Liam Neeson's Taken 3 is scoring big numbers at the North American box office, where the franchise installment is on course to gross $14 million on Friday from 3,593 theaters for a weekend debut in the $35 million range, or higher.
Friday's haul includes $1.6 million in Thursday night grosses. The $48 million action movie, produced by Luc Besson'sEuropaCorp and distributed by Fox, will have no trouble claiming the box office crown and unseating champ The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which placed No. 1 for three straight weekends.
Taken 3 won't match the $49.5 million debut of Taken 2 in October 2012, but that film faced less competition.
The three quel reteams Neeson with castmembers Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace, and introduces Forest Whitaker to the franchise. Olivier Megaton returns in the director's chair, while Besson and Robert Mark Kamen once again wrote the script.
This time out, ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (Neeson) avenges the death of his ex-wife.
In other action, Ava DuVernay's Selma expanded nationwide Thursday night after a limited Christmas release. The critically acclaimed civil rights drama, starring David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. and currently sporting a 99 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, in the low- to mid-teens for the the weekend from 2,179 theaters. (The award contender's domestic total to date is $2.2 million).
Selma, which extends its footprint on the eve of Sunday's Golden Globe ceremony, where it is up for best picture in the drama category.
Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice also expands nationwide, although it will only be playing in 645 locations.
Hobbit, along with a strong crop of other holiday holdovers, including Unbroken and Into the Woods, should stay high up on the domestic box office chart.
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