Audiences called for a film to shake up the box office, and The Equalizer answered. Denzel Washington's latest topped this weekend's box office with a whopping $35 million debut. 
The action thriller, directed by Antoine Fuqua, marks the third-best opening of Washington's career after American Gangster (2007) and Safe House (2012). The film is the second successful collaboration between Washington and Fuqua after 2002's Training Day.

The Maze Runner held on to second place, bringing in an additional $17.5 million in its second weekend for a domestic total of $58 million.

Debuting in third place was 3D animated family flick The Boxtrolls, earning a decent $17.3 million. Rounding out the top five were the star-studded dramedy This Is Where I Leave You and Morgan Freeman's Dolphin Tale 2, which brought in $7 million and $4.8 million, respectively.
Next week, David Fincher's Gone Girl goes up against horror flick Annabelle.
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(Photo: Columbia Pictures)