“AMERICAN SNIPER” EXPECTED TO KILL AT BOX OFFICE

Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, which received six Oscar nominations on Thursday (including best film), is expected to set an opening weekend record for January, according to analysts. They are predicting that it will handily surpass the current record holder, last year’s Ride Along, which opened with $41.5 million. Somewhat ironically, Kevin Hart, who starred in Ride Along, offers Sniper its principal challenge with his R-rated comedy, The Wedding Ringer. It will likely earn $25-30 million, according to industry predictions. Two other newcomers, the thriller Blackhat and the family film Paddington,” are expected to debut with around $15-20 million each.

The Los Angeles Times: ‘American Sniper’ poised to pull in $50 million over four-day weekend

BoxOfficeMojo.com: Forecast: ‘Sniper’ Sets Sights on January Record