Posted on 01/17/2015 7:16:39 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The Clint Eastwood-directed “American Sniper” raked in $30.5 million in its wide-release debut Friday, putting it on track to earn up to $80 million over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the Hollywood Reporter trumpeted Saturday.
That could put the war movie on track for the biggest January opening ever.
Over at Forbes, Scott Mendelson offered some context:
Going into yesterday, the biggest opening weekend for a movie Clint Eastwood directed and/or starred in is Gran Torino, which opened in wide release in January 2009 with $29.5 million. The biggest January debut weekend was Ride Along, which earned $48m over the Fri-Sun frame of its $48m Fri-Mon MLK weekend last year. The biggest opening day in January was Cloverfield‘s $17.16m Friday as part of its (at the time) record-breaking $40m debut frame in 2008. The biggest single day was Avatar‘s $25.8m on January 2nd during its third weekend of release back in 2010. The biggest R-rated openings of all-time are Hannibal ($58m), 300 ($70m), The Passion of the Christ ($83m Fri-Sun during its $125m Wed-Sun bow) The Hangover part II ($85m Fri-Sun during its $135m Thurs-Mon bow), and The Matrix Reloaded ($91m Fri-Sun during its $134m Thurs-Sun bow). Unless I’m forgetting one, the biggest non-comic book, non-fantasy/sci-fi action movie debuts are Fast & Furious 6 ($97.3m), Skyfall ($88.3m), Fast Five ($86.1m), Fast & Furious ($70.9m), Quantum of Solace ($67m), The Bourne Ultimatum ($69m), and Mission: Impossible II ($57.8m). With those numbers in mind, Mendelson wrote, the haul of “American Sniper” is particularly impressive and proves that “a blockbuster can come from anywhere.”
“American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, has nabbed a slew of Academy Award nominations and has an A+ CinemaScore rating in every possible category, the Hollywood Reporter noted.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Every American needs to see this film. I don’t think I spoke for three hours after seeing it and I knew what to expect from the book. Everyone needs to see what our soldiers go through.Very intense and riveting from beginning to end.
It’ll be on Netflix soon enough. I can wait.
It was okay - but not great I didn’t think. Just got back a few hours ago. Packed house.
I think it was probably a real good portrayal of soldiers, war, and family - and the struggle of going back and forth between the two. Not a typical war-hero made for the movies story (like Lone Survivor), but a story that needs to be told.
My 87 year old mother is dying to see this movie... So am I.
Saw it today.....I had to be in the second row at a 2:10 in the afternoon movie....that packed. I asked the theater workers who busy it has been and they said that every showing on Friday night was sold out and all Saturday evening showings were all sold out. I was lucky to get into that movie. You will love this movie....absolutely incredible.......I can’t wait for your thoughts. I won’t give any away. Let’s just say that you will NEVER experience anything like it.
Saw it tonight. Packed in Montgomery County Maryland. (!) Really enjoyed it, although I teared up at the end. As I walked out I said to my wife “Give Cooper the Oscar and Kyle the Medal of Honor.” But then everyone around me was quiet, so I shut up after that.
“..... Last time I went it was to see Lone Survivor.”
Same here. Plan to go see this tomorrow.
Saw it today,
GREAT FLICK!
It showed in theaters on Christmas ... Then went away until it’s official opening at Christmas.
Took the family to see it tonight in Long Beach, CA. Theater was packed and everyone was silent at it’s conclusion. Very somber. I think the film was very respectful and well directed. I’m not a big Bradley Cooper fan, but I thought he did a fantastic job portraying deep waters.
Well said, and I think that's the main theme of the story. Many who don't like it may be missing that.
Just got back and Clint Eastwood painted his Masterpiece. Best war movie ever made.
Pray America is waking
Agreed. This is not a “Hero saves the world... feel good” war movie. I felt it was a very respectful showing of the difficulty some have going back and forth from home to war. I took my high school daughter and we both liked the movie. As others said, it was silent at the end as the full theater emptied. Great job again by Clint Eastwood!
Okay... Donning. or Dawning, perhaps. You won’t get heat on this, regardless of your NCO spelling/usage problems. Just sayin’
Ack ... Until it’s official opening in January. Corrected.
Saw the movie tonight and it was fantastic! Packed house, complete silence in theater and all shows sold out.
Lots of tickets avail for Selma however
bookmark
My high-school daughter went with us. I was telling her how the Iraq War, and more so the war in Afghanistan, was not really paid much attention to in the states - one of the disconnects so many soldiers said they felt.
During Vietnam it was on the news nightly - although with the negative viewpoints in so many ways. Coupled with the protest news.
I have shown her pages from the FR thread about WWII+70 years, reading articles with her from the 15+ pages of war news in the New York Times or whatever paper it is. Quite the difference - where EVERYONE was touched by the war in some aspect of life (loved ones serving, rationing, metal drives, etc.)
And of course the other big difference in that the only way you got back home was through Germany or Japan.
The soldiers of today, and still in harm’s way, are in many ways forgotten. Although perhaps it is that they are only forgotten by the MSM - as evident by the full theaters across America for this film. Even here in Liberal Seattle.
That’s OK, even Casablanca had its critics.
Americans love patriots.
Who is running in 2016 that is ex-military?
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