Moviegoers choose antics over astronauts as 'Bad Grandpa' tops 'Gravity' at box office

LOS ANGELES — Apparently astronauts are no match for Jackass.

Paramount's "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" topped the weekend box office with $32 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, sinking three-week champ "Gravity" to second place.

"Bad Grandpa" stars Johnny Knoxville as an accident-prone grandfather in the hidden-camera comedy.

"It's been a very heavy fall in terms of the content of the movies, so I think audiences were ready for something completely lighthearted and out of leftfield," said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak.

"Gravity," which stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts on a troubled spacecraft, has soared since its debut three weeks ago. The Warner Bros. space adventure added another $20.3 million to its haul over the weekend, bringing its domestic ticket totals to nearly $200 million.

Paramount's president of domestic distribution said it's gratifying to see "Jackass" unseat the space adventure from its top spot.

"We weren't competing with 'Gravity,'" said Don Harris. "We were not competitive in any other way than who was going to be No. 1 this weekend."

An all-star cast including Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz and Michael Fassbender wasn't enough to draw audiences to "The Counselor," which opened in fourth place. The gritty Fox drama is a "very challenging, provocative film," according to Chris Aronson, who heads distribution for Fox.

"We're fine," he said. "I know we have a very competitive environment."

He expects the film, written by Cormac McCarthy, to find its audience as it rolls out internationally in the coming weeks.

Another drama, Fox Searchlight's "12 Years a Slave," edged into the top 10 despite playing in only 123 theaters.

"This portends a tremendous expansion trajectory for the film" directed by Steve McQueen and starring Chiwetel Eijofor, Dergarabedian said. "In a sea of films that are in over 1,000 theaters, '12 Years a Slave' is distinguishing itself by doing so well."

"Fall is probably the best season to be a moviegoer," he said. "You can get really highbrow films, Oscar contenders, but you can also get something like 'Bad Grandpa,' which satisfies the needs for audiences to just have fun and check their brain at the door."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa," $32 million ($8.1 million international).

2. "Gravity," $20.3 million ($36.6 million international).

3. "Captain Phillips," $11.8 million ($12.1 million international).

5. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2," $6.1 million ($17.9 million international).

6. "Carrie," $5.9 million.

7. "Escape Plan," $4.3 million ($7 million international).

8. "12 Years a Slave," $2.15 million.

9. "Enough Said," $1.55 million.

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Estimated weekend ticket sales Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "Gravity," $36.6 million.

2. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2," $17.9 million.

3. "Turbo," $14.2 million.

5. "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa," $8.1 million.

6. "Escape Plan," $7 million.

7. "The Wolverine," $6.7 million.

8. "Insidious Chapter 2," $6.5 million.

9. "Now You See Me," $5.6 million.