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Disney‘s 3D reissue of family classic The Lion King topped the US box office this weekend with almost $30m.

The feature animation took $29.3m in its opening weekend, pushing last week’s box-office topper Contagion into second place with $14.5m.

Nicolas Winding Refn’s critically-acclaimed action-thriller Drive, starring Ryan Gosling, opened to $11m, followed by Emma Stone-led comedy-drama The Help with $6.4m.

A remake of Straw Dogs, starring James Marsden and Kate Bosworth, rounds out the top five films of the weekend with $5m.

This week’s US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) The Lion King 3D – $29,300,000
2. (1) Contagion – $14,500,000
3. (-) Drive – $11,000,000
4. (2) The Help – $6,400,000
5. (-) Straw Dogs – $5,000,000
6. (-) I Don’t Know How She Does It – $4,500,000
7. (4) The Debt – $2,945,000
8. (3) Warrior – $2,770,000
9. (7) Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $2,625,000
10. (9) Colombiana – $2,300,000

PlayStation Vita will be region-free, Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed.

Shuhei Yoshida, president of Worldwide Studios, broke the news when responding to a fan question on his personal Twitter page.

Vita is scheduled for release in Japan in December, priced at $390 (£247) for the 3G model or $325 (£205) for wi-fi only. Customers in other territories will be able to import the device and encounter no software compatibility issues.

Sony announced the full list of games in development for the platform at Tokyo Game Show 2011, and revealed that it will feature an external battery pack to extend its standard three to five hour usage.

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William Friedkin has hit out at the amount of comic book adaptations coming out of Hollywood.

The Exorcist director called for the development of original movies geared towards an adult audience, AFP reports.

Friedkin said: “It’s harder and harder to do [original adult material] in this climate of American film… which is mostly concerned with movies that are comic books and remakes.

“The audiences have changed. They are conditioned by television and television is aimed at the lowest common denominator… their expectations are lower.”

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Steven Soderbergh‘s latest thriller Contagion has topped the US box office in its opening weekend, taking $23.1m.

The film boasts an ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Kate Winslet, as the characters battle to save the world from a dangerous virus.

Tate Tyler’s comedy-drama The Help falls to second place, after three weeks at the top, with $8.7m, followed by Tom Hardy-led fighting drama Warrior with $5.6m.

John Madden’s remake of The Debt, starring Helen Mirren, falls to fourth place with $4.9m, while Colombiana rounds out the top five films of the weekend with $4m.

This week’s US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Contagion – $23,135,000
2. (1) The Help – $8,691,000
3. (-) Warrior – $5,607,000
4. (2) The Debt – $4,905,000
5. (6) Colombiana – $4,000,000
6. (5) Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $3,875,000
7. (4) Shark Night 3D – $3,533,000
8. (3) Apollo 18 – $2,913,000
9. (7) Our Idiot Brother – $2,761,000
10. (9) Spy Kids: All the Time in the World – $2,500,000

Surprise hit The Help has retained its box office lead for the third weekend in a row, taking $14.2m for Labour Day weekend.

The Emma Stone-led drama passed the $100m mark on Tuesday in terms of domestic sales, making it one of the highest-grossing summer dramas of all time.

John Madden’s remake of R-rated thriller The Debt opened in second place with $9.6m, while sci-fi horror Apollo 18 entered in third with $8.7m.

Underwater horror Shark Night 3D opened in fourth place with takings of $8.6m, while sci-fi reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes rounds out the top five with $7.8m.

This week’s US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (1) The Help – $14,200,000
2. (-) The Debt – $9,670,000
3. (-) Apollo 18 – $8,700,000
4. (-) Shark Night 3D – $8,640,000
5. (4) Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $7,800,000
6. (2) Colombiana – $7,400,000
7. (5) Our Idiot Brother – $5,180,000
8. (3) Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark – $4,940,000
9. (6) Spy Kids: All the Time in the World – $4,630,000
10. (7) The Smurfs

Vin Diesel has claimed that work on the new Riddick movie is progressing well.

The Fast Five star posted new concept art on his official Facebook page, along with an update on the film’s progression.

“While I was working on character, the director and his team of artists have been creating the world and style of this picture,” he wrote. “We all know how much I enjoy concept art and storyboards.

“First stop for the Riddick production is Canada, which is where we shot a large part of Chronicles of Riddick.”

Diesel also announced that Universal has given Riddick an R rating, similar to the first Riddick movie Pitch Black.

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Bruce Boxleitner has revealed that a third instalment in the Tron franchise is “a done deal”.

The actor, who plays the characters of Tron and Alan Bradley in the films, told reporters at a Disney D23 event that the follow-up to Tron Legacy is likely to be released in 2013.

Boxleitner said: “Oh, it’s already a done deal. It’s already in the works, my friend. It takes a long time to make these things; we won’t get to it until next year anyway.”

Despite a lukewarm critical reception for Tron Legacy, it is believed that the $400 million (£247m) secured by the film overall has convinced Disney to continue plans for a new addition to the franchise.

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Daniel Craig‘s new James Bond movie will reportedly film in Delhi, India.

Bond 23, Craig’s third movie as Ian Fleming’s secret agent, is to shoot at Sarojini Nagar Market, Daryaganj street and Ansari Road in the national capital.

The production may also shoot in Mumbai and Goa after gaining approval from India’s information and broadcasting ministry, reports The Deccan Chronicle.

Roger Moore’s Octopussy is the only other James Bond outing to film in India.

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An actor who appeared in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery has been convicted of rape and torture charges.

Joseph Hyungmin Son, who played Dr Evil’s henchman Random Task in the spoof, faces life in prison for a 1990 attack on a woman in California, according to Los Angeles station KTLA.

The woman was reportedly walking her dog on Christmas Eve in Huntington Beach when she was attacked by Son and an accomplice, who abducted her at gunpoint.

Son has been accused of repeatedly raping the victim before setting her free.

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Civil rights comedy-drama The Help has topped the US box office for the second weekend in a row.

Despite a large number of East Coast theaters being forced to close ready for Hurricane Irene, the Emma Stone-led adaptation still took an estimated domestic total of $14.3m.

Oliver Megaton’s latest action film Colombiana, starring Zoe Saldana, opened in second place with $10.3m, followed by the Guillermo del Toro-penned horror Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark with $8.7m.

Former box-office topper Rise of the Planet of the Apes fell to fourth place this week with $8.65m, while comedy Our Idiot Brother rounded out the top five films of the weekend with $6.6m.

This week’s US box office top five in full (studio estimates):
1. (1) The Help – $14,300,000
2. (-) Colombiana – $10,300,000
3. (-) Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark – $8,700,000
4. (2) Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $8,650,000
5. (-) Our Idiot Brother – $6,600,000