"I had a shooting competition with Chris at the range," Matthew said, seated on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, looking over at Chris Kyle. "Compared to Chris, my marksmanship is at an elementary school level."
Ellen DeGeneres feigned exaggeration. "I remember hearing about how you took down two armed terrorists with two shots in Burbank!"
Matthew shrugged. "That was just good luck."
With American Sniper dominating the box office, Matthew continued participating in promotional events. Alongside Chris Kyle, he appeared on Ellen's show to engage with audiences.
"Chris," Ellen turned to Kyle, "Matthew is widely regarded as one of the most skilled and well-trained actors in Hollywood when it comes to military and physical roles. Since you've had a competition, is there any area where you think he's better than you?"
"Hand-to-hand combat," Chris Kyle answered without hesitation. "If it came down to a close fight, I probably wouldn't last five seconds."
Matthew chimed in, "Don't forget, Chris is part of the Navy SEALs, but he's a sniper."
Chris, now far more media-savvy than in his SEAL days, added, "At the shooting range that day, if Matthew hadn't acted quickly, I might not be here today."
For a moment, Ellen was left speechless.
Matthew glanced at Margot Robbie, who had been sitting quietly. "Actually, Chris and I were both saved by Miss Robbie."
The audience burst into laughter, as the story had already gone viral on YouTube, and everyone knew Matthew wasn't exaggerating.
Ellen turned to Margot Robbie. "Margot, everyone's seen the footage of you taking Eddie Lowes down with a ceramic mug. What was going through your mind at that moment?"
Margot's bright and straightforward demeanor shone as she answered, "I was really nervous. Honestly, I wasn't thinking about much." Then, with a playful twinkle in her eye, she added, "Well, maybe one thing."
"Oh?" Ellen leaned in. "What was that?"
"I just thought, 'If something happens, there goes my lead role!'" Margot joked.
Ellen burst into laughter. "That's a pretty good motivation."
Matthew and Chris also laughed.
"Let me ask you both," Ellen continued. "Matthew, Chris, how did you thank Margot afterward?"
Chris spoke first. "There's no way to thank her enough. I gave her a gun made from spent shell casings."
"And you, Matthew?" Ellen asked.
"I took Margot out for drinks," Matthew replied with a grin.
"Is that true?" Ellen turned to Margot.
"True," Margot said, candidly. "And he got me so drunk I ended up puking all over my house."
"Well, that's one memorable way to say thank you," Ellen joked, turning back to Matthew. "What do you think of your co-star?"
Matthew pretended to look serious. "Do you think I'd dare say anything but nice things about Margot?" He gestured to the table in front of her. "There's still a mug on her table, you know."
Both Ellen and Margot burst out laughing.
The show's atmosphere remained light and fun throughout, with even the typically reserved Chris Kyle occasionally cracking jokes.
Meanwhile, American Sniper continued to dominate at the box office, maintaining high occupancy rates in theaters.
More importantly, the film's reception among audiences remained overwhelmingly positive, and its critical acclaim wasn't far behind.
Films based on true events, like American Sniper, are often influenced by the prevailing social climate. Public reception can vary drastically depending on the times, as seen with movies like Brokeback Mountain, which would have had no chance at an Oscar nod in the 1990s.
Matthew recalled Black Panther, another film that became a cultural phenomenon. When he first watched it, he couldn't understand the hype. Years in Hollywood taught him how much political correctness could shape a movie's reception.
The current sociopolitical climate played a significant role in American Sniper being hailed as a masterpiece by North American audiences and critics alike.
Some media outlets even declared it the best film of the year.
The film's reception was nothing short of phenomenal.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasted a 98% fresh rating, with critics giving it an average score of 8.5. On IMDb, over 54,800 users had rated it, with an average score of 8.4. Audience scores from CinemaScore gave it an A+, further fueling predictions that its domestic box office would surpass $350 million.
MetaCritic, aggregating scores from 55 outlets, reported an average score of 81 for the film.
Across the board—from critics to general audiences—American Sniper was regarded as a cinematic triumph.
The film's unexpected level of acclaim even caught Matthew off guard.
Comparisons to Black Panther came to mind again. When a movie aligns with the prevailing cultural wave, nearly everyone is swept along. Dissenters are either ignored or pushed to the fringes.
For someone like Matthew, taking the easiest path was the smartest choice. Crafting a persona as a social advocate and supporter of progressive movements had not only enhanced his public image but also protected it.
To him, being a star meant selling both the art and the persona.
Reflecting on American Sniper, Matthew realized it had become, almost by accident, a politically untouchable film akin to Black Panther. Critics sang its praises, audiences adored it, and even usually skeptical industry insiders joined the chorus of approval.
On Sunday night, during a call with Warner Bros.' Dan Fellman, the executive suggested that the film could be a strong contender for the Oscars. With proper campaigning, it could win Best Actor, Best Director, and even Best Picture.
As the film's producer and rights holder, Matthew knew the decision to campaign would fall on him.
However, after considering it for just two seconds, he decided against it.
The decision had nothing to do with his disdain for the Oscars and everything to do with practicality. By the time nominations were announced in late January, American Sniper's market momentum would have already peaked. The additional buzz from nominations wouldn't significantly boost its revenue.
Moreover, campaigning for the Oscars required substantial investment—millions, even tens of millions of dollars for a real shot at winning multiple major awards.
Would those expenses lead to meaningful returns?
Matthew didn't think so and saw no reason to waste resources on such a gamble.
Besides, Michael Fassbender had already told him he was gunning for the Best Actor award with Steve Jobs. Matthew wasn't about to compete against a long-time friend.
By the end of its opening weekend, American Sniper had delivered a stunning performance at the North American box office.
In just three days, the film grossed $136.9 million from over 4,000 theaters, setting a new record for an R-rated film's opening weekend.
As Matthew put it, American audiences were overflowing with patriotism.
The film's achievements were nothing short of miraculous, driven primarily by a surge of national pride among viewers.
Its record-breaking performance included:
- Setting new records for the highest-grossing Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and opening weekend in September.
- Breaking the opening weekend record for R-rated films.
- Breaking the opening weekend record for war films.
- Becoming Clint Eastwood's highest-grossing opening weekend as a director, and with just three days of release, it had already climbed to the second-highest-grossing film in his career, poised to surpass Gran Torino's $148 million within days.
Remarkably, all these milestones were achieved without the benefit of 3D ticket pricing.
Matthew was fully aware that much of the film's success could be attributed to Chris Kyle himself.
During his ten years in the Navy SEALs, Kyle had 255 confirmed kills—166 officially acknowledged by the Pentagon—making him the most lethal sniper in U.S. history.
The memoir American Sniper, which Matthew had heavily promoted, became a New York Times bestseller.
Despite some controversy surrounding Kyle, American Sniper demonstrated one undeniable truth: stories about national heroes resonate deeply with audiences.
Even in North America, audiences were willing to embrace patriotic narratives.
One online comment perfectly captured the sentiment:
"Everyone expected this movie to be a blockbuster, but nobody expected it to explode like this."
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