After debuting at #1 last weekend, Liam Neeson's Taken 2 defends its throne as the top film at the box office with a narrow win over Ben Affleck's Argo.
Sunday studio estimates put Neeson's action sequel at #1 with $22.5 million, raising its domestic total to $86.8 million.
In at #2 is Affleck's "Argo," opening with $20.1 million. It's an Iranian hostage thriller from Warner Bros., where a revolution in Iran reaches a boiling point, so a CIA specialist (AfflecK) concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.
Ethan Hawke's horror flick, Sinister, debuts at #3 with $18.2 million. In the film, a true-crime novelist finds out how and why a family is murdered in his new home after finding footage... but his discoveries get he and his family caught up in supernatural terror.
Adam Sandler's animated Hotel Transylvania falls to #4 this week, earning $17.3 million.
Finally, closing out the top 5 is Sony's "Here Comes the Boom," which stars Kevin James as a teacher who becomes a mixed martial arts sensation. It starts at a weak #5 with just $12 million.
The weekend's other new wide release, CBS Films' crime comedy Seven Psychopaths opened to small crowds, taking in $4.3 million to finish at #9. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken and Woody Harrelson.
That's a wrap for this weekend. This upcoming week, look out for the release of the crime-thriller Alex Cross, and Paranormal Activity 4.
This weekend's top 10 is as follows:
1. "Taken 2," $22.5 million.
2. "Argo," $20.1 million.
3. "Sinister," $18.3 million.
4. "Hotel Transylvania," $17.3 million.
5. "Here Comes the Boom," $12 million.
6. "Pitch Perfect," $9.3 million.
7. "Frankenweenie," $7 million.
8. "Looper," $6.3 million.
9. "Seven Psychopaths," $4.3 million.
10. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," $2.2 million.
