Nominated for multiple Oscars, Clint Eastwood's latest film earned US$81.96 million over the weekend ending January 25, remaining on top at the worldwide box office for the second consecutive week.
"American Sniper" -- which features Bradley Cooper in the role of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in US history -- owes most of its earnings to US theaters, where it took in $64.3 million out of $81.96 million globally. This brought the film's cumulative earnings to $247.69 million following its second weekend in theaters.
"The Hobbit" made a surprise comeback at the global box office thanks to its release in China. The third and final film in the franchise, "The Battle of the Five Armies" earned $57.05 million, including $49.5 million in Chinese theaters.
This allowed Peter Jackson's heroic fantasy blockbuster to steal second place from "Taken 3," which slipped in to third with $33.9 million this week. Olivier Megaton's film with Liam Neeson is nonetheless enjoying a strong run, with cumulative global earnings totaling $227.4 million so far.
In fourth place, the British family feature "Paddington" also continues to attract moviegoers worldwide, taking in an additional $16.69 million this weekend to bring its cumulative revenues to $183 million.
The movie on the travelling bear is followed by the latest Marvel-Disney production, "Big Hero 6." The animated feature grossed $15.57 million, edging its cumulative earnings closer to the $500 million mark ($456 million).
Next in the ranking are "The Boy Next Door" with Jennifer Lopez and "The Wedding Ringer" with Kevin Hart, Josh Gad and Kaley Cuoco, in sixth and seventh places with $15.56 million and $12.7 million respectively.
Among critics' top picks for best picture at the Oscars, "The Imitation Game" with Benedict Cumberbatch landed in eighth place with $11.73 million. The Alan Turing biopic is followed by "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" ($10.5 million) and "The Penguins of Madagascar" ($9.38 million).
