"American Sniper" topped the box office for a second weekend in a row, putting it on a trajectory to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.
The new film, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradly Cooper as Navy SEAL marksman Chris Kyle, collected $64.4 million through Sunday, bringing its total North American gross to $200.1 million,
CBS News reported.
"Taking inflation into account, 'Private Ryan' would have earned more than $300 million by today’s terms; Sniper is sure to eclipse that number when all is said and done,
wrote The Hollywood Reporter.
"American Sniper's" second weekend sales fell just 28 percent from is first weekend. Among movies that have had opening weekends of $85 million or more, "Sniper" now holds the record for best second-weekend retention.
While many publications have pointed to the film's resonance with audiences in the American Heartland, the film picked up an additional $17.6 million in 16 international territories, including Australia and Scandinavia.
That overseas $17 million beats the weekend's runner up, the Jennifer Lopez-led thriller "The Boy Next Door," which took in $15 million domestically. Johnny Depp’s "Mortdecai" ranked ninth for the weekend with $4.1 million — adding to his losing streak that includes "The Lone Ranger" and "Transcendence."
CNN Money reported that 2004's "The Passion of the Christ" ranks as the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with $370 million. "American Sniper" could very well beat that number.