"LION" IS KING OF THE BOX OFFICE AGAIN

Still from Moneyball

Disney's The Lion King 3-D, last week's Champion, defies all odds and does it a second week in a row, still going strong with $22 million in its second week of release. The Animated Feature wins a hotly-contested race for the lead with Sony Pictures' Moneyball, both a critical and commercial success, getting edged-out with $21 million. The Sports Drama also garnered an amazing 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer, meaning that likely it will be a serious Best Picture contender come Awards season.  And to think it all started at TIFF 2011!

Third-place finisher Dolphin Tale 3-D for Warner Bros., starring Morgan Freeman and Harry Connick Jr., is by no means a slouch either, opening with a v. impressive $20 million from 3,507 theatres.

Abduction starring Taylor Lautner opens in fourth spot with $11 million below expectations, as it was made for $36 million and high hopes were held for its Lead Actor's star power. Surely the Actor will see better days soon with the impending release of the next installment of Twilight.

A strong and proven Cast of Leading Men wasn't enough to save Killer Elite which debuts in fifth spot also with $9.5 million. The Action Thriller starring Clive Owen, Robert DeNiro and Jason Statham also fared poorly with Critics at 23% on the Tomatometer.

Former Champion Contagion slips to sixth spot in its third week with $9 million, earning $57.5 million in its run, just ahead of Drive starring Ryan Gosling in seventh, with $6 million in its second week. Meanwhile, Disney's The Help finds itself in eighth spot, now surpassing the $150 mark domestically - just about exceeding everyone's expectations.