'American Sniper' has crossed two more milestones in the domestic and international box office as Clint Eastwood's bio war drama film becomes North America's top-grossing title of 2014. The movie has also gone beyond the $500 million mark worldwide.
Bradley Cooper stars in this award-winning movie as he portrays navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who was assigned in Iraq four times and is recognized as the deadliest and most competent sniper in U.S. military history.
Distributed by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures, 'American Sniper' has already raked in over $330 million in sales for the domestic box office.
With a $337.2 million overhaul, the film has triumphed over the previous recordholder, 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1', which pulled in $336.9 million. The Oscar-nominated movie, which also starred Sienna Miller, has gained $163 million overseas, contributing to a total of $500.2 million last Sunday.
Internationally, 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' retains its title as biggest-selling film in 2014 with its current overhaul of $1.1 billion.
Nonetheless, 'American Sniper' has been globally recognized as the most successful war film of all time, unseating Steven Spielberg's World War II movie 'Saving Private Ryan' which starred Tom Hanks and Matt Damon.
Having been released in 1998, the Oscar award-winning film grossed $216.7 million in North America and $481 million worldwide.
The overall performance of 'American Sniper' overseas has been recognized as highly exceptional film. Eastwood is also widely popular across numerous countries and is highly regarded in European regions. The film was given a limited release in U.S. theaters to make it eligible for the Academy Awards. It was then released to the general public in January.
Warner Bros. domestic distribution chief Dan Fellers made the announcement along with international distribution president Veronika Kwan Vanderberg, president of worldwide marketing and international distribution Sue Kroll and creative development and worldwide production president Greg Silverman.
"From its record-breaking Christmas opening, American Sniper has been a box office phenomenon, " Fellman said. "The film's A+ CinemaScore in every category has translated into enthusiastic word-of-mouth that continues to generate both first-time and repeat business."
However, despite being a popular choice for viewers these past months, 'American Sniper' has also been criticized for its representation of the parties involved in the Iraqi war as well as of the portrayal of Chris Kyle.
