Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity dropped into theatres this weekend and is already a hit. In addition to the almost-unanimous glowing reviews, the film now holds the title for the highest-earning opening weekend in October, with a projected $55.55 million coming in at the domestic box office.
The film raked in about $19 million between Thursday night and Friday showings, and then that figure shot up to $23 million for Saturday. Add in Sunday’s numbers and it makes for a very impressive opening.
That $55 million easily bests the previous record holder, Paranormal Activity, which brought in $52 million. It looks like Gravity will also be in the top 10 opening weekends ever for a live-action, original film, just above Ted‘s $54 million. Granted, the numbers for this are definitely aided by the higher prices for IMAX 3D tickets, but most films setting box office records these days are also shown in that format.
I knew Gravity was going to be good, and I had a feeling it would do well, but I had no idea that the figures were going to be this impressive. It goes to show what a ridiculous amount of hype and quality promotion can do for a film.
I happened to be walking by my local theatre on Saturday right when a Gravity showing ended, and I saw people of all ages and demographics coming out of the showing. The stellar word-of-mouth is appealing to everyone for this movie, and I don’t see that slowing down any time soon.
People are already talking about Gravity being an Oscar contender, so it wouldn’t be surprising if these numbers hold strong as more and more moviegoers flock to the theatres to experience what some are calling the sci-fi masterpiece of the 21st century. By the time all is said and done, the film’s box office numbers may rise to a level some 600 km above Earth.
Have you seen Gravity yet? What’d you think of it? Head on down to the comments section to share your thoughts.