“Gravity” Wins, “Captain Phillips” Kills “Machete” at Box Office

Buzzworthy “Gravity” demonstrated the value of word-of-mouth this weekend. The well-reviewed–and well-received–film dipped only 20% from its dominant opening weekend gross for an impressive $44.3 million grab in its second frame.

A strong total, it was more than enough to fend off competition from “Captain Phillips,” which mustered $26 million. Though far from a runaway hit, “Phillips” did provide Tom Hanks’ best opening weekend since 2009. It, like “Gravity,” received rave reviews from critics and moviegoers.

Holdover “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” slipped to number 3, besting the disaster that was “Machete Kills.” The tepidly-rated film garnered just $3.8 million for a fourth place finish.

“Runner Runner” earned $3.7 million for fifth.

Brian Cantor

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002. Brian's reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader -- and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. Contact Brian at brian.cantor[at]headlineplanet.com.

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