American Sniper is taking aim at the Box Office title. Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper took in a record-breaking $5.3 million Thursday night as it began expanding nationwide following Oscar nominations. That’s the biggest Thursday night gross of all time for an R-rated drama, at any time of the year. It is also expected to nab the top opening ever for the month of January with a four-day gross of $50 million over the long Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Fandango reports that advance ticket sales for American Sniper jumped a historic 264 percent on Thursday. Eastwood’s film, based on the real-life story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, opened in four theaters over Christmas, earning more than $3 million and posting some of the top theater averages of all time.
