Box office update: 'The Help' and 'Apes' stay on top as four newcomers badly stumble on Friday

Welcome to the late-August box office! Friday estimates have arrived, and things aren’t looking pretty for the four new releases, all of which majorly disappointed on their opening day. The Help and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, meanwhile, remained strong, and they will easily finish first and second for the weekend.

The Help sure doesn’t need any at the box office! The well-reviewed adaptation, which is quickly becoming an event film, grossed a terrific $5.8 million yesterday, a drop of only 24 percent from last Friday. It should continue to play nicely over the rest of the weekend and finish in first place with about $19 million, which would push its cumulative total past $70 million.

In second, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, now in its third weekend, fell 42 percent from last Friday to $4.7 million. The reboot/prequel may finish the weekend with $16 million.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D played the best of the new releases, but it still only managed $4 million on its first day. Spy Kids 3D opened to $33.4 million in 2003, but Robert Rodriguez’s eight-years-later sequel will be lucky if it can match that in its entire run. Give the fourth Spy Kids installment $13 million for the weekend. I guess even Aromascope couldn’t prevent a pretty stinky performance!

In fourth place, Conan the Barbarian finished close behind with $3.7 million, but it won’t play out as well as the family-fueled Spy Kids for the rest of the weekend. Conan is more of a fanboy feature, which tend to be front-loaded at the box office, and it will likely finish the weekend with just under $10 million. Fright Night debuted in fifth place with $2.7 million (Plus an additional $400,000 from Thursday 9 p.m. showings). The Colin Farrell vampire picture should find a truly ghastly $6.5 million, and it will likely get passed by The Smurfs by Sunday.

Way back in ninth place One Day started with $1.9 million, which, to be clear, is not good. Still, a $6 million weekend would make it the only film to not perform well below expectations this frame.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the full box office report.

1. The Help – $5.8 mil

2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $4.7 mil

3. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D – $4.0 mil

4. Conan the Barbarian – $3.7 mil

5. Fright Night – $3.1 mil

Follow Grady on Twitter: @BoxOfficeJunkie