What happens when you add a dash of Bradley Cooper, a pinch of politics, a cup of controversy, and a slab of fake baby? A horrible sounding meal, but also American Sniper, which set impressive box office records in consecutive weeks. And it’s just added another medal to its list of achievements: highest-grossing war film ever. The Wrap reports that Sniper‘s $217.1 million has overtaken the $216.5 million earned by Saving Private Ryan, the previous record holder.
The Eastwood drama added 180 theaters in its third week of release, with Sniper now playing in 3,885 theaters. It overtook Saving Private Ryan on Thursday, and is on track to earn another $35 million to finish No. 1 at the box office for the third week in a row. (Via)
When adjusted for inflation, that $216.5 million becomes a little over $307.2 million, which Sniper should pass any week now. It just goes to show that people love Siena Miller, and they really rejected Inchon. Box Office Mojo is likewise keeping track of the other records Clint Eastwood’s film has achieved, including the eighth highest R-rated movie and 893rd smallest drop (so prestigious) of all-time. Sniper is also the sixth most successful “Travelogue – Middle East” film in cinema history, although considering number-one is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, I’m pretty sure all that means is someone ate shawarma on set during filming.
