"American Sniper" becomes top grossing 2014 release
"American Sniper" has officially become the top-grossing domestic movie released in 2014.
The Clint Eastwood-directed, Bradley Cooper-starring drama has made $337.2 million since it was released this past December, according to Variety -- pushing past the $336.8 million made by "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1" to make it the highest grossing film to debut last year.
"Sniper" first arrived in a handful of theaters as part of a limited release last December, before expanding to more theaters in January. It went on to dominate the box office, spending three consecutive weeks in the No. 1 spot. It also sparked both controversy and Oscar buzz, ultimately earning six nominations including best picture.
Coming in third behind those two films was Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy," which brought in $333.2 million.
But even though "American Sniper" came out on top at the U.S. box office, it's haul wouldn't have been enough to overtake 2013's top earner. That year, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" brought in $424.7 million, domestically.