The Equalizer had no trouble claiming first place on Friday, opening to an estimated $12.6 million from 3,236 locations.  That puts the Sony/Columbia thriller on track for around $35 million this weekend: by far the best bow for an R-rated September release.  Based on the 1980’s TV series of the same name, The Equalizer looks like it will become the latest Denzel Washington vehicle to over-perform at the box office.  Since 2004, the actor has not had a single wide release open below $20 million – a record that even perennial box office favorites like Johnny Depp and Mark Wahlberg cannot match.  The Equalizer reunites Washington with Antoine Fuqua, his Training Day director.  Fuqua's previous career high was the $30.3 million debut of 2013’s Olympus Has Fallen.

Friday’s top five after the jump.

After seven days at number one, The Maze Runner fell to second place on Friday.  The adaptation of the young adult novel has already earned over $100 million worldwide and will see its domestic total climb close to $60 million by Sunday.

The Boxtrolls opened in third place yesterday with an estimated $4.9 million from 3,464 venues.  The stop-motion animated feature should see more traffic on Saturday and Sunday from family audiences, though it would be a surprise if Boxtrolls claimed a debut over $15 million.  The best stop-motion opening of all time was Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride in 2005, though Coraline also did solid business in 2009.  Only one stop-motion feature, Chicken Run, has ever topped $100 million in domestic earnings and that was back in 2000.

Check back tomorrow for complete box office coverage and the weekend’s top ten.