Liam Neeson’s ‘Taken 3’ earns $39.2M at weekend box office

This photo released by 20th Century Fox shows Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills in a scene from the film, "Taken 3." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, Sam Urdank) This photo released by 20th Century Fox shows Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills in a scene from the film, "Taken 3." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, Sam Urdank)

By Associated Press January 12, 2015 3 min read

Liam Neeson has a new skill to add to his resume: taking down “The Hobbit” at the box office.

“Taken 3” swiped first place at the box office away from three-week reigning champion “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” The 20th Century Fox thriller series starring Neeson as a vengeance-seeking retired CIA operative with “a very particular set of skills” earned $39.1 million.

Paramount’s civil rights drama “Selma” expanded into wide release and arrived in second place with $11.3 million.

In its third week at the box office, the Disney musical “Into the Woods” earned $9.5 million in third place.

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