There was never any doubt that Taken 3 would be the first big hit of 2015. Of course that would be the case, and it's largely why these badly-reviewed movies keep opening when they do. Hyped as the final time for Liam Neeson to show off his "particular set of skills" as Bryan Mills, the film $40.4M opening is extraordinary given the poor response to Taken 2, which opened with $49M back in 2012 and ended up with $376M worldwide. These films have always had a strong international following and chances are Taken 3 will as well, and when all the numbers are added up it's going to be hard for Europa and 20th Century Fox to shut this franchise down no matter how much it needs to end.
2. Selma- $11.2M
After a modest Christmas Day debut to qualify for the Oscars, Ava DuVernay's Selma expanded to over 2000 theaters and earned a solid $11.2M. That's not bad given the $20M budget for the civil rights drama which centers on Martin Luther King's march for voting rights back in 1965. The film has had incredible word of mouth and a ton of Oscar buzz, and there seems to be a genuine movement to get people out to see it. For one thing, many people are pushing for DuVernay to succeed where so many other indie directors have failed when given the reigns to high-profile projects. While there has been some push back on some of the portrayals in the film that probably won't hurt its momentum. On the other hand Selma isn't quite the easy sell as last year's The Butler which had a marketable cast and could be positioned as less depressing than 12 Years a Slave.
3.Into the Woods- $9.7M/$105.2M
4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $9.4M/$236.5M
5. Unbroken- $8.3M/$101.6M
6. The Imitation Game- $7.6M/$40.8M
7. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb- $6.7M/$99.5M
8. Annie- $4.9M/$79.4M
9. The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death- $4.8M/$22.3M
10.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $3.7M/$329.5M
For an indication just how jam-packed the Oscar season can get, and how beneficial awards buzz can be, just take a look at the movie's on the bottom end of the scale. Reese Witherspoon's Wild continues to perform well with another $2.7M and $30.3M total; and American Sniper brought in another $555K in only four locations for a $3.1M haul before going wide release next week. Also debuting was Paul Thomas Anderson's druggie detective comedy Inherent Vice, which expanded and brought in $2.9M for a $4.8M total. Let's face it, Anderson's movies have never been big sellers (The Master only made $28M worldwide) and Inherent Vice comes with its own challenges such as the R-rating, genre, and '70s setting.
