Weekend Box Office Report: October 4-6, 2013

Gravity blasts through the stratosphere!

Space was the place to be this weekend, thrusting the 3D sci-fi thriller GRAVITY to the top of the box office with a $55.5 million opening!

Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron's highly anticipated astronaut calamity broke the record for biggest October weekend, rocketing past PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3's $52.5 million opening in 2011 thanks to premium 3D and IMAX pricing. It's also a career high opening for both stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, who adds a second success this year after her cop comedy THE HEAT reached $225 million worldwide.

Cuaron's dizzying scenario is already causing awards buzz as it simultaneously has critics gobsmacked — the movie currently holds a stunning 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. After the breathtaking zero-G intensity, crowds also definitely seemed to appreciate hanging (or drifting) with Sandra and George, giving GRAVITY an 'A-' CinemaScore. Which is good news… because another award-winning audience fave is floating into theaters next weekend when Tom Hanks' CAPTAIN PHILLIPS arrives.

Audiences were still hungry for CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2, which came in second place with $21.5 million (a drop of just 37% from its opening) as it swallows a ten-day total of $60.5 million.

But stalled on the launch pad in GRAVITY's wake was the Ben Affleck/Justin Timberlake gambling thriller RUNNER RUNNER. The new release opened in third with just $7.6 million, demonstrating that a pop superstar paired with an Oscar-winning future Batman doesn't necessarily equal box office gold (although a 'C' CinemaScore and dreadful 8% on Rotten Tomatoes probably didn't help).

Still coasting on word-of-mouth business was the kidnapping drama PRISONERS in fourth with another $5.7 million, while Ron Howard's racing biopic RUSH skidded into fifth with another $4.4 million (it's made an additional $30 million overseas, where Formula 1 is more popular).

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's relationship comedy DON JON still has swag in sixth with an additional $4.1 million, and a $16 million total for the actor's feature directing debut (on a reported $6 million budget), while BAGGAGE CLAIM and INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 slide along behind in JGL's hair slick. 

In ninth place, Lionsgate found more surprise succes with a Mexican star as the romcom PULLING STRINGS pulled in $2.5 million in less than 400 locations (for the second-biggest per-screen average in the Top 10). Their other recend hit Mexican import INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED dropped off the chart this week, but not before becoming the highest-grossing Spanish-language domestic release. Adding another couple hundred screens to enter the list was the acclaimed comedy ENOUGH SAID with $2.1 million, finally nudging aside WE'RE THE MILLERS and LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER along with Luc Besson's THE FAMILY.

Next weekend, Tom Hanks sets sail in director Paul Greengrass' fact-based thriller CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, Robert Rodriguez delivers more over-the-top grindhouse-style action in MACHETE KILLS, and we get the latest screen version of Shakespeare's tragedy ROMEO AND JULIET.

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