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Edwin Davies: I think this is good for the type of film it is: an excellently realized drama built around a strong script, great performances, and no clear hook. The quality of the film and the older-skewing nature of the story/casting should carry it to at least $60 million, while awards attention could drive it a bit further. As for those awards, I think that Mark Rylance is a lock for Best Supporting Actor, the film could get Best Picture if the field is big enough, and Spielberg could get a director nod, but it's shaping up to be a strong field this year so that's far from guaranteed. Rylance is the only one I would bet money on.

Michael Lynderey: The names involved are absolutely iconic, and the movie has been successfully advertised as a thriller for older audiences, so I was thinking back to Captain Phillips, which opened to $25 million (time will tell if Hanks' semi-sequel, Captain Sully, will open as well). $15 million is on the lower end of my expectations, though I think Bridge of Spies will certainly run well for the next few weeks, even if I'm not sure it'll outgross The Terminal, the last Spielberg-Hanks collaboration (that was $77 million, on a $19 million opening). As for Oscars, as always, it's a very difficult field to break into for Best Actor, so there's a chance that Hanks might not even be nominated. The director crowd is also full, but perhaps Spielberg will get in, anyway. In any case, I think Bridge of Spies will have to go it alone, so to speak, for the next little while, and count on the reviews and audience goodwill as opposed to serious awards attention.

Ryan Kyle: Bridge of Spies is about the art of negation, not fighting; so an opening paralleling Captain Phillips wasn't going to happen given this is a slower film without the action set pieces to lure in a younger crowd. However, with fantastic reviews and the Hanks-Spielberg-Coen Bros triple-hitter, the legs should be abnormally strong on this one. Possibly hovering towards the $70 million range if awards talk picks up. It will be interesting to see if this film can outleg The Intern, which also opened up to a similar amount and has already more than tripled its opening weekend.

Kim Hollis: It’s almost exactly the start you’d expect for a drama like this one. Based on reviews and the Cinemascore, there’s no reason to think we won’t see it have a nice box office run. I’m going to go ahead and suggest that it’s one of the early leaders in the clubhouse for Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. As always, Hanks has an outside shot at Best Actor, but it’s a crowded field as always. We still have several other films yet to hit theaters and things could change, but critically beloved Steven Spielberg films always have to be considered come Academy Awards time.

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