Liam lands 'Non-Stop' on top slot

Liam Neeson has grounded The Lego Movie.

Airliner thriller Non-Stop, which stars Neeson as a federal air marshal on a doomed flight, arrived in first place at the weekend box office, effectively ending the Warner Bros animated film’s three-week blockade at the top spot.

Universal’s Non-Stop ascended in its first weekend with $30m domestically and $20m internationally, according to studio estimates.

“I think the fact that audiences were ready for a suspense thriller has a lot to do with the film’s success, and obviously Liam is an absolute box office draw,” said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. “One of the main reasons people were coming to see the film was Liam.”

Fox’s Son Of God debuted closely behind Non-Stop in second place with $26.5m domestically. The film recounts the story of Jesus’ life using footage from the production of History Channel’s 10-part mini-series The Bible.

The Lego Movie, which features the voices of Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks as characters from the block-building toy franchise, came in third with $21m in its third weekend, bringing its total domestic haul to $209.3m. Lego Movie also earned $21m from 52 international territories this weekend.

Oscar contenders received a boost at the box office. Takings for 12 Years A Slave was up 72% and Dallas Buyers Club up 44% over last weekend.