The ticket sales were out of this world.
The Warner Bros. space disaster film, “Gravity,” opened with record $55.55 million in North American ticket sales, according to studio estimates — knocking the air out of the second-place finisher, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,” which earned a respectable $21.5 million.
The saga of two stranded astronauts benefitted from positive reviews, higher ticket prices for 3D films and featuring two of the biggest names in Hollywood’s firmament: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
The opening weekend for “Gravity” was the highest ever for an October release — and the film defied even the most optimistic predictions. Including foreign theaters, it earned back $83 million of its $100 million cost.
“It’s great because it’s a film that’s played well with the press and also equally well with the public,” said Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution.
The top five this week was rounded out by “Runner Runner,” starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake, which opened in third place with $7.6 million; “Prisoners,” starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal ($5.7 million); and “Rush,” starring Chris Hemsworth ($4.4 million).
Sony released the modern-day pirate story, “Captain Phillips,” with Tom Hanks — but the film was only showing in 800 theaters in advance of Friday’s wide release.
News Wire Services
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