Box office success doesn’t always equate to Oscar-worthiness, but Sully’s estimated $35.5 million debut doesn’t hurt. The film scored highly with critics, with 83 percent positive reviews at Rottentomatoes.com.
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The film appeared to benefit from its star power, with data firm comScore reporting that 39 percent of surveyed audience members attended the film because of Hanks and 20 percent because of Eastwood.
The world knows Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger as the pilot who managed to land an airliner full of people in the Hudson River without the loss of a single life after the plane lost thrust in both engines. The opening for the picture marks the fifth largest September opening of all-time and the largest September opening for a Warner Bros. release, surpassing the $23.8 million for The Town.
“Sully” generated $4 million from 375 Imax locations for a $10,666 average in what’s touted as the first Hollywood film ever shot entirely on Imax cameras.
Garner a A CinemaScore, the biographical drama skewed female (56%) in North America, while 80% of the audience was over the age of 35.
Sony-Screen Gems drama “When the Bough Breaks” opened respectably in second with $15 million at 2,246 sites.
“When the Bough Breaks”, which has modest $10 million production budget, stars Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall as a couple who desperately wants a baby. That result was roughly 40 percent higher than what most analysts had predicted before the film’s release. After earning $15.7 million last weekend, the horror film brought in $8.2 million, earning it third place.
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Warner Bros.’ “Suicide Squad” landed in fourth place this weekend, bringing in an estimated $5.6 million in its sixth week of release. Captain Phillips opened to $25.7 million and also had a great multiplier, finishing with a domestic total of $107 million and a worldwide take of $219 million, against a $55 million budget. So it does have a pretty good chance of hitting $320 million or more before it leaves theaters. But below it, surprise entry The Wild Life debuted with an estimated $3.4 million. It likely won’t have a lot of legs to it but it’ll do well overall, though less than the similarly themed film The Perfect Guy, which arrived the same time a year ago and did $25 million for its opening.
