‘Equalizer’ pummels rivals at N. America box office

In this image released by Columbia Pictures, Denzel Washington appears in a scene from the film, “The Equalizer.” AP

WASHINGTON – Denzel Washington fought his way to the top of the North American box office in action-thriller “The Equalizer,” which earned $35 million in its first weekend out, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The film knocked science-fiction Fox production “The Maze Runner” to second place. Based on James Dashner’s best-selling 2007 young adult dystopian novel of the same name, the film raked in $17.5 million in its second weekend in theaters.

Meanwhile, “The Boxtrolls,” an animated film about an orphaned human boy who is raised underground by friendly monsters, debuted in third with $17.3 million, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Comedy-drama “This Is Where I Leave You,” landed in fourth in its second week out, taking in $7 million.

In fifth place for a second week was “Dolphin Tale 2,” a family-friendly sequel starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, which earned $4.8 million.

Thriller “No Good Deed,” about a devoted wife and mother who helps out a charming but dangerous escaped convict played by Idris Elba, slipped to sixth place with $4.6 million.

In seventh place was the Liam Neeson crime drama “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” which took in $4.2 million.

The movie, based on US crime writer Lawrence Block’s book of the same name, features “Taken” star Neeson as a former New York detective who is hired by a drug dealer to track down his wife’s murderer.

In eighth was the summer season’s most successful blockbuster, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which added another $3.8 million to its nine-week haul, which now stands at $319 million in North America.

Screwball comedy “Let’s Be Cops” was ninth with $1.5 million, just ahead of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which earned $1.45 million.