After three weeks of lackluster new releases, the thriller Contagion [CONTG] finally broke out and grossed an estimated $23.1 million to knock off The Help from the top spot. An all-star ensemble cast help the viral pandemic film drew an audience that was 80% over the age of 25.
The Help still finished second with a robust $8.7 million. The drama has banked $137.1 million in five weeks.
Warrior [WARIR] debuted in third place with a disappointing $5.6 million. Despite strong reviews, the MMA fighting sports drama did not appeal to the mainstream audience.
Coming off a strong holiday weekend pefromance, The Debt [TDEBT] declined 51% to $4.9 million in its second session. The spy thriller has already earned $22.0 million.
The weekend's third wide release, Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star [BTBAS] bombed completely. The comedy tallied just $1.45 million to finished outside the top 12.
| Rank | TITLE | F-S-S | TOTAL |
| 1 | CONTAGION | $23,135,000 | $23,135,000 |
| 2 | THE HELP | $8,691,000 | $137,093,000 |
| 3 | WARRIOR | $5,607,000 | $5,607,000 |
| 4 | THE DEBT | $4,904,650 | $21,992,607 |
| 5 | COLOMBIANA | $4,000,000 | $29,779,000 |
| 6 | RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES | $3,875,000 | $167,835,831 |
| 7 | SHARK NIGHT 3D | $3,533,000 | $14,797,179 |
| 8 | APOLLO 18 | $2,913,000 | $15,001,000 |
| 9 | OUR IDIOT BROTHER | $2,761,000 | $21,420,000 |
| 10 | SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD | $2,506,000 | $34,227,000 |
| 11 | DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK | $2,260,768 | $21,094,526 |
| 12 | CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE | $2,180,000 | $78,429,000 |
Source: Exhibitor Relations Co.
Tag(s): CONTG, WARIR, TDEBT, BTBAS