Liam Neeson Makes Sure the Box Office is Taken

Taken made good on its promise this weekend: Hunting, finding and killing the competition. The Liam Neeson-as-action-hero thriller made off with $24.6 million, finally, and some may say thankfully, dethroning Paul Blart: Mall Cop from the number one spot. The Kevin James comedy came in second place with $14 million, bringing its total domestic gross to $83.4 million.

The Uninvited (with Elizabeth Banks taking on a villainous role) came in third with $10.5 million, while the combined charms of Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. couldn’t help the week’s other new release, New In Town, break into the top five. The rom-com finished the weekend with $6.75 million, good for eighth place.

Coming in just short of the top five, Slumdog Millionaire, with breakouts Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, capitalized on all its award season buzz, raking in $7.68 million this weekend and generating a total gross of $67.2 million thus far.

Next week promises to shake up the box office with a slew of-high profile releases coming out. Can Liam Neeson fend off the likes of Jennifer Aniston—and a whole motley crew of A-listers that includes Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson and Drew Barrymore—and New Line’s He’s Just Not That Into You? Will Steve Martin, back as Inspector Clouseau, prove that Pink Panther 2 is the sequel nobody wanted? Or will Dakota Fanning take her place as the biggest littlest movie star in Hollywood with her two releases, Push and Coraline, battling for the top spot? Check back next week at Top of the Box Office to see how it all turns out.