Liam Neeson's already hot box-office streak got hotter over the weekend, while Tim Burton's already cold one became, well, colder. “Taken 2†(20th Century Fox), starring Mr. Neeson as a retired C.I.A. operative, was No. 1 at North American theaters, taking in about $50 million, about twice the amount of its 2009 franchise predecessor. Mr. Neeson, 60, has recently become one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, turning small action films like “Unknown†and “The Grey†into hits. For the weekend, “Hotel Transylvania†(Sony) was second, taking in about $26.3 million, for a two-week total of $76 million, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box-office data.
“Pitch Perfect†(Universal) was third, selling about $14.7 million in tickets, for a two-week total of $21.6 million, a firm result for an inexpensive movie aimed primarily at women. Fourth place went to “Looper†(Sony), which took in about $12.2 million, for a two-week total of $40.3 million. Suffering from “Hotel Transylvania†competition, Mr. Burton's animated “Frankenweenie†(Disney) arrived with a whimper, placing fifth with about $11.5 million in ticket sales. This black-and-white film received applause from critics - a sharp contrast to Mr. Burton's poorly received “Dark Shadows†in June - and was inexpensive, costing less than $40 million to make. But initial ticket sales are a disappointment given the marketing resources that Disney poured into it release. Disney hopes “Frankenweenie,†which is generating Oscar buzz in the animation category, will perk up in the coming weeks, as Americans focus more intently on Halloween.
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