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Monday Morning Mixer: The pull of 'Gravity' is still too strong

Posted Monday, October 14, 2013 at 10:31 AM Central

by John Couture

After Tim covered for me while I was out on paternity leave for three weeks, it's my turn to pull double duty. No, Tim isn't welcoming a new addition to the family, he's currently enjoying the weather and sights in sunny Florida.

All that really means for you is that this week's MMM will be cut short a bit as I have numerous additional tasks to get done today. So, I guess I should cut short the chit chat and get to it, eh?

Fair enough. Grab your favorite morning beverage and enjoy today's MMM.

Box Office 411

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to theaters, the dastardly gimmick known as 3D is back with a vengeance. George Clooney and Sandra Bullock propelled Gravity to the top spot at the box office for the second consecutive week.

What's worse is that they set a record in doing for the strongest hold for a non-holiday film that opened over $50 million. This weekend they added $44.3 million to their coffers, a whopping 82 percent of that number from 3D. That's right, 8 out of every 10 tickets sold for Gravity is for 3D over the traditional, less costly, 2D version.

Gravity has amassed $123.4 million (4-3-2-1 takeoff?) in box office receipts in a little more than 10 days and it looks like my $225 million prediction is going to end up a little light. Right now, my best guess is $275 million with an outside shot at $300 million. Wow.

Poor Tom Hanks. Can you really feel bad for a dual Oscar winner? His latest film Captain Phillips opened up with a stellar $26 million, which is a refreshing uptick in box office receipts for Hanks after a few rather disappointing performers. And yet, the second place finish feels like a loss when compared to the juggernaut that is Gravity.

The positive word of mouth and exit scores should help Captain Phillips sneak across $100 million eventually, even if there's some questions about the veracity of the film's events. It wouldn't be the first time that facts were altered to tell a good story and it won't be the last.

The biggest flop this weekend came from Machete Kills which only managed to score $3.8 million in come in fourth place. That opening is a whopping $8 million less than its predecessor and might finally indicate that Machete might have killed his last adversary. Of course, there's always a chance that the rumored third film in the Machete trilogy could go with the "Machete Rises from the Dead" theme.

Quick Hitters

Fifty Shades of Uh-oh. News broke over the weekend that Charlie Hunnam has pulled out of Fifty Shades of Grey. Hunnam was set to play wealthy entrepreneur and erstwhile BDSM fanatic Christian Grey in the erotic romp, but now filmmakers will have to search out a new lead right before filming was set to begin.

Fifty Shades of Grey is set for an August 1, 2014 release.

Please don't 'Express Yourself.' The material girl herself, Madonna got into a little bit of hot water this weekend when she was caught texting at the New York Film Festival premiere of 12 Years a Slave.

If the act itself wasn't egregious enough, the film was playing at the Alamo Drafthouse, which has a strict no-texting policy during films. Tim League, the owner of the Alamo Drafthouse theaters issued the following declaration on Twitter.

So, shhh! Speaking of being quiet, it's time for me to scuttle off and make sure that the website doesn't come crashing down in Tim's absence. For now, it's adieu until next week, Mix Well!