Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Gravity’ Holds On, ‘Captain Phillips’ Launches and ‘Machete’ Doesn’t Kill
Despite a few new releases, this weekend was all about last week's champion. 'Gravity' held on to the number one spot with all of its might, showing that Alfonso Cuaron's space thriller may have some of the strongest legs of any major 2013 release.
Film | Weekend | Per Screen | ||
1 | Gravity | $44,265,000 (-20.7) | $12,094 | $123,400,000 |
2 | Captain Phillips | $26,000,000 | $8,609 | $26,000,000 |
3 | Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 | $14,200,000 (-32.2) | $3,665 | $78,037,000 |
4 | Machete Kills | $3,797,000 | $1,496 | $3,797,000 |
5 | Runner Runner | $3,725,000 (-51.7) | $1,231 | $14,114,000 |
6 | Prisoners | $3,665,000 (-36.2) | $1,284 | $53,620,000 |
7 | Insidious Chapter 2 | $2,650,000 (-32.0) | $1,229 | $78,447,000 |
8 | Rush | $2,364,000 (-47.2) | $1,110 | $22,202,000 |
9 | Don Jon | $2,340,000 (-43.7) | $1,172 | $20,141,000 |
10 | Baggage Claim | $2,075,000 (-49.1) | $1,572 | $18,272,000 |
With a downright minuscule 20% drop, 'Gravity' made $44 million in its second weekend for an astonishing $123 million gross. Sure, other movies have opened bigger and have had bigger second weekends, but percentage drops that small are extremely rare. This proves that the film isn't just a major moneymaker, but a movie that audiences actually love and are talking about. This is the kind of second weekend that comes around when everyone who saw the film told all of their friends to check it out for themselves. Sure, the extra 3D charge doesn't hurt, but people seem to really like the 3D in 'Gravity,' so all is well for everyone.
Although 'Gravity' held onto the top, Paul Greengrass' 'Captain Phillips' opened very well in second place, grossing $26 million. You can thank the star power of Tom Hanks and the exceptional trailers for that one. We can't imagine the film being a smash hit in the long run thanks to its difficult, adult subject matter, but it was made for a moderate budget. Unless it has a total drop-off next week, it should be a strong (if not spectacular) success. In many ways, it should play to the 'Argo' crowd. It's a movie for adults and should continue playing well to them.
However, it's tough to find nice things to say about 'Machete Kills,' which was slaughtered by the critics and completely rejected by audiences. That $3 million opening should hopefully give director Robert Rodriguez the kick in the pants that he's needed for close to a decade now -- it's time get up and start making good movies again, sir.
Elsewhere in the top 10, 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2' took another minor drop, making $14 million for a $78 million gross. It should be able to cross $100 million without too much trouble, which will put it in the same company as its predecessor.
In fifth place, 'Runner Runner' continued to bomb, earning $3 million for a $14 million gross. At least now it looks positively glowing next to 'Machete Kills.'
In sixth place, 'Prisoners' climbed past $50 million, making it a moderate success. Like with 'Captain Phillips,' it's not a movie built to make blockbuster money, so this kind of quiet success is the best it can hope for.
In the final stretch, 'Insidious Chapter 2' is looking to cross $80 million by next weekend, 'Rush' continued to inexplicably underperform, 'Don Jon' solidified itself as a small success (considering its budget) and 'Baggage Claim' was, once again, the little movie that made money despite not seeming to exist before its actual release.