After nabbing six Oscar nominations on Thursday, Clint Eastwood’ record-breaking American Sniper has been predicted for a record score of $100M debut, as the film continues to astound at the North American box office, where it earned an estimated $90.2 million for the three-day weekend. The film is said to have made double, what it was expected to do.
That’s the largest opening of all time for the month of January, as well as one of the top grosses ever for an average budget film and an R-rated modern-day war film. The film is playing in 3,555 locations.
Earning a coveted A+ Cinema Score in every category, the film which was directed by Clint Eastwood and released on January 16, is said to be galvanising moviegoers in the United States.
Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow are said to have partnered on American Sniper, a film based on the real-life story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and set over the course of the war in Iraq. Among the film’s Oscar nominations are Best Picture and Best Actor (Bradley Cooper).
American Sniper first debuted Christmas Day, in four theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas (Kyle was from Texas). The $60 million movie, earning nearly $4 million in its limited run, continues to be unique in appealing to both art house audiences as well as more politically conservative moviegoers.
To date, Gran Torino ($29.5 million) is Eastwood’s top opening as a director, while Kevin Hart’s Ride Along, released a year ago on the same weekend, boasts the top opening for January with a three-day debut of $41.5 million. Its four-day take was $48.6 million.
Once again taking advantage of the MLK holiday, Hart returns to theaters this weekend in The Wedding Ringer, from Screen Gems. In an unexpected development, the R-rated comedy is finding itself in a close race with family film Paddington for the No. 2 spot over the four-day MLK weekend (Sniper is no doubt taking adults away from Hart’s movie).
Going by pundits’ prediction, Wedding Ringer should beat Paddington for the three-day weekend with an estimated $20 million-plus from 3,003 theaters for a projected four day debut of $24 million, the best showing for an R-rated comedy opening in January. However, it won’t match the $27.8 million debut of Hart’s About Last Night over Valentine’s Day and President Day weekend in February 2014. That movie was likewise rated R, while Ride Along was rated PG-13.
Ava DuVernay’s Selma, heading into its second weekend in nationwide release, is another Oscar contender hoping for a box-office bump. It also hopes to benefit from the MLK holiday.
Selma, which stars Nigerian-British actor, David Oyelowo, is poised to come in No. 5 over the holiday weekend with a four-day gross in the $10 million range from 2,235 theaters, bringing its domestic total north of $27 million through Monday.