Liam Neeson’s Action Thriller ‘Honest Thief’ Holds On To The Top Spot Despite Slow Second Weekend
The “Dadsploitation” genre continues to be very good to Liam Neeson as the aging action star’s latest thriller, Honest Thief, remained in the top spot in its second weekend with $2.4 million in North America.

In what turned out to be another lackluster weekend at the stateside box office, the high-octane, PG-13-rated picture from Open Roads Films, starring the action star as a double-crossed bank robber with a conscience, had a $939 per-screen average in 2,502 theaters, bringing its total domestic haul to $7.5 million. However, the film dropped off 42.9% from the previous frame. Abroad, Honest Thief has racked up $3.3 million to date, bringing its worldwide box-office total to $10.8 million.

The soft numbers come despite the fact that the film added screens in the wake of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to allow movie theaters outside of New York City to re-open on October 23 at reduced capacity. Although theaters in most US markets are currently open for business (albeit in limited form), the major markets of New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco remain closed due the COVID pandemic. Additionally, 536 Regal Cinemas theaters are still dark after shutting their doors on October 8.

Finishing in the runner-up spot again in its third week, 101 Studios’ The War with Grandpa took in $1.9 million, dropping 24.9% from the previous frame. The PG-rated comedy starring Robert De Niro managed a $802 per-screen average in 2,345 theaters, bringing its North American box-office total to $9.7 million. The kid-friendly comedy has tacked on an additional $4.1 million overseas, bringing its worldwide tally to $13.8 million.

In third place was Warner Bros.’ Tenet. In its eighth week of domestic release, Christopher Nolan’s epic took in $1.3 million , dropping 18.8% from the previous session. The PG-13 epic managed a $721 per-screen average in 1,801 theaters, bringing its North American box-office total to $52.5 million . Not surprisingly, Nolan’s film fared better overseas this weekend, where its international box-office tally now stands at $289 million , bringing its cumulative worldwide total to $341.5 million .

In fourth place was 20th Century Studios’ The Empty Man. In its debut weekend, the R-rated horror thriller starring James Badge Dale as an ex-cop battling a group bent on summoning a supernatural force opened to $1.3 million. Playing in 2,027 theaters, the film earned a $624 per-screen average. It has not yet opened internationally.

In fifth, Disney’s re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas scared up $577,000 in its second weekend back in theaters. The PG-rated stop-motion, animated classic from Tim Burton, which initially opened in 1993, fell 56.4% in its second frame. Playing in 1,614 theaters, it earned a $357 per-screen average. It was one of three deja-vu re-releases from Disney that managed to land in the Top 10 this weekend, along with 1993’s witchy comedy Hocus Pocus (No. 6 with $530,000) and 2001’s Monsters, Inc. (No. 7 with $494,000).

Also of note, bubbling under the Top 5 this weekend was the debut of Open Road’s After We Collided, which opened domestically at No. 8. The YA romance came out of the gate with $420,000 in 460 locations—good enough for a $913 per-screen average. Internationally, the film has added $45.6 million to date since its opening in September, bringing its worldwide cumulative total to $46 million.

In other box-office news, this past week saw three more high-profile future releases pushing their opening days back due to the ongoing coronavirus threat. Universal’s Candyman and Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife will now bow in the summer of 2021, while MGM’s Legally Blonde 3 has been bumped until 2022.