娱乐英语新闻:"The Lion King 3-D" debuts as number one in North America box office

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- "The Lion King 3-D," a Disney animated film which first hit the screen in 1994 and re- leased in 3-D format over the weekend, performed exceptionally well and dethroned last week's top earner "Contagion" with a solid gross.

The Disney's latest feature has garnered 29.3 million U.S. dollars from 2,330 venues in the United States and Canada, a performance well exceeding prior expectations by studio executives. This healthy box office receipt even bettered the Pixar Studio's last comparable animated blockbuster "Toy Story" and it 3-D sequel from 2009, which registered only 12.5 million dollars on opening weekend.

Billed by Disney as the most successful title in home entertainment history, "The Lion King" spawned two made-for-video sequels, a television series and a Broadway musical. The latest incarnation is boosted by an audience which comprises mainly of nostalgic twentysomethings as well as families, which accounted for 74 percent. Now in limited, two-week showing, the film is set for more excellent showings.

"Contagion," a bio-thriller which debuted last weekend, still managed to take in 14.48 million dollars during the Friday-Sunday frame, ending in second place. The Warner Bros. film, directed by Steven Soderbergh and features a star-studded cast of six Oscar winners or nominees -- Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Laurence Fishburne, has grossed 44.19 million dollars in two weeks.

"Drive," a crime drama starring up-and-coming actor Ryan Gosling as a criminal getaway driver, also opened this weekend to a healthy start, reaping 11 million dollars from 2,886 locations at No.3. Despite the sizzling buzz on the internet, many of the moviegoers who have watched the film gave it a negative rating, as it has an overall CinemaScore rating of "C-."

"The Help," now six weeks in the box office, has made 6.44 million dollars at fourth place. The Disney / DreamWorks drama is on track for a 147 million dollars.

Two other debuts have flopped on the other hand. "Straw Dogs," a Sony remake of the 1971 psychological thriller and directed by Rod Lurie, raked in only five million dollars, ending in fifth place. "I Don't Know How She Does It," a Weinstein comedy which stars "Sex and the City" actress Sarah Jessica Parker in the leading role, roped in only 4.5 million dollars, ending in 6th.

Rounding out the 10 most-popular movies in North America this weekend are "The Debt" (2.9 million dollars), "Warrior" (2.8 million dollars), "Rise Of the Planet Of The Apes" (2.7 million dollars), and "Colombiana" (2.3 million dollars).