Warner Bros. “Sully,” the tale of hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who successfully landed an Airbus 320 in the Hudson River in 2009, reached great heights at the box office and left two Sony Pictures films, new release “When The Bough Breaks” and two-time box office champ “Don’t Breathe,” in its wake.
Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks as Capt. Sullenberger, the film scored an estimated $35.5 million through Sunday, dwarfing original projections that saw the film earning $25 million in its opening weekend.
“When we look at this weekend that is generally pretty soft for adult dramas, this is extremely noteworthy,” said Jeff Goldstein, head of distribution for Warner Bros. “The film is such a patriotic story of heroism. It’s just a feel-good story.”
The film appeared to benefit from its star power, with data firm comScore reporting that 39% of surveyed audience members attended the film because of Hanks and 20% because of Eastwood.
