Maze Runner tops North American box office with $32.5 million

The Maze Runner has topped the North American box-office with $32.5 million on its opening weekend.

The adult fiction adaptation beat two other debuts into second and third spot – Liam Neeson’s A Walk Among the Tombstones took $13.1 million at No 2.

This Is Where I Leave You entered at number three with $11.9 million.

The Maze Runner had a relatively low budget of $34 million.

Based on the book by James Dashner, the movie tells the story of a group of teenage boys mysteriously locked inside a giant maze.

“Our little $34 million-budgeted film is pretty darn strong,” said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for Fox.

“No-one had launched a young adult title in September. We took a risk, but it paid off.”

Fox also had success recently with another young adult film, The Fault in Our Stars, which took $125 million and only cost $12 million to make.

A Maze Runner sequel entitled The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is set to open in September 2015.

Last week’s number one, The Good Deed, starring Idris Elba, dropped to number 4.

North American box office Top five:

1. The Maze Runner – $32.5 million
2. A Walk Among the Tombstones – $13.1 million
3. This Is Where I Leave You – $11.9 million
4. No Good Deed – $10.2million
5. Dolphin Tale 2 – $9million

Source: Rentrak