#BOXOFFICE: “GRAVITY” STAYS AFLOAT AT #1 A SECOND WEEK

For the second week in a row, Warner Bros. finds itself on-top with the Film on everyone’s lips these days, Gravity.  The Best Picture Contender powers-on in its second week of release, earning $44.3 million this weekend – a cumulative total of $124 million in two weeks.  The Sci-Fi Flick starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney is playing in 3,660 theatres currently across North America.

Opening with almost universally-positive reviews in second spot is Captain Phillips from Sony Pictures.  Starring Tom Hanks, the Drama opens with $25 million from 3,020 theatres and an A CinemaScore, and also a stupendous 95% on the Tomatometer. Much Oscar buzz is building around Hanks’ performance here as the Captain who oversaw the Maersk Alabama Ship which was hijacked by Somali Pirates in 2009.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 slips to third in its third week for Sony Pictures, still going strong to earn $15 million this weekend. To date it has grossed almost $80 million domestically.

Machete Kills debuts in fourth spot for Open Road Films/VVS Films with $5 million this weekend, a Follow-up to the 2009 Film by Robert Rodriguez. Critics didn’t think much of the Action Flick which features Lady Gaga‘s first-ever acting role, garnering a 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B- CinemaScore from Audiences.

Prisoners continues to hang tough in sixth spot, now in its fourth week of release for Warner Bros., earning $3.7 million, just surpassing the $50-million mark.  Rush slips to ninth spot with $2.3 million for Imagine/Universal Pictures/eOne Films, the Oscar Contender playing in 2,130 theatres.

Baggage Claim rounds-out the Top Ten with $1.3 million for Fox Searchlight, now having made $18.2 million in its three-week run.