Kidnap drama ‘Prisoners’ officially tops North American box office

Australian actor Hugh Jackman (from left to right) laughs with US actor Jake Gyllenhaal and Quebec director Denis Villeneuve as they talk about their new film, “Prisoners,” during a “Meet the Filmmaker” discussion at the Apple store in central London, Monday, Sept. 23, 2013. The crime thriller, about a father whose daughter is mysteriously kidnapped, took the top spot at the North American box office in its debut weekend, industry figures showed Monday. AP

LOS ANGELES—Crime thriller “Prisoners,” about a father whose daughter is mysteriously kidnapped, took the top spot at the North American box office in its debut weekend, industry figures showed Monday.

The film, starring Hugh Jackman as a desperate parent in search of his child and Jake Gyllenhaal as the detective in charge of the investigation, pulled in more than $20.8 million over the weekend.

The horror sequel “Insidious: Chapter 2” slid one spot to second place on its second weekend out, raking in $13.8 million, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The film, starring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson as a haunted husband and wife, is a follow up to the successful 2010 horror flick “Insidious.”

In third place, “The Family,” starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro as members of a mafia clan in witness protection living under the radar in France, earned $7 million.

Comedy-drama “Instructions Not Included,” Eugenio Derbez’s movie about a Mexican playboy who is suddenly presented with a child from a previous liaison and forced to become a father, came in fourth place, taking in $5.4 million.

In its first weekend in theaters, “Battle of the Year,” a 3D breakdancing saga starring Josh Holloway and rapper Chris Brown, earned $4.6 million and a fifth-place box-office slot.

Slipping one spot to sixth place was raunchy adult comedy “We’re the Millers,” about drug smugglers posing as a suburban family, starring Jennifer Aniston as a stripper. It earned nearly $4.6 million in theaters.

Meanwhile, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” took in $4.2 million, falling to seventh place, down three spots from last week.

The Oscar-tipped drama, about the civil rights era as seen through the eyes of a black White House servant played by Forest Whitaker, has earned more than $106 million since its release.

“Riddick,” the latest in the action franchise starring Vin Diesel, took eighth place in its third week with nearly $3.7 million.

Returning to theaters, but in IMAX 3D, American classic “The Wizard of Oz” celebrated its 75th anniversary by taking in $3.1 million and landing in ninth place in its first weekend out.

Disney’s animated film “Planes,” a spin-off from Pixar’s “Cars” franchise, rounded out the top ten, taking in nearly $2.7 million.