Clint Eastwood’s Sully dominated the box office once again this weekend – flying past newcomers Blair Witch, Bridget Jones’s Baby and Snowden.
The “Miracle on the Hudson” feature, starring Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, took in an additional $22 million, with a domestic total of $70.5 million.
“It’s just a well-made story,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. distribution executive vice president. “The word-of-mouth is sensational.”
As for the weekend’s new wide releases, Blair Witch, Bridget Jones’s Baby and Snowden fell in second, third and fourth place, respectively.
READ MORE Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett on Making ‘Blair Witch’
The horror sequel – the third installment in The Blair Witch Project series –debuted with $9.7 million from 3,121 theaters. Moviegoers gave the film a rare D-plus CinemaScore, while critics gave it a dismal 37 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Renee Zellweger’s latest Bridget Jones feature nabbed $8.2 million from 2,927 locations. The romantic comedy – skewed primarily towards females (79 percent) – received a B-plus CinemaScore and a 78 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.
“We love these characters, we love the actors playing them, and we’re confident in how it will play out,” said Carpou.
The final wide release, Snowden, debuted with $8 million from 2,443 theaters. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as N.S.A. whistleblower Edward Snowden, the film received an A CinemaScore and a 59 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
READ MORE Zachary Quinto and Melissa Leo on Getting Their ‘Snowden’ Roles
“Snowden is a smart and provocative thriller that connected strongly with audiences. While we’d like to have seen a slightly bigger number for the opening weekend, we are very encouraged by the A CinemaScore and exit polls and we expect the movie to thrive for several more weeks,” Open Road marketing president Jonathan Helfgot said in a statement.
Rounding out the top five is Sony’s Don’t Breathe, which took in $5.6 million from 3,208 theaters. The horror film has accumulated over $75 million since debuting.
Top 10 Films at Weekend Box Office: September 16-18
- Sully — $22 million
- Blair Witch — $9.7 million
- Bridget Jones’s Baby — $8.2 million
- Snowden — $8 million
- Don’t Breathe — $5.6 million
- When The Bough Breaks — $5.5 million
- Suicide Squad — $4.7 million
- The Wild Life — $2.7 million
- Kubo And The Two Strings — $2.5 million
- Pete’s Dragon — $2 million
