'American Sniper' Astounds With $105.3M Over MLK Weekend

NEW YORK (AP/WCCO) — Clint Eastwood's R-rated Iraq War drama "American Sniper" opened in January like a superhero movie in July, taking in a record $105.3 million over the Martin Luther King Jr. four-day weekend.

The film's success obliterated forecasts and set numerous box-office records. It easily surpassed "Avatar" to become the biggest January weekend ever.

This was actually the third week of release for "American Sniper," which played in just a handful of theaters for two weeks. That release helped stoke demand for the film, in which Bradley Cooper stars as Navy SEAL marksman Chris Kyle.

The resounding wide-release opening is also tops for the 84-year-old Eastwood. And it, in one weekend, gives the Oscar best-picture race something it was lacking: a big box-office hit. "American Sniper" is nominated for six Academy Awards.

The book on which the film is based became the subject of a high-profile lawsuit filed by former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. A federal jury ruled in favor of Ventura's in the defamation case, but Kyle's estate was seeking an appeal.

Ventura was awarded $1.8 million in August in the lawsuit that alleged Chris Kyle made up claims in his book about punching Ventura after he made offensive comments about Navy SEALS at a California bar in 2006. Ventura says it never happened. Both men are former SEALs.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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