Sully may be a film about an emergency water landing, but it soared this past weekend to the tune of $35.5 million. That opening was a career best for Clint Eastwood, if you recognize that 2014’s American Sniper had a limited theatrical engagement before opening wide its fourth weekend of release to $92 million. The combination of Eastwood and Tom Hanks won over older audiences looking to cleanse their palates after the summer movie season.
Spots 2 and 3 were occupied by a pair of Screen Gems titles. Don’t Breathe, the previous No. 1, dropped to third with the release of When the Bough Breaks, a thriller that barely screened for critics. Audiences didn’t care as they doled out $15 million to see why the bough broke. Costing $10 million, it surely didn’t break the bank and should make a nice return when it hits the video market.
Lionsgate’s animated The Wild Life was a dud with $3.4 million from a little more than 2400 locations. That opening number was a few million more than the outstanding stop-motion release Kubo and the Two Strings. It celebrated its fourth weekend with $3.2 million to bring its total earnings to $40.8. This is definitely a film that needs your support. Go and see it!
Elsewhere, Pete’s Dragon tumbled from fourth place to seventh with the three new arrivals. It has grossed $70 million in five weeks. Bad Moms continuous to be the money maker that Ghostbusters failed to be as it has made $107.5 million in seven weeks. With its head still above water, Lionsgate’s Hell or High Water, maintains its No. 9 spot with $2.6 million. This film has slowly solidified itself as it moved up the box office ranks, first appearing in limited release and now with expansion. It added 142 screens to bring its total number to 1,445.
Outside looking in, Relativity’s The Disappointments Room was, well, a disappointment. It had a per-theater average of $901 at 1,554 locations. Again, another film not screened for critics.
Upcoming for the weekend we have Blair Witch, Bridget Jones’ Baby (really?), and Oliver Stone’s Snowden. Horror movies typically open strong for their first weekend, so look for Blair Witch to sneak past Sully to claim the top spot. It may be close, though.
Complete top ten below.
01. Sully – $35.5 Million
02. When the Bough Breaks – $15 Million
03. Don’t Breathe – $8.2 Million ($66.8m)
04. Suicide Squad – $5.6 Million ($307.4m)
05. The Wild Life – $3.4 Million
06. Kubo and the Two Strings – $3.2 Million ($40.8m)
07. Pete’s Dragon – $2.9 Million ($70m)
08. Bad Moms – $2.8 Million ($107.5m)
09. Hell or High Water – $2.6 Million ($19.8m)
10. Sausage Party – $2.3 Million ($93.1m)
