'A Working Man' takes No. 1 at US box office

In an un-expected upset, the Jason Statham thriller “A Working Man” took No. 1 at the box office, besting the rapidly declining “Snow White,” according to studio estimates Sunday.

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Even after a lackluster debut, the Walt Disney Co.’s live-action remake was predicted to remain the top film in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend. Instead, “Snow White,” plagued by bad buzz and backlash, nosedived in its second weekend and dropped 66 percent.

At the same time, Amazon MGM Studios’ “A Working Man,” directed by David Ayer, beat expectations with a $15.2 million debut. Co-written by Sylvester Stallone, “A Working Man” reteams Statham and Ayer following last year’s successful “The Beekeeper” ($16.2 million worldwide). This time around, Statham plays a construction worker with an elite military past.

While reviews have been mixed, and audiences only gave “A Working Man” a “B” CinemaScore, showing Statham has carved out something rare in the movie industry today: bankability. “A Working Man” opened similarly to “The Beekeeper,” which launched with $16.5 million.