Move over Don’t Breathe – Clint Eastwood’s Sully is off to a great start and eyeing the top spot, debuting with an estimated $12.2 million on Friday.
According to analysts, the film is on track to win the box office this weekend, forecasted to reach at least $25 million at 3,525 theaters. Meanwhile, Sony’s thriller When the Bough Breaks is expected to finish with $15 million at 2,246 theaters.
Sully tells the true story of US Airways Flight 1549, known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.” Piloted by Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles (Aaron Eckhart), the plane was met with disaster shortly after taking off from NYC’s LaGuardia Airport on January 15th, 2009. A flock of Canadian geese disabled both engines, forcing Sully to make a water landing on the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers, and becoming an instant hero.
READ MORE Behind The Scenes: On The Set Of Clint Eastwood’s ‘Sully’
The Warner Bros. live-action feature has garnered an A CinemaScore, from an audience split 56 percent female and 44 percent male. With an estimated production cost of $60 million, Sully is acquiring positive reviews from critics – unlike the other weekend entries – with an 83 percent “fresh” Rotten Tomatoes score, thus far.
The other weekend newcomer, When the Bough Breaks, stars Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall as a couple who desperately want a baby, thus hire a surrogate. The thriller took in roughly $5.3 million on Friday, and currently holds a B CinemaScore from audiences and a disappointing 0 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The final two weekend wide releases include Lionsgate’s The Wild Life and Relativity Media’s The Disappointments Room.
Wild Life is on track to earn $5 million from 2,493 theaters for the weekend. The Belgian-French animated film earned a B-minus CinemaScore. The Disappointments Room is faring grimly, expected to earn a small $2 million from 1,554 theaters for the weekend. The horror film, starring Kate Beckinsale and Lucas Till, holds a rarely seen D CinemaScore from moviegoers.
