Share

‘Sully’ is the new box office champion

Nothing unexpected for a film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks that chronicles real-life pilot Thomas “Sully” Sullenberger’s life-saving “miracle on the Hudson” landing.

Advertisement

Tom Hanks’ latest offering Sully landed in theaters this weekend, making a splash with $35 million.

“The movie sells itself”, said Warner Bros distribution executive Jeff Goldstein. “It’s just a feel-good story”.

According to comScore’s PostTrak audience survey, 39% turned out because of Hanks.

Those same audiences seem to have left the theater happy, with polling firm reporting moviegoers giving the film an A and 83 percent of Rotten Tomatoes critics reviewing the film positively. “Sully” cost Warner Bros. and financing partners like Village Roadshow about $60 million to make before promotion costs. The film, which co-stars Regina Hall and Glenn Morshower, opened with an estimated $15.0 million in the U.S. And yet the film performed well.

Psychological thriller and fellow newcomer When the Bough Breaks also showed well, finishing at #2 with an estimated $15 million.

“Sully” came in first place with a domestic gross of more than $35 million. Don’t Breathe dropped to third place this weekend with $8.2 million and is closing in on $70 million domestically. Sully was going to work; we knew that. “I will say, when you consider the normal multiplier on a horror thriller, this goes way beyond the norms”. It earned US$5.7 million this weekend, and a mammoth US$307.5 million in six weeks of release. The domestic total for the comic book movie now stands at $307 million.

Blockbuster Suicide Squad and new animated movie The Wild Life round out the new top five. Indie Western Hell or High Water could potentially break even as an estimated $2.6 million has brought the film to $19.8 million in total.

“Because of the success of so many of these films, most of us thought it would do more this weekend, but no one is going to be crying about it over at Sony”. This includes $2.3 million from Australia, $925,000 in Russian Federation and $929,000 from the United Arab Emirates.

Also debuting over the weekend, The Disappointments Room, the 1st title released by Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media since it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Advertisement

Films releasing this week include: Snowden, Blair Witch, Bridget Jones’s Baby, and Operation Avalanche – which all release on September 16, 2016.

Sneaking into the top three Home invasion thriller Don't Breathe finished in third place