Despite its abysmal reviews, anticipated sequel “Taken 2” dominated the box office in its debut Friday and will cruise to a weekend victory.
The Liam Neeson-starrer garnered $18.6 million, nearly tripling the take of its nearest competitor (“Hotel Transylvania” at $6.5 million). That Friday haul should enable it to flirt with the $50 million threshold by the end of the weekend.
The expanded “Pitch Perfect” claimed third place with $4.9 million Friday, beating out “Looper” ($3.5 million) and a disappointing start from “Frankenweenie” ($3.3 million). “Looper” looks to have been clearly hurt by “Taken,” as its sizable second week drop is not consistent with the acclaim it is receiving.