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Whole world is ‘Taken’ with sequel

By Amy Kaufman
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Liam Neeson wouldn’t let anyone take No. 1 from him at the box office this past weekend in the U.S. or overseas.

“Taken 2,” the kidnapping thriller starring the 60-year-old actor, dominated international ticket sales, raking in $41 million from 59 foreign markets. Overall, the movie has sold $132.8-million worth of receipts abroad — already far more than the $81.8 million the original “Taken” collected internationally in 2009.

The movie, which sees Neeson’s former CIA operative taken captive, is performing best in the United Kingdom, where it has grossed $23.4 million. The movie is also doing brisk business in China, collecting $10.8 million in the country.

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The sequel has yet to open in Central America and Japan.

Meanwhile, “Hotel Transylvania” is scaring up a healthy number of sales abroad, crossing $100 million overseas this weekend. Playing in only 25 foreign countries, Sony’s 3-D animated film has racked up $102.2 million internationally in three weeks of release.

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Amy Kaufman

Amy Kaufman is a columnist at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes a monthly A-1 column, “For Real With Amy Kaufman.” The series examines the lives of icons, underdogs and rising stars to find out who the people are shaping our culture — for real. Since joining The Times in 2009, she has profiled hundreds of influential figures, including Stevie Nicks, Kevin Hart, Joan Rivers, Michael B. Jordan and Lady Gaga. She also works on investigations and was part of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist team that covered the tragic shooting on the “Rust” film set. Her work often shines a light on the darker side of the entertainment business, and she has uncovered misconduct allegations against Randall Emmett, Russell Simmons and Chris D’Elia. In 2018, her book “Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure” became a New York Times bestseller.

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