Despite a continuing high unemployment rate amongst America's laborers, ticket sales were up at the box office this Labor Day weekend compared to last year. The top ten movies of Labor Day, 2010 took in around $19 million. Today audiences are estimatedly spending an additional $21 million on the top biggest movies in theaters. The Help added the largest chunk to its total, bringing its four day weekend total close to $20 million.
Labor Day marks for many the official end of summer, and it's clear that the box office has been in a post-summer slumber for the last few weeks. Even though sales have picked up over the last month compare to last year and despite the several blockbusters that made record-breaking banks in the last few months, overall sales for the year are still lower than where they were two years ago at the end of summer.
To compare this Labor Day weekend's four day numbers to the regular three day numbers, check out the regular Weekend Box Office report.
For the holiday numbers, take a look at the chart below:
| The Help | $19,000,000 | Total: $123,391,000 | LW: 1 WR: 4 THTRS: 2,843 |
| The Debt * | $12,551,000 | Total: $14,453,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 1,826 |
| Apollo 18 * | $10,700,000 | Total: $10,700,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 3,328 |
| Shark Night 3D * | $10,300,000 | Total: $10,300,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2,806 |
| Rise of the Planet of the Apes | $10,250,000 | Total: $162,475,000 | LW: 3 WR: 5 THTRS: 3,193 |
| Colombiana | $9,400,000 | Total: $23,962,000 | LW: 2 WR: 2 THTRS: 2,614 |
| Our Idiot Brother | $7,045,000 | Total: $17,280,000 | LW: 5 WR: 2 THTRS: 2,555 |
| Spy Kids: All the Time in the World | $6,608,000 | Total: $31,007,000 | LW: 6 WR: 3 THTRS: 3,007 |
| Don't Be Afraid of the Dark | $6,144,000 | Total: $17,585,000 | LW: 4 WR: 2 THTRS: 2,780 |
| The Smurfs | $5,600,000 | Total: $133,553,000 | LW: 7 WR: 6 THTRS: 2,706 |
