"American Sniper," looks destroy Clint Eastwood in a heroic Navy SEALs, tearing apart the record books when it racked up $ 90.2 million this weekend.
Although about heavy subjects like war and trauma, the release of Warner Bros. to play more like a comic book movie than an Oscar contender. It is on pace to earn staggering $ 105 million over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, more than double the $ 48 million debut enjoyed by "Ride Along," which represents the high-water mark before.
"It was a perfect storm," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros. in the country. "This film will have great legs and it will continue to break records. It will go down in history."
Here's a look at some of the notes that "American Sniper" just established.
- Clint Eastwood Biggest Box Office Weekend (Previous record: "Gran Torino" with $ 29.5 million)
- Bradley Cooper Biggest Box Office Weekend (previous record: "Hangover Part II" with $ 103.4 million)
- Largest Martin Luther King Holiday Weekend opening ever (Previous record: "Ride Along" with $ 48.6 million)
- Biggest Ever Weekend January (Previous record: "Avatar" with $ 68.5 million)
- The biggest R-rated 4-Day Weekend ever (Previous record: "Hangover Part II" with $ 103.4 million)
- Opening Weekend Drama largest ever (Previous record: "Passion Of The Christ" with $ 83.8 million)
- The Debut Wide-Release-R Value Second Largest (Record holder: "The Matrix Reloaded" with $ 91 million)
- Largest Martin Luther King holiday weekend for IMAX ever (Previous record: "Avatar" with $ 9.7 million)
- The biggest R-rated IMAX Opening Weekend ever (Previous record: "Prometheus" with $ 9.1 million)
- Largest Wide-Release Debut for War Movies (Previous record: "Pearl Harbor" with $ 59.1)
