LOS ANGELES: Liam Neeson thriller “Taken 2” captured the No. 1 spot on movie box office charts over the weekend with a brawny $50m take from theaters in the United States and Canada.
“Taken 2” stars Neeson as a former CIA agent kidnapped during a vacation in Istanbul. The movie added $55m from some 50 international markets for a global opening of $117m including Korea where it opened earlier, distributor 20th Century Fox said.
The strong debut for “Taken 2” pushed last weekend’s winner, family flick “Hotel Transylvania,” to second place. The movie about a hotel run by Dracula earned $26.3m from Friday through yesterday, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters. Comedy “Pitch Perfect” snagged the No. 3 slot with $14.7m.
North American (US and Canadian) sales for “Taken 2” were more than double t he original film’s, which opened in January 2009 with $24.7m and ultimately grossed a surprising $227m around the world. The movie lifted Neeson to the ranks of Hollywood action stars, leading to roles in movies such as “Clash of the Titans” and “The Grey.”
“Hotel Transylvania” won the weekend battle for pre-Halloween family filmgoers, leaving new Walt Disney Co movie “Frankenweenie” in fifth place. Through two weekends, “Transylvania” has grossed $76m in the domestic market.
Rounding out the charts, time-travel movie “Looper” earned fourth place with $12.2m domestically. Sales for the movie starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt reached $40.3m for the two-week run.
Disney’s “Frankenweenie” grossed $11.5m at domestic theaters. The black-and-white stop-motion film directed by Tim Burton tells the story of a boy who brings his beloved dog back to life using Frankenstein-like science. The movie cost $39m to produce. News Corp’s 20th Century Fox studio distributed “Taken 2.” Sony Corp’s film studio released “Hotel Transylvania” and “Looper.” “Pitch Perfect” was distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp.
Reuters
