Not Batman Begins, But This Liam Neeson Thriller Made 9x Its Budget & Beat The Naked Gun
This Liam Neeson action thriller was a surprise global hit, raking in nearly nine times its production budget worldwide. Here’s how it stacks up against Batman Begins and The Naked Gun.
Liam Neeson’s Taken Beats Batman Begins & The Naked Gun (Photo Credit – Netflix)
Advertisement
Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson’s action-comedy film The Naked Gun, a follow-up to Leslie Nielsen’s iconic trilogy, garnered praise from both critics and audiences. With a global haul of $99.3 million, The Naked Gun does not rank among his top ten highest-grossing films, and still needs roughly $5 million to reach its break-even point under the 2.5x multiplier rule.
Until now, the highest-grossing movie starring Liam Neeson remains Christopher Nolan’s superhero blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises (2012), but he just had a cameo in it. And Batman Begins (2005) also ranks among his top ten highest-grossers with $375.5 million in global earnings. But it lags behind the 2008 Liam Neeson action blockbuster Taken in terms of earnings-to-budget box office performance. Let’s break down the numbers.
Taken vs. Batman Begins – Earnings-To-Budget Box Office Performance
Here’s how Liam Neeson’s Taken performed at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo:
With a budget of $150 million,Batman Begins grossed $375.5 million globally, giving it an earnings-to-budget ratio of 2.5 times, significantly lower than Taken. Made on a reported budget of $25 million, Taken grossed $226.8 million worldwide. This means the film earned around a staggering 9.1 times its production cost, which is far ahead of Batman Begins’ 2.5 times earnings-to-budget box office performance.
Taken vs. The Naked Gun – Earnings-to-Budget Performance
The Naked Gun – Box Office Summary
North America: $52.3 million
International: $47 million
Worldwide: $99.3 million
With an estimated production budget of $42 million, The Naked Gun has earned approximately 2.4 times its production cost so far. The figure is unlikely to change significantly as the film nears the end of its box office run. As a result, The Naked Gun lags far behind Taken’s 9.1x earnings-to-budget performance.
What Is The Naked Gun About?
Directed by Akiva Schaffer, the film stars Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic character. Now leading the Police Squad, Drebin Jr. finds himself on a mission to save the world. He’s approached by Beth Davenport (played by Pamela Anderson), whose tech-engineer brother mysteriously died in an electric vehicle crash. Determined to uncover the truth, Drebin Jr. dives into the case, leading to a series of chaotic and hilarious events.
