Weekend Estimates: Sully Executes Safe Landing with $35.5 Million
September 11, 2016
Opening on what is traditionally the slowest weekend of the year has proven to be no barrier to success for Sully, which kicks off the Fall Season with an estimated $35.5 million. While that’s arguably a bit of a step back for Clint Eastwood after the gigantic $89 million-debut of American Sniper last year it’s a record for this weekend, beating The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and should give the film the fifth-best September weekend ever.
It’s also Tom Hanks’ best weekend ever for a drama, before adjusting for inflation, overtaking the likes of Catch Me if You Can, Cast Away and Saving Private Ryan, all of which posted $30 million weekends early in their runs. (The thrillers Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code both had higher openings, and stand as his best weekends in live action films.)
With strong reviews from critics and a positive audience reaction, Sully should have a good run, and will be the film to beat at the box office for a while. A $100 million domestic gross is pretty much assured.
When the Bough Breaks is looking at a more disappointing weekend, with Sony predicting a $15 million opening, down quite a bit from The Perfect Guy’s $25.8 million first-place finish last year. It’s unlikely When the Bough Breaks will have significant legs, so a final tally around $35 million is likely.
The other two wide releases this weekend are, as expected, busts. The Wild Life will scrape together $3.4 million from 2,493 theaters for fifth place, although Lionsgate won’t lose out too badly on the film, since it’s only acting as distributor in the US. The Disappointments Room is headed for a dismal $1.4 million, and a theater average under $1,000. It finds itself in 17th place on the chart, thanks in large part to a lot of films making between $1.5 million and $3 million this weekend (a common situation at the end of the Summer).
In limited release, two films will be in the $10,000-theater-average club this weekend. Kicks debuts with around $32,000 from three venues, while Cameraperson will earn about $13,000 from a single New York location.
- Sully comparison chart
Bruce Nash, bruce.nash@the-numbers.com
- When the Bough Breaks comparison chart
- The Wild Life comparison chart
- The Disappointments Room comparison chart
- Don’t Breathe comparison chart
- Suicide Squad comparison chart
- Sausage Party comparison chart
- Kubo and the Two Strings comparison chart
- Bad Moms comparison chart
Filed under: Weekend Estimates, The Disappointments Room, When the Bough Breaks, Sully, Robinson Crusoe, Kicks, Cameraperson, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood