Bradley Cooper’s American Sniper Breaks Christmas Record—Before It’s Even Released Nationwide

Jenkintown native Bradley Cooper may have been snubbed by the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards, but folks are flocking to see his turn as Chris Kyle in American Sniper.

Variety reports that the film broke records this week, when it opened limited release on Christmas Day. It made $240,212 showing at four venues in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York, which is an all-time record for a limited release playing on fewer than 10 screens on Christmas Day.

The film, directed by Clint Eastwood, is based on Kyle’s autobiography, tracing his time as a Navy SEAL and dealing with PTSD when he returned home to his family. It gets a  nationwide release on January 16th—a day after Oscar nominations are announced.