‘Non-Stop’ lands at No. 1 at weekend box office
LOS ANGELES: Liam Neeson has grounded the "The Lego Movie." The action star´s airliner thriller "Non-Stop" arrived in first place at the weekend box office, effectively ending the Warner Bros....
March 03, 2014
The Universal film stars Neeson as a federal air marshal on a doomed flight. "Non-Stop" ascended in its first weekend with $30 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"I think the fact that audiences were ready for a suspense thriller was a lot to do with the film´s success, and obviously Liam is an absolute box office draw," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. "One of the main reasons people were coming to see the film was Liam."
Fox´s "Son of God" debuted closely behind "Non-Stop" in second place with $26.5 million.
"The Lego Movie," which features the voices of Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks as characters from the block-building toy franchise, came in third place with $21 million in its third weekend, bringing its total domestic haul to $209.3 million.
A few contenders up for Oscars at Sunday´s 86th annual Academy Awards received a boost at the box office.
Dergarabedian said the box office for "12 Years a Slave" was up 72 percent and for "Dallas Buyers Club" was up 44 percent over last weekend. Both films are vying for the best-picture trophy at the Oscars, as well as several other honors.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included.1. "Non-Stop," $30 million.2. "Son of God," $26.5 million3. "The Lego Movie," $21 million.4. "The Monuments Men," $5 million.5. "3 Days to Kill," $4.9 million.6. "RoboCop," $4.5 million.7. "Pompeii," $4.3 million.8. "Frozen," $3.6 million.9. "About Last Night," $3.4 million.10. "Ride Along," $3 million.
