Weekend Box Office: 'Lion King 3D' Surprises Everyone By Taking #1

The weekend's box office was ruled by the 3D version of "Lion King," bringing and kids and their parents back to 1994 with the film's re-release.
The wildly popular Disney animated musical topped the weekend box office with a surprising $29.3 million in its first weekend. According to the Associated Press, the film earned more than $40 million when it opened nationwide 17 years ago.
The performance of "The Lion King" surprised many, even Disney, who predicted that it'd take in between $10 million and $12 million.
According to Dave Hollis, the studio's executive vice president of distribution, the film is as relevant today as it was when it first came out.
"But taking a page from the movie, there is a 'circle of life' thing happening," he said, referring to one of the film's themes. "You have children of the '90s who are now parents of the 2010s and they themselves are taking their kids to share what was, for them, a great experience two decades ago."
It ranks fourth on the all-time animated list with over $784 million.
Last week's #1 movie, Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion," dropped to #2 in its second weekend, earning nearly $14.5 million to take its total to $44.2 million.
In at #3 was one of the weekend's other new releases, "Drive", starring Ryan Gosling stars as a stoic wheelman in the retro action picture from FilmDistrict. It earned just over $11 million.
Down two spots to #4 was "The Help" with $6.4 million.
Closing out the top five was "Straw Dogs," a remake of the 1971 Sam Peckinpah thriller. It opened in fifth place with only $5 million. It stars James Marsden and Kate Bosworth as a married couple under siege in the rural South.
Just behind it, at #6 was the other new release, "I Don't Know How She Does It," based on the best-seller of the same name. It earned just $4.5 million. The Weinstein Co. comedy stars Sarah Jessica Parker as a wife and mother of two struggling to balance her home life with her demanding job.
That's a wrap for this weekend. Next weekend, look out for the release of the Lionsgate action "Abduction"; the Ashley Judd family film "Dolphin Tale"; the Robert Deniro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham action "Killer Elite"; and the Brad Pitt sports drama "Moneyball."
This weekend's top 10 is as follows:
1. "The Lion King 3D," $29.3 million.
2. "Contagion," $14.5 million.
3. "Drive," $11 million.
4. "The Help," $6.4 million.
5. "Straw Dogs," $5 million.
6. "I Don't Know How She Does It," $4.5 million.
7. "The Debt," $2.9 million.
8. "Warrior," $2.8 million.
9. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," $2.6 million.
10. "Colombiana," $2.3 million.