'American Sniper' Hitting Box-Office Bull's-Eye in Limited Debut

The Clint Eastwood-directed “American Sniper” hit the bull’s-eye in its Christmas Day debut at the box office Thursday.

The Iraq War drama starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller brought in $240,000 for Warner Bros., an impressive $60,000 per-screen average that puts it on pace for one of the year’s best limited openings. “Grand Budapest Hotel” averaged more than $65,000 on its first day in March, on the way to 2014’s biggest specialty opening.

Also Read: Angelina Jolie’s ‘Unbroken,’ ‘Into the Woods’ Explode at Christmas Day Box Office

Village Roadshow’s R-rated “American Sniper” is written by James Dean Hall and based on Chris Kyle’s autobiography of the same name. It follows his struggles to be a good father and husband while fighting in Iraq.

It looks like it will be a nice rebound for for Eastwood, coming off the soft performance of “Jersey Boys,” which he directed earlier this year, and 2012’s “Trouble With the Curve,” in which he starred.

Also Read: ‘American Sniper’ Review: War Plays Out Like a Video Game in Clint Eastwood’s Navy SEAL Biopic

Warner Bros. plans to go nationwide with “American Sniper” on Jan. 16, one day after the Academy Award nominations are announced.

37 Biggest Snubs and Surprises: Golden Globes 2015 (Photos)

SNUB: Perennial Golden Globe favorite Angelina Jolie was left off the list of Best Director nominees for her work on Universal's "Unbroken."
Getty Images
SNUB: HFPA made room for Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo on their list of nominees but failed to include "Foxcatcher" star Channing Tatum.
Sony Pictures Classics
SURPRISE: This is Joaquin Phoenix's third straight year with a Golden Globe nod and fifth nomination overall. His role in "Inherent Vice" hasn't received nearly as much buzz as his competitors.
Warner Bros.
SNUB: Even though she's hosting the show this year, Amy Poehler failed to pick up a Best Actress in Comedy nomination for her work on "Parks and Recreation."
NBC
SNUB: As was the case with SAG voters, Kerry Washington and "Scandal" were replaced by Shonda Rhimes' newest TV superstar, Viola Davis on "How to Get Away With Murder."
ABC
SNUB: One year after winning a Best Actor in a Comedy Golden Globe, Andy Samberg was shut out completely for his role on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."
Fox
SNUB: "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," which won the Golden Globe for best TV comedy last year, failed to pick up any nominations.
Fox
SNUB: Oscar Isaac locked up a Globe nom last year for "Inside Llewyn Davis" but came up empty-handed Thursday morning for his performance in "A Most Violent Year." Co-star Jessica Chastain, however, did score a nod after being snubbed by SAG.
A24
SURPRISE: Jake Gyllenhaal earned his second major nom in as many days with a nod for his role in "Nightcrawler."
Open Road Films
SNUB: "Unbroken" was shut out completely by the HFPA, failing to pick up a single nomination Thursday morning.
Universal
SURPRISE: "Jane the Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez landed herself a nomination for Best Actress in a TV Series Comedy. The CW show just premiered in October.
The CW
SURPRISE: "Jane the Virgin" also scored a nomination for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical, which brings The CW into the awards race.
The CW
SNUB: "American Sniper" received zero love from the HFPA. Star Bradley Cooper failed to pick up a nod for Best Actor in a Drama while director Clint Eastwood was also forgotten.
Warner Bros./Getty Images
SURPRISE: Christoph Waltz has cleaned up at the Golden Globes before, winning Best Supporting for "Inglourious Basterds" and "Django Unchained." Will his nomination for "Big Eyes" make him 3 for 3?
The Weinstein Company
SNUB: He's taken home the Golden Globe for his role in "Game of Thrones" before but was left off the list of nominees this year.
HBO
SNUB: Heading into the series' home stretch, "Mad Men" was noticeably left off the list of Golden Globe nominees. The AMC series didn't score a single nomination.
AMC
SNUB: Monster-hit "The Walking Dead" didn't pick up any nominations on Thursday, despite its ratings success.
AMC
SNUB: Jim Parsons was left off the Golden Globes nominees list for the first time since 2012. "The Big Bang Theory" star took home the award in 2011.
CBS
SNUB: "The Big Bang Theory" itself also got shut out of any Golden Globe nominations this year.
CBS
SURPRISE: British comedy "Pride" landed a Golden Globe nomination on Thursday for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.
BBC Films
SNUB: Louis C.K.'s cable hit "Louie" was left off the nominees for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical.
FX
SURPRISE: Showtime's freshman drama "The Affair" picked up a nomination for Best Television Series - Drama. Stars Dominic West and Ruth Wilson also earned individual nominations.
Showtime
SURPRISE: After failing to secure an Emmy nomination earlier this year, Michelle Monaghan picked up a supporting actress nomination for her role on "True Detective."
HBO
SNUB: "Brooklyn Nine-Nine's" Andre Braugher was snubbed by the Golden Globes, despite picking up an Emmy nomination earlier this year.
FOX
SNUB: "Modern Family" was left off of the Best Television Series list for the first time since the ABC sitcom premiered.
ABC
SURPRISE: Frances O’Connor scored a nomination for "The Missing." The Starz/BBC One series also landed a nod for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
Starz
SNUB: Just one day after receiving a SAG Award nomination, "Orphan Black's" Tatiana Maslany was snubbed by the HFPA.
BBC America
SURPRISE: 11-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis earned a Golden Globe nomination for "Annie."
Getty Images
SURPRISE: Wes Anderson got a Best Director nod for "The Grand Budapest Hotel."
Getty Images
SNUB: The HBO drama had its series finale in 2014 but went unrecognized by the Golden Globes.
HBO
SNUB: Cicely Tyson scored an Emmy nomination for her performance in Lifetime's "The Trip to Bountiful" but failed to pick up a Globe nomination.
Lifetime
SURPRISE: Jeffrey Tambor earned his first Golden Globe nomination of his career, playing a transgender woman in Amazon's "Transparent."
Amazon Studios
SURPRISE: "Transparent" also picked up a nod for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical.
Amazon Studios
SNUB: Once again, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association failed to recognize FX drama "The Americans."
FX