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With a nice boost from openings in Australia and Italy, The Smurfs led the foreign box office for the sixth-straight weekend. Over a month ahead of its U.S. debut, Johnny English Reborn got off to a strong start overseas, while Friends with Benefits continued to score in Europe. J.J. Abrams

All three genuinely new releases combined to make less than the 3D re-release of The Lion King this weekend, reaffirming the Disney animated classic's continued popularity a whole 17 years after its initial run. Drive fared best among the other openers, though its debut was unremarkable, while Straw Dogs and I Don't Know How She Does It failed to generate any interest.Steve CarellSarah Jessica Parker

Exceeding even the most generous prognostications, the 3D re-release of The Lion King ascended to first place on Friday with an estimated $8.8 million. Among the other openers, Drive had a solid start that couldn't quite live up to Internet buzz, while Straw Dogs and I Don't Know How She Does It didn't know how to draw audiences. Steven SoderberghRyan GoslingSarah Jessica ParkerAdam Sandler

One of the all-time box-office greats, The Lion King, returns to 2,330 nearly single-screen locations (mostly in 3D) this weekend and has an excellent shot at recapturing the top spot. Drive, though, has revved the loudest in pre-release polling and has snared the broadest release (close to 3,100 screens at 2,886 locations), while Straw Dogs (around 2,650 screens at 2,408 locations) and I Don't Know How She Does It (2,476 nearly single-screen locations) have shown little promise. Ryan GoslingJason StathamSarah Jessica ParkerSamuel L. Jackson

For the fifth-straight weekend, The Smurfs finished in first place at the foreign box office ahead of perpetual bridesmaid Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Also, for the third-straight time, Final Destination 5 settled for third place. One minor shakeup, though, took place: Friends with Benefits expanded in to a handful of major European markets and leaped to fourth place.Justin TimberlakeMila Kunis

Contagion shot to the top of the box office, as one would expect of such a high-profile thriller, while Warrior mustered little support and Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star and Creature ranked among the worst openings ever. Adam Sandler

On Friday, Contagion shot to the top of the box office, as one would expect of such a high-profile thriller in its opening, but its spread was contained at an estimated $8 million on close to 3,900 screens at 3,222 locations. That was a bit behind the first day of last September's top thriller The Town ($8.3 million), but higher than The Adjustment Bureau ($6.7 million).

As of Thursday, The Help has topped the box office for 25 days in a row. That marked the longest uninterrupted streak since The Sixth Sense spent 35 days in first place in late summer 1999. Meet the Parents had the previous best post-Sixth Sense run at 24 days. With Contagion opening today, The Help's streak will almost certainly come to an end.

This weekend, Contagion spreads onto over 3,700 screens at 3,222 locations (including 257 IMAX venues) and is poised to end The Help's reign. Warrior trains to be a slow-burning crowd pleaser on close to 2,100 screens at 1,869 locations, while Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star and Creature should be contenders for the worst opening title, hitting 1,500 and 1,507 single-screen locations, respectively. Matt DamonGwyneth PaltrowKate WinsletJude LawAdam Sandler

The Smurfs led the foreign box office for the fourth weekend in a row, tying Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 for the longest streak in 2011. Also for the fourth-straight weekend, Rise of the Planet of the Apes ranked second, while Final Destination 5 came in third. Meanwhile, Deathly Hallows Part 2 reached what should be its final milestone in its remarkable box office run.

The Help stayed in charge for the third weekend in a row, remaining the saving grace of the last few moribund weeks of Summer 2011. The drama earned $19.9 million over the four-day Labor Day weekend, seeing a slight uptick Friday-to-Sunday and lifting its total to a stellar $124.3 million in 27 days. The last movie to hold the top spot for three weekends was Inception.

The Help stayed in charge for the third Friday in a row, remaining the saving grace of a moribund close to Summer 2011. Down only 18 percent from last Friday, the drama earned an estimated $3.6 million, lifting its total to $108 million in 24 days.

Despite a plague of pathetic new releases over the past two weeks, August 2011 ended up ahead of August 2010 in terms of gross. The month came in at $894 million, which was up two percent over last August.

Summer 2011 is poised to close with an even quieter whimper than normal. Unless any of the new releases break-out, this Labor Day weekend will go down as the least-attended one since 1992. David R. EllisHelen MirrenTom WilkinsonSam Worthington

There may not have been a Hurricane Irene to battle with overseas, but the box office still suffered from a degree of late summer malaise. While it was a close race for first based on Sunday estimates, The Smurfs easily topped Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Final Destination 5 once final numbers were tabulated on Monday.

The Help seemed relatively unfazed by Hurricane Irene over the weekend, while the three new nationwide releases Colombiana, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Our Idiot Brother were blown away. The drama packed $14.5 million, down just 27 percent from last weekend. That lifted its total to $96.8 million in 19 days, surpassing the final gross of Julie & Julia. Zoe SaldañaLuc Besson

On Friday, The Help seemed unfazed by Hurricane Irene's approach and the three new nationwide releases Colombiana, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Our Idiot Brother. The drama packed an estimated $4.4 million, down just 25 percent from last Friday, lifting its total to $86.7 million in 17 days. The weekend as a whole, though, is poised to be one of the slowest of the year, hurricane or no. Zoe SaldañaLuc Besson

September 2007 holds the September gross record with $554.7 million, and, with at least 18 nationwide releases scheduled, September 2011 has a chance of topping that record. It's going to take one or two breakout hits from the likes of Abduction, Contagion, Warrior and Moneyball, though, to reach that mark.

As summer winds down, the box office is in for another slow weekend with the debuts of Colombiana on nearly 2,900 screens at 2,614 locations, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark on around 2,850 screens at 2,760 locations and Our Idiot Brother at 2,555 single-screen locations.

FilmDistrict's marketing for the Don't Be Afraid of the Dark remake has focused on the haunted house scares and Guillermo del Toro's brand while obfuscating who exactly the protagonist is.Katie HolmesGuy Pearce