New Movie Releases Oct. 11-13: 'Captain Phillips' Tries to Break Free of 'Gravity'

Last weekend, the box office news was all about "Gravity," the space spectacular starring Sandra Bullock that set a new box-office record for films opening in October. This weekend, two new movies open nationwide, raising the question of whether anything can knock "Gravity" off its box-office-king pedestal.

The biggest new release this weekend is "Captain Phillips," a thriller starring Tom Hanks as a ship's captain fighting off Somali pirates. Although it's a thriller, "Captain Phillips" is aimed at an older audience than typical action fare, so it's shooting for something of a niche audience from the start.

The other new wide release is "Machete Kills," a schlocky ultra-violent film based on a fake trailer in the film "Grindhouse" and a sequel to 2010's "Machete." The original "Machete" pulled in $14 million on its opening weekend, but given the competition this weekend, "Machete Kills" is unlikely to perform as well.

In fact, no film is likely to outpace "Gravity" this weekend. The film took in more than $18 million during the first three weekdays of this week, and projections have it making another $28 million this weekend. Predictions for "Captain Phillips" are in the $18-$20 million range for the weekend, and "Machete Kills" will meet expectations if it take in $8 million.