‘Sully’ Flies High With $35.5 Million Opening

Sully made a much a bigger splash at the box office than was initially expected, touching down at an estimated $35.5 million for the No. 1 spot in its opening weekend.

Playing on 3,525 screens, the Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow drama made $12.2 million on Friday, boosting three-day estimates that were previously set at $24 million for the weekend. The Clint Eastwood-directed film stars Tom Hanks as hero pilot Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger.

With an 84 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, reviews are solid for the movie about Sully's crucial call to glide an imperiled US Airways jet for a water landing on the Hudson River just minutes after it took off from Laguardia Airport, a decision that saved 155 lives on board in 2009.

CinemaScore polling said opening night moviegoers gave it an A grade on average.