LOS ANGELES: The latest in the long-running "Die Hard" action series, with Bruce Willis reprising his starring role, topped the holiday weekend box office across North America, industry data showed Tuesday.
Twenty-five years after the first film about tough New York cop John
McClane, the new one, "A Good Day to Die Hard," hauled in $24.8 million, or $28.6 million including Monday's Presidents Day, said tracker Exhibitor Relations.
The fifth installment of the "Die Hard" movie series has Willis's McClane travel to Russia to help an adult son get out of trouble.
The comedy "Identity Thief" continued to defy tepid reviews and came in second place with $23.7 million in ticket sales ($27.5 million with the extra day), after debuting last week at the top of the box office.
In third place was romantic drama "Safe Haven" by Sweden's Lasse Hallstrom, which made $21.4 million or $24.5 million over the long weekend, followed by animated "Escape from Planet Earth," which sold $15.9 million, or $21.1 million with Monday.
"Warm Bodies," a romantic zombie comedy inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," was in fifth spot with $8.9 million ($10.6 million over four days).
The debut of "Beautiful Creatures," a supernatural fantasy flick featuring British Oscar-winner Emma Thompson, came in sixth with $7.6 million ($8.9 million) in ticket sales.
In seventh was director Steven Soderbergh's thriller "Side Effects,"
starring Jude Law and Rooney Mara, with $6.3 million, or $7.3 million including Monday.
Oscar-nominated romantic comedy "Silver Linings Playbook," starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, was eighth with $6.2 million ($7.4 million) in ticket sales.
In ninth spot was "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunt," a horror movie twist on the classic fairy tale, which grossed an estimated $3.5 million, or $4.2 million over four days.
Rounding off the top ten was Osama bin Laden manhunt movie "Zero Dark Thirty," also nominated for next weekend's Academy Awards, which sold $3 million in tickets, or $3.6 million including Monday.
AFP
