By Derrik J. Lang, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --Liam Neeson has grounded "The Lego Movie."
The action star's airliner thriller "Non-Stop" arrived in first place at the weekend box office, effectively ending the Warner Bros. animated film's three-week blockade at the top spot. The Universal film stars Neeson as a federal air marshal on a doomed flight. "Non-Stop" ascended in its first weekend with $30 million domestically and $20 million internationally, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"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 $26.5 million domestically. The film recounts the story of Jesus' life using footage from the production of History Channel's 10-part miniseries "The Bible." Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, noted it was a strong showing because box office predictions for "Son of God" were wildly varied.
"It's difficult to track religious- and faith-based films, as we learned with 'The Passion of the Christ,' " Dergarabedian said. "If the expectation is that Hollywood should make more movies like this, then the audiences who want these movies have to vote with their dollars. It's only then that Hollywood will wake up and see this as a viable genre that people will want to see."
"Son of God," which features Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado in the role of Jesus, is the first of several religious-themed films set for release this year, including next month's "Noah" starring Russell Crowe and "Exodus" with Christian Bale planned for December.
"The Lego Movie," which features the voices of Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks as characters from the block-building toy franchise, came in third place with $21 million in its third weekend, bringing its total domestic haul to $209.3 million. "Lego Movie" also earned $21 million from 52 international territories.
A few contenders up for Oscars at Sunday's 86th annual Academy Awards received a boost at the box office. Dergarabedian said the box office for "12 Years a Slave" was up 72 percent and for "Dallas Buyers Club" was up 44 percent over last weekend. Both films are vying for the best-picture trophy at the Oscars, as well as several other honors.
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included.
1. "Non-Stop," $30 million ($20 million international).
2. "Son of God," $26.5 million
3. "The Lego Movie," $21 million ($21 million international).
4. "The Monuments Men," $5 million ($8.5 million international).
5. "3 Days to Kill," $4.9 million ($9 million).
6. "RoboCop," $4.5 million ($30 million).
7. "Pompeii," $4.3 million ($16.4 million).
8. "Frozen," $3.6 million ($6.8 million).
9. "About Last Night," $3.4 million.
10. "Ride Along," $3 million.
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Estimated weekend ticket sales Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "RoboCop," $30 million.
2. "The Lego Movie," $21 million.
3. "Non-Stop," $20 million.
4. "Pompeii," $16.4 million.
5. "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," $16 million.
6. "Mr. Peabody and Sherman," $15.5 million.
7. "Supercondrique," $11.1 million.
8. . "The Monuments Men," $8.5 million.
9. "Frozen," $6.8 million.
10. "12 Years a Slave," $6.6 million.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads โ essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More