The New Year has started off with a bang (pun intended!) for the Iraq war drama American Sniper, which continues to rule the U.S. box office for the second week in a row.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the Oscar-nominated American Sniper continues its Midas touch at the U.S. and Canadian box offices since it hit theaters on Friday, Jan. 16. The film stars Bradley Cooper, who essays the role of a Navy SEAL/sniper, has raked in an overwhelming $64.4 million in ticket sales per estimates over the weekend alone.
American Sniper may be in its second week, but it is setting the cash registers ringing by garnering over $200 million in both the U.S. and Canada.
The surprising hit trails the journey of real-life U.S. Navy SEAL hero Chris Kyle, who is counted as one of the deadliest snipers around. American Sniper follows Kyle's deployment to Iraq on four occasions. The Iraq war veteran is credited with 160 kills prior to his discharge in 2009, after a decade in service.
With the movie sparking off debate, it is likely that people are flocking to the theaters to find out what it is all about and decide for themselves.
With six Oscar nominations already under its belt, including Best Picture, American Sniper's two straight weeks ruling the box office is ranked the fourth best in the box office history (for a second weekend) and is bettered only by Avatar, The Avengers and Spider-Man. Considering the drama has an R-rating, that is quite a feat, especially since January is considered to be not the most conducive season at the box office.
American Sniper is also being hailed as 84-year-old Eastwood's highest-grossing film to date. Whether the war drama can surpass The Passion of The Christ as the highest-earning R-rated domestic film release of all time, however, remains to be seen. To achieve this milestone, American Sniper will need to rake in over $370 million, which does not seem like an impossible feat given the current pace.
While American Sniper continues to rule the roost at the U.S. box office for the second week, close on its tail and on the second spot is the Jennifer Lopez starrer The Boy Next Door. The thriller raked in $15 million on its opening weekend. The third spot is dominated by the family entertainer Paddington, which is based on the classic children's book series about a lovable bear. Paddington accounted for $12.4 million.
The comedy film The Wedding Ringer and Taken 3 round out the top five highest-grossing movies with $11.6 million and $7.6 million, respectively.
