stupid, Love was eighth with $6.9 million.
At ninth we find** Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 **($6.8 million), with The Change-Up still faltering, sinking to 10th with $6.2 million. But even that had better news than the Glee 3D Concert Movie, which couldn’t even crack the top 10 despite its rabid following and a 2,040-screen release. The New Directions gang could only muster up $5.7 million for 11th place. Someone's getting a slushy in the face today...
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