Alfonso Cauron's Gravity, the 3D science fiction thriller, raked in a record-breaking $55.8 million during its debut weekend, and that's just in North America.

Cuaron co-produced, co-edited and directed Gravity, a film about a medical engineer and an astronaut who become stranded in space after their space shuttle receives severe damage from high speed debris.

Cuaron wrote the screenplay with his son, and intended to develop it with Universal Pictures, who then sold the rights to Warner Bros. The 90-minute feature, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, had a production budget of $100 million dollars, and was filmed digitally. The production involved giant mechanical rigs, robots and 3D designs.

The film's opens with a continuous 17-minute shot where Dr. Ryan Stone(Bullock), who is on her freshman space mission, finds that debris from a Russian anti-satellite causes a violent chain reaction leading to the two astronauts being unable to communicate with the ground crew. The film is said to exhibit a "real-time" feel, particularly because of editorial and directorial choices, in order to draw viewers into the astronaut's horror.

The Mexican director, screenwriter, producer and editor, Cuaron, is responsible for well-known firms, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Children of Men. Born in Mexico City, he began working in television there, leading projects such as Gaby: A True Story and Romero. His first feature film in the United States was A Little Prince and then Great Expectations. Cauron has been nominated for several Academy Awards, and according to critics, Gravity will attract the attention of nomination committees. Some have already hailed it as a cultural phenomenon, and other critics are calling it the best space movie ever.

Gravity's box office competitors this past weekend were Runner Runner, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Rush, Don Jon, Captain Phillips, Instructions Not Included, Pulling Strings and Enough Said.