TAKEN 2 TAKES DOWN ARGO (Updated)

Taken 2, starring Liam Neeson, held off a strong challenge from Ben Affleck’s Argo to remain at the top of the box office for the second week in a row. The 20th Century Fox thriller brought in an estimated $22.5 million in its second week, down 54 percent from its opening. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. figured that Argo, which Affleck directed and starred in, earned $20.1 million. However, when a final tally is released on Monday that figure could very well grow. [Update: Both figures fell below estimates. See final figures below.] Ticket sales for the movie soared 47 percent from Friday to Saturday, indicating that it was receiving an enthusiastic word-of-mouth reception; audiences gave it an A+ CinemaScore grade. (Sunday’s studio estimates are based on actual sales figures for Friday and Saturday and an educated guess about Sunday’s.) The audience reaction jibed with that of virtually every major critic, who made Argo one of the best-reviewed movies of the year. (Taken 2, on the other hand, took a drubbing from critics.) Coming in third was Summit Entertainment’s horror flick Sinister, starring Ethan Hawke. With about $18.2 million from some 2,500 theaters, it actually came in well ahead of Taken 2 and Argo on a per-theater basis, averaging about $7,225 per theater versus $6,100 for Taken 2 and $6,200 for Argo. More impressive: it only cost $3 million to produce. Sony’s Hotel Transylvania slipped to fourth place with $17.3 million, down just 36 percent from last weekend. Its three-week domestic total now stands at $102 million. Another PG-rated family film from Sony, the Kevin James starrer Here Comes the Boom, opened in fifth place with $12 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:
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.

UPDATE
Final Figures for the Top Five Films
1. Taken 2, $21,873,127
2. Argo, $19,458,109
3. Sinister, $18,007,634
4. Hotel Transylvania, $17,241,317
5. Here Comes the Boom, $11,816,596