In the decade that has followed Taken, Neeson has become one of the biggest action stars of his generation, starring in films such as The Commuter and Non-Stop. Given the popularity of the franchise, it comes as a bit of a surprise that Neeson initially had such little faith in the movie. While Neeson has insisted there will be no Taken 4, his desire to keep making action films keeps the dream of another sequel alive and well. Meanwhile, the Taken memes coming from the original movie are still bandied about today. The movie spawned two sequels starring Neeson and a spinoff television series that aired for two seasons on NBC, ending its run in 2018. The rest is history, as Taken entered the pop culture zeitgeist and has remained relevant since its 2009 premiere. Neeson also noted the role the trailer and marketing of the movie in the United States played in its success, with the movie grossing $226 million worldwide against a $25 million budget. He only started to understand the pull of the movie when his nephews in Ireland admitted to illegally pirating the movie from South Korea. In an interview with EW, Neeson admitted he expected Taken to go direct-to-video, stating that he thought it would play well in France for a short spell before ending its theatrical run. Related: Taken 4 Updates: Will The Liam Neeson Sequel Happen? Low expectations for the movie are something Neeson has expressed in the past and is continuing to be forthcoming about now. Still, it wasn't clear if he would be able to carry an action film on his own, especially since that was a role he was unfamiliar with at the time Taken came around. He also played Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace. Neeson was a star long before Taken, perhaps best known for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Oskar Schindler in 1993's Schindler's List. But it slowly made its way around the world, becoming one of the most quotable action films of the century, turning Neeson into a bonafide action star. With a then-55-year-old Neeson starring in a rare action film, expectations were low for the movie, especially when it was only released in France to start. Before Taken became a global phenomenon, star Liam Neeson expected the movie to go direct-to-video, rather than blow up at the box office.
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December 2022
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