Two new action-oriented titles hit domestic theatres on Friday, though neither of them had the muscle to knock down The LEGO Movie.  The Warner Bros. hit will claim its third consecutive first place finish this weekend with a projected take of $30 million.  In terms of new titles, 3 Days to Kill was in the best shape.  The latest thriller from Taken producer Luc Besson opened in second place with an estimated $4 million from 2,872 locations, putting 3 Days on track for around $12 million through Sunday.

The news for Pompeii was not as promising.  The historical disaster pic from director Paul WS Anderson brought in an estimated $3.4 million from 2,658 locations (many of those in 3D and other large formats) on Friday.  Even with its price-point advantage, Pompeii is facing an opening weekend just shy of $10 million.  That’s a bit higher than The Legend of Hercules brought in from its January debut, but not quite the $15 million that producers were hoping for.  We’ll have complete box office coverage tomorrow.