When Alfonso Cuaron's
Gravity, which stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, opened last weekend, it set a new October opening weekend record (beating
Paranormal Activity 3), and this weekend the film has set another new record. During a non-holiday weekend, no other film (domestically) that opened to more than $55 million, has had such a small decline in it's second weekend.
Gravity only experienced a decline of 21 percent, as compared to the previous record holder,
The Incredibles which had a 29 percent drop in their second weekend.
The film also set a best second weekend ever at IMAX, with $9 million, besting Christopher Nolan's
The Dark Knight Rises record of $8.9 million. Overall
Gravity has pulled in $191 million at the worldwide box office, $123 million of that is domestic and $68 million is from the international market.
It's getting a huge boost from 3D sales, they make up a whopping 82 percent of the receipts. Warner Bros. was shrewd, adding another 85 locations, with a total of 3,660 theaters. The film should have great legs, with repeat costumers making up 6 percent of the moviegoers.
Tom Hank's
Captain Phillips opened with three-day haul of $26 million. It's the best opening for a live-action Tom Hanks film since 2009's
Angels and Demons. The film, which was directed by Paul Greengrass, should also have great legs, it earned a rare ‘A’ CinemaScore, which usually indicates good word-of-mouth.
Also opening this weekend was Robert Rodriguez's
Machete Kills, which got slaughtered, only pulling in a paltry $3.8 million. It's the worst opening for a Robert Rodriguez film. The few that did go see it, gave it a ‘B-’ CinemaScore.
Plot Summary: Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone--tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth...and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.
GRAVITY was directed By Alfonso Cuarón ("Children Of Men") and the screenplay was written by him, Jonas Cuarón and Rodrigo García. The cast includes: Sandra Bullock as Ryan Stone, George Clooney as Matt Kowalsky and Basher Savage as space station captain. Coming out later this year!