American Sniper held strong to the number one spot, dropping less than 30% and adding $64 million and just crossing the $200 million mark. While directing is nothing new for Clint Eastwood, this is his most successful effort to date by box office standards. Sniper has already surpassed his previous highest grosser, Gran Torino's $148 million.
Of the three newcomers this weekend, only one had any success. The Boy Next Door took a hammering at the hands of critics, but thanks to an almost non-existent $4 million budget it turned a nice profit with its second place $15 million debut.
George Lucas' latest offering, Strange Magic, tanked, banking just $5 million for a seventh place opening. Johnny Depp's Mortdecai made an even poorer showing, earning $4 million against its $60 million production budget. Those two movie join Blackhat on a fast-growing list of major box office bombs in 2015.
For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below:
American Sniper
$64,365,000Total: $200,137,000LW: 1
THTRS: 3,705
The Boy Next Door *
$15,001,000Total: $15,001,000LW: N
THTRS: 2,602
Paddington
$12,391,000Total: $40,062,000LW: 3
THTRS: 3,355
The Wedding Ringer
$11,600,000Total: $39,677,000LW: 2
THTRS: 3,003
Taken 3
$7,600,000Total: $76,051,000LW: 4
THTRS: 2,909
The Imitation Game
$7,136,000Total: $60,642,000LW: 6
THTRS: 2,025
Strange Magic *
$5,534,000Total: $5,534,000LW: N
THTRS: 3,020
Selma
$5,500,000Total: $39,220,000LW: 5
THTRS: 2,046
Mortdecai *
$4,125,000Total: $4,125,000LW: N
THTRS: 2,648
Into the Woods
$3,886,000Total: $121,494,000LW: 7
THTRS: 2,270
