Box Office Update: 'The Help' Launches to a Strong $5.5 Million

Tate Taylor's female-fueled The Helpgot off to animpressive startat the Wednesday box office, grossing $5.5 million and earning a rare A+ CinemaScore.our editor recommends'The Help's' Retro, Southern Style (Photos)'The Help' Premiere: 5 Things Seen and Heard on the Red Carpet The movie topped the box office, besting Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which grossed $4.9 million for the day. PHOTOS: 'The Help's' Retro, Southern Style Fans ofKathryn Stockett'snovel turned out in force to se the DreamWorks and Disney film, along with moviegoers simply curious about the film's storyline and large female cast, led byEmma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Bryce Dallas Howard. It's still too early to say how muchThe Helpwill open to over the course of its five-day debut. Disney is sticking to its conservative estimate of $20 million, although other box office observers say the film could easily open north of $25 million based on the strength of Wednesday's performance. The final outcome depends upon how front loaded the pic is. The Help is only the second movie of the year to receive an A+ CinemaSocre after TriStar/Film District's Soul Surfer. Films earning the top score enjoy strong multiples, such as Soul Surfer, which opened to $10.6 million and grossed $43.9 million domestically. Disney's Tangled and Disney/Pixar's Story 3, both released in 2010, also received A+ CinemaScores and enjoyed similar multiples. STORY: 'The Help's' Emma Stone: What Critics Say of Her Performance The Helpis benefiting from appealing to female moviegoers otherwise turned off by Hollywood's big summer blockbusters, with women making up 83% of Wednesday's audience. Roughly 78% were over the age of 25. As a way of comparison,The Helpis keeping up so far withJulie & Julia, another femme-fueled film that opened last August. But becauseJulie & Juliaopened on a Friday, it had the advantage of stronger nighttime traffic and grossed $6.4 million for the day. That film opened to $20 million. FILM REVIEW: 'The Help' Set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Miss.,The Helpexplores the complicated relationships between white women and their maids, and what happens when a young white journalist exposes how the maids are treated. STORY: 'The Help' Premiere: 5 Things Seen and Heard on the Red Carpet DreamWorks and Participant Media co-financed the $25 million the movie, which was produced byChris ColumbusandMike Barnathan's1492 Pictures. The film is already drawing awards buzz for its performances. The Help also stars Jessica Chastain, Ahna O'Reilly, Allison Janney and Sissy Spacek. Tate, a childhood friend of Stockett's, makes his feature directorial debut with The Help. Related Topics Bryce Dallas Howard Viola Davis Emma Stone DreamWorks SKG Walt Disney Pictures The Help