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The September doldrums struck Hollywood this weekend, as a trio of unlikely bedfellows—the Blair Witch, Bridget Jones and Edward Snowden—all failed to excite audiences.

Instead, "Sully," the Clint Eastwood drama about Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's "Miracle on the Hudson" landing, collected an estimated $22 million, keeping it in first place and bringing its two-week take in the U.S. and Canada to $70.5 million.

"Sully" has been a welcome arrival for theater owners resigned to a quiet September. The adult-oriented drama, released by Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. studio, also expanded its audience this past week: 39% were younger than 35, compared with 20% the previous weekend.

That showing came despite fresh competition from "Blair Witch" and "Bridget Jones's Baby," new installments in franchises that got their start more than 15 years ago.

"Blair Witch," a new sequel to the 1999 independent smash hit, collected a weak $9.7 million. "Bridget Jones's Baby," the third movie in a series about an unmarried British woman looking for love, raked in a measly $8.2 million.

The weekend's other new release, Oliver Stone's "Snowden," didn't get much traction either: it grossed a paltry $8 million in fourth place.

The director's take on National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked troves of sensitive U.S. documents, did, however, get an "A" grade from opening-weekend audiences, according to market- research firm CinemaScore, which could bode well for word-of-mouth recommendations in the coming weeks.

The weekend provided fresh evidence of the difficulty Hollywood has had in reviving moribund characters and franchises this year.

"The Blair Witch Project" became the stuff of Hollywood legend when it collected $140 million on a minuscule budget in 1999. A poorly received sequel grossed $26 million in 2000.

But there has been a surplus of horror movies this year that may have eaten into moviegoers' appetite for "Blair Witch," which was released by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. The genre's hits in recent months have included "Don't Breathe," "The Purge: Election Year" and "The Conjuring." The "Blair Witch" showing should spook other studios: Several more horror movies are scheduled for release around Halloween.

Like the Blair Witch, Bridget Jones has had a topsy-turvy time at the box office over her three installments. The original movie about a lovelorn Londoner (Renee Zellweger) grossed $71 million in 2001, but its sequel "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" took in just $40 million in 2004.

"Bridget Jones's Baby," which finds the title character pregnant but unsure which man is the father, is performing better overseas than domestically. The movie set a record in the U.K. for a romantic comedy, opening with a gross of £ 8.5 million, or about $11 million, and has an international total of $29.9 million in 39 territories. "Bridget Jones's Baby," released by Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, had a budget of $35 million.

The stronger performance overseas follows a trend established by the first two installments, both of which grossed more than $200 million in international markets. A solid showing in the U.K. was expected given the character's popularity in that market, said Duncan Clark, Universal's president of international distribution.

"Bridget Jones's Baby" received a "B+" from moviegoers, according to CinemaScore, while "Blair Witch" got a chilling "D+."

Box-office receipts so far this year are up 5.4%, according to comScore

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 18, 2016 22:05 ET (02:05 GMT)

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