Clint Eastwood's latest film American Sniper has been killing it since its wide release hit theaters last weekend. Not only has it made a ton of money, it also is on the path to break two major records. The war-drama isn't even close to surrendering, as new information suggests it's about to break two major Fandango records by making even more money and having the biggest second weekend of any January wide release.
If my film were in theaters right now, not only would I be worried, I would probably be shaking in my boots. I'm speaking to you Paddington, Blackhat and The Wedding Ringer. According to Fandango, American Sniper is on track for another massive weekend showing that could likely mark the biggest second weekend of any January wide release in Fandango history. The film may also take spot for the largest second weekend sales bigger than the first weekend sales of the previous top January opener (Lone Survivor, Ride Along) on the moviegoer destination's site. We know that was a lot to take in so in summary, American Sniper is poised to dominated its competition for the second weekend in a row.
With $120 million already on the books, American Sniper is fighting for theatergoers tickets like an unstoppable force. It has already become Eastwood's second highest grossing film of all time, next to Gran Torino. Only in its second weekend, it is on par to beat that film's total domestic gross of just under $150 million. Its instant success can be tied to a variety of factors including its Academy Award nominations, which it received for Best Picture, Best Actor for Bradley Cooper, Best Adapted Screenplay and a few others for sound and editing. It all happened so quickly, as I remember it, with the Oscar announcement dropping the same day as the film's wide release. The strategy has certainly paid off.
Also aiding the success of the film, is the recent controversy sparked by Seth Rogen, who referred to the film as war propaganda and Michael Moore, who referred to snipers as "cowards." Their comments have not only created headlines but also even provoked some political retorts.
American Sniper, which was originally supposed to be directed by Steven Spielberg, follows the true-life story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who racked up record number kills as a sharp shooter during the Iraq War. The story follows the legendary marksman off the field of battle, where he struggles to maintain the life, as a father and husband, that he once had.
We're anxious to see how far American Sniper can go. For an R-rated war film, released in January, it has already flipped the script in a variety of ways leaving an impression (no, we're not referring to its use of the obscenely fake baby) on critics, fans and certainly the record books. Check out the film, in theaters now.
