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NASA may be shut down, but the country’s minds and wallets were surely in space as “Gravity” ruled the box office.

The Sandra Bullock and George Clooney lost in space 3D epic “Gravity”epic  opened to $55.6 million in domestic receipts. That total proved to be out of this world setting a record for the biggest October ever. Driven by older moviegoers, the highly rated film got most of it’s crowd from the over 35 set, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The space race wasn’t limited to the US as the film opened in over 2 dozen other markets grossing $27.4 million.

Adults may have ruled this weekend, but last weekend’s kidfest still showed some legs as another 3D film “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2” held on to the No. 2 spot grossing $21.5 in it’s second week. The other big studio debut was “Runner Runner” which stumble stumbled at the box office with a mediocre $7.6 million. Despite starring Justin Timberlake and future Batman, Ben Affleck, the drama about online gambling came up short with critics and moviegoers.

Speaking of superheroes, Hugh Jackman’s drama “Prisoners” held on to the No. 4 spot this week with $5.7 million. The former X-Man stars as a father who takes the law into his own hands when police fail to find his missing daughter.

Rounding out the top 5 is the Formula 1 racing film “Rush” with $4.4 million. Directed by Ron Howard, the drama is proving that although F1 racing isn’t big in the US that this vehicle still has a few laps left at the box office.

Already getting Oscar buzz, “Captain Phillips” got an early, but quiet release on 800 theaters. Box office numbers haven’t been revealed, but it’s rumored to have gotten decent numbers ahead of it’s high profile debut this weekend.

Audiences had a taste for meatballs this weekend.

Sony’s animated kid flick “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” led the box office grossing $35 million in a crowded box office filled with debuts for almost all cinematic tastes. It had been nearly four years since the original “Cloudy” opened and went on to rake in over $245 million worldwide. The 3D animated blockbuster performed slightly below expectations, but was a good shot in the arm for a summer flop heavy Sony.

The race for second was won by “Prisoners” with $11.3 million. The thriller starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Viola Davis had plenty of life in it’s second week. Ron Howard hasn’t done an indie since 1977’s Grand Theft Auto, but you wouldn’t know it by his showing at the box office finish line. The Formula 1 drama “Rush” not only got raves by critics, but finished a tight third for the week grossing $10.3 million despite being in 1000 less theaters.

Rush expanded in theaters following a limited showing in a few theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The story of the rivalry between Formula 1 racers Niki Lauda and James Hunt was projected to struggle in the U.S but is already providing box office gold overseas having grosed $14 million across the pond.

Fox’s Paula Patton vehicle “Baggage Claim” pulled in a decent $9.3 million in its debut to nab the fourth spot. Written and directed by David E. Talbert, the rom-com features Patton as a woman who is determined to get married in thirty days by revisiting her exes. The film also stars Taye Diggs, Derek Luke, and Boris Kodjoe.

Rounding out the top five was Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s “Don Jon.” The raunchy comedy and Sundance favorite only cost under $6 mil to produce, but debuted to $9 million for Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut.

As far as the box office, “The Butler” proved that the only direction it knew…was up.

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” held off one of the hottest boy bands in music by grossing an estimated $20 million to stay atop the box office for it’s third consecutive week. It narrowly beat out the concert film “One Direction: This is Us,” which made a strong bid for the Labor Day crown, which pulled in $18 million over the holiday weekend.

Critics destroyed the Ford Shelby driven vehicle “The Getaway,” starring Ethan Hawke and another teen idol, Selena Gomez. The action film about a former racer who steals a car in order to save his wife only had enough gas to open at tenth for the week grossing $5.5 million.

The comedy “We’re the Millers” continued it’s family lovefest with $15.9 million to come in third place. The animated “Cars” spinoff “Planes” held on to fourth place with $10.7 million.

The biggest winner of the week may have been “Instructions Not Included,” which can boast the largest opening for a Spanish language film in North America. The film starring Eugenio Derbez grossed $10 million for the weekend despite being on a mere 347 theaters, in contrast to “The Butler” and “We’re the Millers” which are on 3,300 and 3,445 films respectively.