The weekend’s other wide-release launch, Oliver Stone’s Snowden was also over-shadowed by the aeronautical heroics of Sully, picking up only $8 million from 2,443 locations for a fourth-place finish.
The look at Edward Snowden stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and got a mixed reception at the Toronto International Film Festival, with some calling it a return to form for Stone, a director whose recent work such as “The Savages” has failed to capture the renown of earlier efforts like “Platoon” and “JFK.”
However, the NSA leaker remains a controversial figure in American politics, a whistleblower to some and a traitor to others, which might have limited the picture’s appeal.
Open Road is distributing the film domestically, and it is now doubtful whether it could attract some awards attention.
Snowden cost a reported $50 million to produce.