Neeson’s ‘Unknown’ Wins Weekend With $21.8M Debut; ‘Number Four’ Is No. 2 With $19.5M

Liam Neeson has proven himself a known quantity again at the box office.

Neeson’s thriller “Unknown” debuted as the No. 1 movie with $21.8 million, following in the footsteps of his 2009 action hit “Taken,” according to studio estimates Sunday.

Another action tale, “I Am Number Four,” opened at No. 2 with $19.5 million.

“Unknown” stars Neeson as a botanist who awakens from a coma to find his wife claims she does not know him and that another man has taken his identity.

“I Am Number Four” stars Alex Pettyfer as an alien refugee on Earth who develops superpowers to battle the evil invaders that destroyed his planet.

The weekend’s other new wide release, Martin Lawrence’s comedy “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son,” was No. 5 with $17 million.