'American Sniper' Wins Box Office Again Topping 'The Boy Next Door' Starring Jennifer Lopez In Opening Weekend
American Sniper topped the weekend box office again bringing in a strong $64.4 million according to THR. This brings the film to a domestic total of $200.1 million at the box office. Making it already, the No. 2 U.S. war film of all time.
The Clint Eastwood-directed war drama stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle and is an intense and emotional ride. The film expanded nationwide two weeks back after first debuting on Christmas Day in four theaters.
The Boy Next Door, starring Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman, came in No. 2 at the box office earning a solid $15 million in its opening weekend.
Coming in No.3 is Paddington, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Bonneville, bringing in an additional $12.4 million for a $40.1 million total.
Kevin Hart's new comedy The Wedding Ringer came in at No. 4 with $11.6 million and Liam Neeson's Taken 3 rounds out at No. 5 bringing in another $7.6 million.
American Sniper is based on Chris Kyle's autobiography American Sniper. The film stars Cooper, Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Kyle Gallner, Sam Jaeger, Jake McDorman and Cory Hardrict.
Cooper wanted to make Kyle's best-selling 2012 autobiography American Sniper into a movie and the actor only got to speak with the most lethal sniper in American military history one time.
"Thank God I got to talk to him once on the phone,'' says Cooper, who is a producer and plays Kyle in the film to USA Today. "It was a very quick conversation. But I did tell him how serious I was about making this movie. And he should just know that whatever fears he had about Hollywood, to just put them aside and trust me. That I was going to do everything I could to tell this story."
Kyle was shot and killed on Feb. 2, 2013, at a shooting range in Texas. A troubled Marine veteran is now on trial for his murder. Little did Cooper know that his first talk with Kyle would be his last.
After Chris's death, Cooper was on a mission to complete the movie in honor of Kyle, his family and all veterans.
"I had to do right by him and his family, there was really no choice," says Cooper. "You're sitting across the dining-room table talking to this person's father and mother. And his children and wife are there. And he's passed away. Knowing that they are putting all of their stories in your hands and the responsibly of that, it's actually unique."