By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Clint Eastwood's R-rated Iraq War drama "American Sniper" opened in January like a superhero movie in July, taking in a record $105.3 million over the Martin Luther King Jr. four-day weekend.
The film's unprecedented success obliterated forecasts and set numerous box-office records. It easily surpassed "Avatar" to become the biggest January weekend ever.
The resounding wide-release opening is also tops for the 84-year-old Eastwood, whose previous best weekend was the $29.5 million wide release of 2009's "Gran Torino. And it, in one weekend, gives the Oscar best-picture race something it was lacking: a big ol' box-office hit.
"American Sniper, nominated for six Academy Awards, immediately becomes the top grosser of the best-picture nominees. The previous biggest hit was Wes Anderson's "Grand Budapest Hotel," which made $59.1 million in its entire run.
This was actually the third week of release for "American Sniper," which played in just a handful of theaters for two weeks. That slow release pattern helped stoke demand for the film, in which Bradley Cooper stars as Navy SEAL marksman Chris Kyle.
"It's become a cultural phenomenon," said Dan Fellman, head of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. "The movie reached an audience that's very hard to tap into. In both red and blue states, small and large cities, tiny towns — everywhere we went — it broke records."
Going into the weekend, optimistic predictions for "American Sniper" were closer to $50 million, which still would have been an enormous success, particularly considering how little appetite audiences have had for movies about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"This was maybe the most underestimated film of all time, considering that it did about twice what estimates predicted," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office firm Rentrak. "This just doesn't happen."
But the film was warmly embraced by conservatives, which Fellman said was a "huge" factor. The audience, which was 57 percent male, gave it an A+ CinemaScore. Dergarabedian said "American Sniper" resonated with audiences craving a celebration of valor, courage and patriotism.
"American Sniper," once pegged for release in late 2015, was moved up to qualify for this year's Oscars. After Eastwood's other 2014 release, "Jersey Boys," struggled in its June release, totaling $47 million, "American Sniper" — a $58 million co-production between Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow — was tossed into this year's Christmas mix.
The remarkable success of "American Sniper," which made $89.5 million over the three-day weekend, didn't appear to hurt the business of other releases. The Weinstein Co.'s well-reviewed animated film "Paddington" opened with an estimated $25.2 million over the four-day weekend. The Kevin Hart, Josh Gaad comedy "The Wedding Ringer" debuted with $24.5 million for Sony Pictures.
However, Michael Mann's cyber-thriller "Blackhat," starring Chris Hemsworth, flopped. Made for about $70 million by Legendary Pictures for distributor Universal Pictures, "Blackhat" bombed with just $4.4 million.
In its fourth weekend of release, the civil rights drama "Selma" took in $11.5 million on the holiday weekend that honors its protagonist, King. The film landed two Oscar nominations on Thursday, including best picture, but the snubbing of its star, David Oyelowo, and director, Ava DuVernay, drew widespread outrage.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Monday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.
1. "American Sniper," $105.3 million ($6.1 million international).
2. "Paddington," $25.2 million ($4 million international).
3. "The Wedding Ringer," $24.5 million.
4. "Taken 3," $17.4 million ($31.4 million international).
5. "Selma," $11.5 million.
6. "Into the Woods," $8.7 million ($7.3 million international).
7. "The Imitation Game," $8.1 million ($4 million international).
8. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," $6 million ($6.1 million international).
9. "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," $5.1 million ($17.8 million international).
10. "Unbroken," $5 million ($7.3 million international).
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Rentrak:
1. "Taken 3," $31.4 million.
2. "Seventh Son," $21.7 million.
3. "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," $17.8 million.
4. "Penguins of Madagascar," $16.3 million.
5. "Exodus: Gods and King," $10.9 million.
6. "Miss Granny," $9 million.
7. "The Theory of Everything," $8 million.
8. "Into the Woods," $7.3 million.
9. "Big Hero 6," $7.2 million.
10. "Ode to My father," $7 million.
After 20 Years of Acting, Megan Park Finds Her Groove In The Director’s Chair On “My Old Ass”
Megan Park feels a little bad that her movie is making so many people cry. It's not just a single tear either — more like full body sobs.
She didn't set out to make a tearjerker with "My Old Ass," now streaming on Prime Video. She just wanted to tell a story about a young woman in conversation with her older self. The film is quite funny (the dialogue between 18-year-old and almost 40-year-old Elliott happens because of a mushroom trip that includes a Justin Bieber cover), but it packs an emotional punch, too.
Writing, Park said, is often her way of working through things. When she put pen to paper on "My Old Ass," she was a new mom and staying in her childhood bedroom during the pandemic. One night, she and her whole nuclear family slept under the same roof. She didn't know it then, but it would be the last time, and she started wondering what it would be like to have known that.
In the film, older Elliott ( Aubrey Plaza ) advises younger Elliott ( Maisy Stella ) to not be so eager to leave her provincial town, her younger brothers and her parents and to slow down and appreciate things as they are. She also tells her to stay away from a guy named Chad who she meets the next day and discovers that, unfortunately, he's quite cute.
At 38, Park is just getting started as a filmmaker. Her first, "The Fallout," in which Jenna Ortega plays a teen in the aftermath of a school shooting, had one of those pandemic releases that didn't even feel real. But it did get the attention of Margot Robbie 's production company LuckyChap Entertainment, who reached out to Park to see what other ideas she had brewing.
"They were very instrumental in encouraging me to go with it," Park said. "They're just really even-keeled, good people, which makes... Read More