`Taken 2` tops weekend box office with $50m debut

New York: Liam Neeson’s action sequel ‘Taken 2’ proved twice the hit among fans as compared to the original movie and ruled the box office with 50 million dollars on its opening weekend.

‘Taken’ went on to become a 145-million-dollar smash for Neeson, the Academy Award-nominated star of ‘Schindler’s List’ who has become an unlikely action hero in his 50s. In ‘Taken 2’, Neeson returns as a retired CIA agent using his expert espionage and killing skills to take on a gang of thugs out for revenge against him and his family. The previous weekend’s number one - Adam Sandler’s animated hit ‘Hotel Transylvania’, dropped to second-place with 26.3 million dollars, the New York Post reported. The Sony release raised its domestic total to 76 million dollars, and it has taken in 29.3 million dollars overseas for a worldwide haul of 105.3 million dollars. Expanding into nationwide release after a limited debut a week earlier, Universal’s music tale ‘Pitch Perfect’ moved up to third-place with 14.7 million dollars. The movie stars Anna Kendrick as a college freshman spicing things up for her a cappella singing squad. Sony’s sci-fi thriller ‘Looper’, starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, fell from second-place to fourth with 12.2 million dollars, lifting its domestic haul to 40.3 million dollars. Tim Burton’s animated monster tale ‘Frankenweenie’ had a slow start, taking in 11.5 million dollars and rounding off the top five. The top 10 movies at the weekend box office were: Taken 2 - 50 million dollars Hotel Transylvania - 26.3 million dollars Pitch Perfect - 14.7 million dollars Looper - 12.2 million dollars Frankenweenie - 11.5 million dollars End of Watch - 4 million dollars Trouble with the Curve - 3.9 million dollars House at the End of the Street - 3.7 million dollars The Master - 1.8 million dollars Finding Nemo - 1.6 million dollars ANI