The battle in the north American box office continues to heat up, as the awards season draws near.Oscar-nominated war film 'American Sniper' led U.S. and Canadian box office charts over the weekend, with a record-smashing 90 million dollars in ticket sales.

'American Sniper' tops US box office

Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper' stars Bradley Cooper as a Navy Seal sharpshooter. The film has broken the record for a January weekend as well as for any drama opening ever, after scoring six Oscar nominations, including best picture and best actor.

R-rated comedy 'The Wedding Ringer' finished second with 21 million dollars during the U.S. Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend. It stars Kevin Hart and Josh Gad in a buddy comedy about a for-hire best man, played by Hart. It also set a record, for an R-rated comedy January opening.

Another new release, family film 'Paddington' based on the series of classic children's books about a loveable bear, was third with nearly 20 million dollars, but could move up to second after Monday when schools are closed. The family-friendly 'Paddington,' which won rave reviews with 98 percent of critics on website Rottentomatoes giving it a fresh rating, chronicles the adventures of the bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, who travels to London from Peru seeking a home. The film stars Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Nicole Kidman.

Rounding out the top five, Liam Neeson thriller "Taken 3" took in 14 million dollars, while civil rights drama and Oscar nominee 'Selma' earned 8.3 million dollars.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)