Tag: Chris Kyle

Box Office Phenomenon AMERICAN SNIPER Becomes Highest Grossing Film of 2014

AMERICAN SNIPER

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ AMERICAN SNIPER has surpassed two more major milestones, emerging as the top-grossing domestic release of 2014. The film has also surpassed half a billion dollars worldwide, and still climbing.

To date, the film has grossed an estimated $337.2 million at the domestic box office, and still counting, making it the highest-grossing film in director Clint Eastwood’s long and illustrious career. Among its many other records, AMERICAN SNIPER is also the number one war movie of all time and the top-grossing film in the career of Bradley Cooper, who earned his third consecutive Oscar nomination, for his portrayal of the film’s title character, Chris Kyle.

In addition to its domestic success, AMERICAN SNIPER is drawing large numbers of moviegoers overseas, where it is currently in release in 57 markets. The film, to date, has earned an estimated $163 million at the international box office, for an extraordinary worldwide total of $500.2 million and rising.

The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, International Distribution, and Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Kroll stated, “‘American Sniper’ has become a cultural touchstone that people want to share, discuss and remember. We are thrilled that the movie is still filling theatres, not only in the United States but around the globe, as filmgoers everywhere experience the power of the story of Chris and Taya Kyle.”

“We are all so proud of ‘American Sniper,’” Silverman added. “Its box office success is not only a testament to the talents of Clint, Bradley and all those involved in the film, but also a measure of our appreciation for the sacrifices of all veterans and their families. Congratulations to our partners at Village Roadshow and Ratpac-Dune and everyone behind ‘American Sniper’ on reaching another momentous benchmark.”

Kwan Vandenberg noted, “Clint Eastwood has delivered a powerful story on the personal cost of conflict, and the response we’re seeing internationally alike reflects the universal reach of this compelling drama. Along with our partners at Village Roadshow, we couldn’t be more thrilled with these spectacular results.”

Eastwood directed AMERICAN SNIPER from a screenplay written by Jason Hall, based on the book by Chris Kyle, with Jim DeFelice and Scott McEwen. Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller star in the film.

The film has been rated R for strong and disturbing war violence and language throughout, including some sexual references.

AMERICAN SNIPER

AMERICAN SNIPER Hits $200 Million at Weekend’s Box Office; STRANGE MAGIC & MORTDECAI Flop

AMERICAN SNIPER

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ Oscar-nominated mega hit AMERICAN SNIPER has surpassed $200 million worldwide at the domestic box office on only its tenth day in wide release.

Following its record-breaking first weekend in wide release, the Clint Eastwood-directed film has continued to fill conventional and IMAX theatres nationwide. AMERICAN SNIPER took in an estimated $64.4 million this past weekend, representing the smallest percentage drop ever for a film that opened at more than $85 million, including both three- and four-day weekends, and bringing the domestic gross to $200.1 million and climbing.

The R rated AMERICAN SNIPER is now, domestically, the highest-grossing film in Eastwood’s long career, and it is on track to become his top-grossing film worldwide. The film has earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Cooper), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Jason Hall).

Boy Next Door, The

Universal Pictures THE BOY NEXT DOOR, starring Jennifer Lopez, fared well this weekend with an estimated $15 million, while Johnny Depp’s latest film MORTDECAI and the George Lucas produced/Disney animated movie STRANGE MAGIC essentially tanked at $4.1 million and $5.5 million respectively.

Producers Guild awards winner, BIRDMAN, has an estimated domestic total of $31 million now; worldwide $50 million.

The top 12 domestic weekend box office estimates (Rentrak), listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015, are below.

1. American Sniper – Warner Bros. – $64.4M
2. Boy Next Door, The – Universal – $15.0M
3. Paddington – The Weinstein Company – $12.4M
4. Wedding Ringer, The – Sony – $11.6M
5. Taken 3 – 20th Century Fox – $7.6M
6. Imitation Game, The – The Weinstein Company – $7.1M
7. Strange Magic – Disney – $5.5M
8. Selma – Paramount – $5.5M
9. Mortdecai – Lionsgate – $4.1M
10. Into The Woods – Disney – $3.9M
11. Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies – Warner Bros. – $2.8M
12. Unbroken – Universal – $2.1M

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AMERICAN SNIPER Breaks Box Office Records With Estimated $90M+ Opening

AMERICAN SNIPER

Clint Eastwood’s remarkable film about the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, AMERICAN SNIPER, broke all box office records this weekend with an estimated $90 million. Since it’s initial release on December 25, 2014, the R-rated drama’s total stands at $93.6 million domestically – $119 million globally to date. Made for $60 million, Bradley Cooper heads the cast, which also includes Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban and Keir O’Donnell.

The film is looking to add about $15 million Monday, raising its total since its limited Christmas Day release to $108.6 million in the U.S.

The screenplay, written by Jason Hall, is based on the book by Chris Kyle, with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The autobiography was a runaway bestseller, spending 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, 13 of those at number one.

AMERICAN SNIPER received 6 Academy Award nominations last week for Best Picture, Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Adapted Screenplay (Jason Hall), Best Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.

Read Tom Stockman’s 5 star review HERE.

Sony Pictures’ R-rated comedy THE WEDDING RINGER, starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, came in second place with an estimated $21 million from 3,003 theaters.

Claiming the third and fourth spots respectively were PADDINGTON ($19.3M) and TAKEN 3 ($14.1M). The third film in the TAKEN franchise has an impressive $161.8 million total thus far.

Meanwhile, Universal Pictures’ BLACHKAT, starring Chris Hemsworth, came in at a paltry $4 million.

Some of the films currently in cinemas received a bump in box office receipts from the Oscar nominations.

Over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA came in at fifth place with an estimted $8.3 million. Playing in 2,235 theaters and distributed by Paramount Pictures, the Best Picture nominee’s total stands at $26 million.

Now playing at 1,611 locations, THE IMITATION GAME (The Weinstein Company) benefited from its multiple Oscar nods and brought in $7.2 million for cume total of $50.8 million.

Disney’s INTO THE WOODS, nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep), Production, & Costume Design, saw $6.5 million in ticket sales. From director Rob Marshall, the fantasy movie has a worldwide total of $140 million.

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES crossed the $800 million mark at the worldwide box office in its fifth week in global release, now standing at more than $803 million. The movie received a nomination in sound editing.

The conclusion to Peter Jackson’s acclaimed “The Hobbit” Trilogy, based on the timeless classic by J.R.R. Tolkien, THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES has earned an estimated $244.5 million domestically to date and held the top spot at the box office for its first three weekends. Jackson now has the distinction of having all three films in both his “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy and “The Hobbit” Trilogy be number one at the box office for at least three consecutive weekends, which is a record for any film series.

The film dominated the international box office for its first four weekends in a row, and has grossed $558.6 million to date.

© Rentrak Corporation
© Rentrak Corporation

The top 12 domestic weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015, are below.

  1. American Sniper – Warner Bros. – $90.2M
  2. Wedding Ringer, The – Sony – $21.0M
  3. Paddington – The Weinstein Company – $19.3M
  4. Taken 3 – 20th Century Fox – $14.1M
  5. Selma – Paramount – $8.3M
  6. Imitation Game, The – The Weinstein Company – $7.2M
  7. Into The Woods – Disney – $6.5M
  8. Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies – Warner Bros. – $4.9M
  9. Unbroken – Universal – $4.3M
  10. Blackhat – Universal – $4.0M
  11. Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb – 20th Century Fox – $3.8M
  12. Annie – Sony – $1.9M

Win Tickets To The Advance Screening of AMERICAN SNIPER in St. Louis

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“Chris always went one step beyond in everything he did, and that extended to his work with veterans. Ultimately, that led to tragedy, but that’s not what makes him an important guy or what makes this an important story. What we all hope is that it will remind people of the sacrifices of soldiers and their families and make people even more appreciative of those who have given so much in service of their country.” – Clint Eastwood, director of AMERICAN SNIPER

Warner Bros. Pictures will release AMERICAN SNIPER on December 25 – in St. Louis theaters on January 16. WAMG has your passes to one of the best films of 2014!

Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter.

Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world.

Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.

AMERICAN SNIPER

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win passes (Good for 2) to the advance screening of AMERICAN SNIPER on Jan. 12th. We will contact the winners by email.

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

Answer the following: How many Oscars has Clint Eastwood won?

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. No purchase necessary.

This film has been rated R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references.

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