DHAKA: Star power and Oscar aspirations are reigning at the box office, where the space adventure ‘Gravity’ and the Somali pirate docudrama ‘Captain Phillips’ are holding off all comers.

With $31 million over the weekend according to studio estimates on Sunday, ‘Gravity’ topped the US box office for the third straight week, cementing its status as the juggernaut of the fall movie-going season.

It also took in another $33.5 million overseas, gulfnews.com publishes this report on Monday.

The 3-D Warner Bros. movie, staring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, has now made more than $170 million in three weeks.

The film’s groundbreaking visuals have been particularly popular on IMAX screens, where it made an Avatar-like $7.4 million on the weekend.

‘Captain Phillips’, starring Tom Hanks and directed by Paul Greengrass, also held in second place, taking in $17.3 million in its second week.

The Sony film slid only 33 percent from its debut last weekend of $25.7 million.

BDST: 1654 HRS, OCT 21, 2013
RoR/JCK