"American Sniper," the Clint Eastwood-directed biopic about Chris Kyle, the sniper with the most recorded kills in history, could become the highest-earning R-rated movie of all time,
CNN reports.
"Passion of the Christ" earned $370 million in 2004, followed by "The Matrix Reloaded," which brought in $281 million in 2003," CNN media reporter Brian Stelter reported. "The Hangover" (2009) currently stands in third place at $277 million.
"Sniper" has been in wide release for only 10 days, earning an unexpected $105 million on opening weekend, which included the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. It was a record for a January release.
It already has a $200 million total,
USA Today reports, making it one of only 30 movies to reach that level in 10 days of wide release.
"This film is swimming in blockbuster waters and generating numbers generally reserved for super-heroes and summer movies," Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told CNN.
While most films earn most of their money on weekends, "Sniper" continued selling tickets through the week, and didn’t see the typical 50-60 percent dropoff in tickets the second weekend. "Sniper's" ticket sales fell only about 28 percent.
The film has generated controversy, with liberal filmmaker Michael Moore and others criticizing either the film or snipers in general. But even that negative publicity has served only to increase interest in the film, CNN noted. The film also was nominated for best picture, and its star, Bradley Cooper, was nominated for best actor.
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