The debate that's been raging all week over Clint Eastwood's latest film, American Sniper hasn't done the movie any damage at the US box office, with weekend numbers showing the biopic of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is still proving immensely popular with audiences.
The film, which stars Bradley Cooper as the crack shot US sniper, has continued to dominate the box office for the second weekend in a row, taking $64.4 million in its second week of release in the States, according to studio estimates. That follows the record it set a week ago, for the biggest all-time January box office score with $89.3 million. This week's numbers mean Eastwood's film now has a total tally of a whopping $200 million in the US.
Criticism of Eastwood's portrayal of Kyle has been hitting headlines worldwide all week. Filmmaker Michael Moore, actor Seth Rogen and former VP candidate Sarah Palin are just some of the big names keen to give their review of the film and the wider political and cinematic debate it has fuelled. All the talk has only added to the intrigue though as audiences flocked to the cinema, while those busy defending Eastwood's film have no doubt added to the box office total with their social media pleas for "true patriots" to support the project. And then there's the six Oscar nominations, the film has notched up, including a Best Actor nod (his third in a row) for Bradley Cooper and a Best Picture chance.
American Sniper tops the US box office for second week
Elsewhere at the box office, there was good news for Jennifer Lopez's first film in two years, action-thriller The Boy Next Door, which brought in $15 million in its debut weekend. Despite a string of scathing reviews, the film performed well above expectations. It wasn't such good news for Johnny Depp's latest though. Mortdecai posted a paltry $4.1 million in the US for its opening weekend, meaning it couldn't even break into the top five for films, unusual for a film which such stars attached - as well as Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor and Paul Bettany all star. The dismal reviews though meant the poor box office numbers aren't too much of a surprise.
Jennifer Aniston may have been snubbed by the Oscars for her acclaimed performance in Cake, but there was good news for the indie flick - following its opening in 482 theaters, it earned $1 million over the weekend. That comes after a star turn on the festival circuit last year.
