Liam Neeson’s Taken -like new thriller Unknown blasted its way to the top of the US box office this weekend.
Garnering a fair (if not mind-blowing) $21m, Neeson showed the kiddies how it’s done, beating Alex Pettyfer’s teen sci-fi I Am Number Four ($19.5m, in second place).
Neeson's co-star Diane Kruger thinks it’s the age what has it: “Because of his age and because of his body of work and his gravitas as an actor, I think it brings a whole other layer of depth to this kind of film.”
I Am Number Four only just pipped CG toon Gnomeo And Juliet to second place, though, the latte rgrabbing $19.4m and third place, while Jennifer Aniston’s comedy J ust Go With It debunked to fourth ($18.2m), and the third Big Mommas defied expectation by opening in fifth ($17m).
Justin Bieber proved he could be both a box office draw and a successful tween crooner with his Never Say Never sticking around in sixth ($13.6m), while The King’s Speech added another $6.5m to its money pot (in seventh).
Stalky thriller The Roommate clung to eighth ($4.1m), Channing Tatum’s period actioner The Eagle didn’t impress in ninth ($3.5m), and No Strings Attached held out in tenth with $3.1m.
Next week, comedy Hall Pass and Nic Cage busted-out-of-hell action film Drive Angry open. But who’ll get the number one spot?
