<Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $226.8 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Taken is a 2008 English - language French action thriller film directed by Pierre Morel, written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, and starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Holly Valance, Katie Cassidy, Xander Berkeley, Olivier Rabourdin, Gérard Watkins, and Famke Janssen . </P> <P> Neeson plays a former CIA operative named Bryan Mills who sets about tracking down his teenage daughter Kim and her best friend Amanda after the two girls are kidnapped by Albanian human traffickers for sexual slavery while traveling in France . The film grossed more than $226 million . Numerous media outlets have cited the film as a turning point in Neeson's career that redefined and transformed him to an action film star . A sequel, Taken 2, was released on 5 October 2012, and a third and final film, Taken 3, was released on 9 January 2015, making this the first instalment in the Taken trilogy . </P> <P> Retired CIA field agent Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) attempts to build a closer relationship with his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), who lives with her mother Lenore (Famke Janssen) and her wealthy stepfather Stuart (Xander Berkeley). While overseeing security at a concert for pop star Sheerah (Holly Valance), Bryan saves her from an armed attacker . Out of gratitude, Sheerah offers to have Kim assessed as a singer . Before Bryan can tell Kim, she asks her father for permission to travel to Paris with her best friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy). He initially refuses, but eventually agrees after Lenore persuades him . At the airport, he learns the girls are actually planning to follow the band U2 during their European tour . </P>

Where are the bad guys from in taken