Wonder Woman 1984 toppled from the top spot at the box office to number three thanks to Liam Neeson’s new film The Marksman.
The action thriller beat out the tepidly received sequel with a domestic haul of $3.7 million in its first four days in theaters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
This was the second time one of Neeson’s films topped the box office during the pandemic, after his thriller Honest Thief also took the number one spot back in October.
New champ: Liam Neeson’s action thriller The Marksman won the weekend box office with $3.7 million over four days, as the previous leader Wonder Woman 1984 fell to third place; still from The Marksman
The Marksman was directed by Robert Lorenz, who has produced multiple films for Clint Eastwood, and even directed him in 2012’s Trouble With The Curve.
Neeson stars in the film as a rancher in Arizona who has to call on his training as a Marine years earlier to save a young boy who has been abducted by a Mexican drug cartel.
Although the actor has appeared in plenty of prestigious films throughout his career, in recent years he has carved out a niche with high-octane action thrillers.
The biggest crowds for The Marksman were located in the South, and the audience skewed towards older adults, with 33 percent of ticket buyers being over 45, according to PostTrak.
Dramatic: Neeson stars in the film as a rancher in Arizona who has to call on his training as a Marine years earlier to save a young boy who has been abducted by a Mexican drug cartel; still from The Marksman
Moving down: Wonder Woman 1984 earned $2.7 million over four days. It has received lukewarm reviews
Snapping up the second spot was The Croods: A New Age. The sequel has shown strong staying power, most likely due to its family appeal
The Marksman not only knocked Wonder Woman 1984 out of the top spot, but the comic book movie moved down to third place.
The film, which stars Gal Gadot, was initially expected to invigorate the box office, but the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have still kept many moviegoers away, and theaters remain closed in major markets including Los Angeles and New York.
The film also debuted simultaneously on HBO Max for all subscribers without an additional rental fee, where it will remain until January 24.
It didn’t help that Wonder Woman 1984 also received lukewarm reviews from critics and audience. It currently has a 60 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film earned $2.7 million over four days, for a domestic total of $35.9 million.
Snapping up the second spot was The Croods: A New Age. The sequel has shown strong staying power, most likely due to its family appeal.
It earned $2.9 million toward a total of $40.1 million.
Reliable: Coming in fourth place was the Tom Hanks western News Of The World, directed by Captain Phillips’ Paul Greengrass, which earned $1.27 million
Strong performer: Monster Hunter, which won the box office in December, continued to do strong business — by pandemic standards — with $1.09 million
Erotic thriller: In sixth place was the thriller Fatale, with $630,000. Michael Ealy stars as a married man whose relationship with a detective (Hilary Swank) goes sour when she turns obsessive
Coming in fourth place was the Tom Hanks western News Of The World, directed by Captain Phillips’ Paul Greengrass.
The movie, which hit VOD services on January 15, took in $1.27 million.
Monster Hunter, which won the box office in December, continued to do strong business — by pandemic standards — with $1.09 million.
Unlike other recent films, which have quickly (or simultaneously) been available to rent online, Monster Hunter is sticking it out in theaters for the time being.
In sixth place was the thriller Fatale, with $630,000.
Michael Ealy stars as a married man who has a one-night stand with a police detective (played by Hilary Swank) who begins investigating him after things go sour between the two.
Thumbs up! Carey Mulligan’s comedy thriller Promising Young Woman has been a hit with critics, helping it earn $518,000 in its fourth week
International hit: The Tamil-language Indian film Master has been performing strongly at the Indian box office, and it made it to eighth place with $251,000
Carey Mulligan’s comedy thriller Promising Young Woman has been a hit with critics, helping it earn $518,000 in its fourth week.
Mulligan stars in the black comedy as a medical school dropout who lays traps for men by pretending to be drunk at bars and clubs to see who will try to take advantage of her.
The Tamil-language Indian film Master has been performing strongly at the Indian box office, and it made it to eighth place with $251,000.
As the major studios try to save some of their biggest budget films for when its safer for audiences to return to theaters, some have chosen to rerelease older films to appeal to families.
Disney capitalized on that nostalgia trend with its rerelease of the animated comedy The Emperor’s New Groove, which took in an additional $239,000.
Rounding out the top 10 at the box office was Robert De Niro–starring family comedy The War With Grandpa, which took in $155,000 after 15 weeks in wide release.
Back for more: Disney capitalized on that nostalgia trend with its rerelease of the animated comedy The Emperor’s New Groove, which took in an additional $239,000
Can’t beat it: Rounding out the top 10 at the box office was Robert De Niro–starring family comedy The War With Grandpa, which took in $155,000 after 15 weeks in wide release