Michael Moore has Mixed Thoughts on 'American Sniper'; Seth Rogen Slams Film as Propaganda

So what did you think of American Sniper? After the film made $90M over the weekend and gained a number of Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for star Bradley Cooper, it stands to reason the film has a lot of supporters. While some may take issue with the questionable portrayal of Chris Kyle (I most certainly have problems with it), some have a more specific problem. Famed documentarian Michael Moore hit Twitter to say that he was taught all snipers were cowards...

My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 18, 2015

But if you're on the roof of your home defending it from invaders who've come 7K miles, you are not a sniper, u are brave, u are a neighbor.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 19, 2015

It's important to note that Moore wasn't commenting on the film itself, but by the depiction of Kyle as a war hero. Questions about some of Kyle's claims (many have been proven to be bogus) and the movie's seemingly pro-military stance have dogged the release, but obviously didn't deter audiences. But for all of Moore's comments, his feelings on the movie are considerably more positive. He hit Facebook to elaborate on his thoughts...

Moore: "Awesome performance from Bradley Cooper. One of the best of the year. Great editing. Costumes, hair, makeup superb!"

But he wasn't without criticism, taking time to single out Clint Eastwood's confusing direction, although I think the blame really lies with screenwriter Jason Dean Hall...

Moore:  "Oh... and too bad Clint gets Vietnam and Iraq confused in his storytelling. And that he has his characters calling Iraqis "savages" throughout the film."

Meanwhile, Seth Rogen took time out from his own controversies to take a swipe at American Sniper, tweeting that it reminded him of the pro-Nazi propaganda movie during Inglourious Basterds. Ouch.

American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 18, 2015

Given the number of heated emails I've received it's clear people have a lot to say about American Sniper. Do you feel it's accurate? Pro or anti-war propaganda? Let us know what you think.

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Box Office: 'American Sniper' Shoots Down January Record with $90.2M

1. American Sniper- $90.2M/$93.6M
Reservations about the film and its somewhat controversial depiction of lethal sniper Chris Kyle aside, Clint Eastwood's American Sniper destroyed the January records with $90.2M. The film, which stars Bradley Cooper in a performance that is earning him a great amount of Oscars buzz, had been performing extraordinarily well in limited release for three weeks, but nobody could have foreseen an expansion like this. It not only surpasses Ride Along as the top-grossing January film, but is well on the way to becoming Eastwood's highest-grossing movie of his legendary filmmaking career. Military films have had a rough go about it over the last few years but we've seen that recently that starpower can be enough to trump that. Brad Pitt helped lead Fury to a solid $85M domestically ($201M worldwide), and Bradley Cooper's gruff but emotional turn in American Sniper was clearly a big draw, aided by some truly great TV spots.
2. The Wedding Ringer- $21M
It's another solid early-season comedy for the reliable Kevin Hart as buddy comedy The Wedding Ringer opened with $21M. That's a pretty steep drop from last year's Ride Along (which just lost its January record to American Sniper), but it also doesn't have the benefit of Ice Cube in a supporting role. Nothing against Josh Gad but he's no Ice Cube. The $23M production should finish up as another mid-level hit for Hart, and bodes well for his next film Get Hard opposite Will Ferrell. Expect that one to do much better.
3. Paddington- $19.2M
The Weinstein Company has to consider the $19.2M debut of Paddington sweeter than a marmalade sandwich. The CGI/Live-Action film has been earning some terrific reviews, and deservedly so, both in the US and abroad, having earned $141M worldwide already. It also makes for the most successful Nicole Kidman film in what seems like forever. Remember when she was relevant? Anyway, it looks like moving Paddington from its prior Christmas Day slot was a smart choice as it now becomes the first hit family film of 2015.
4. Taken 3- $14M/$62.8M
Last week's champ Taken 3 took a shot to the body and fell 64% in its second weekend, on the way to $14M and $62.8M domestic. But this franchise, which is apparently wrapping up now (yeah right), has done the most damage overseas. The film has gained an additional $64M internationally and should be enough to keep 20th Century Fox plenty happy.
5. Selma- $8.3M/$25.9M
Here's the thing about getting an Oscar bump: a film has to earn enough Oscar nominations to warrant one. Unfortunately, Ava DuVernay's Selma was largely snubbed by the Academy Awards this week, even though it still got slotted for Best Picture. The controversy surrounding that may be enough to propel it further down the line, but for now the film is bumping along at an underwhelming level. Fortunately, the $20M production has already made back back its budget and should see a bump over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
6. The Imitation Game- $7.1M/$50.7M
7. Into the Woods- $6.5M/$114.2M
8. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $4.8M/$244.5M
9. Unbroken- $4.2M/$108.6M
10. Blackhat- $4M
And the first flop of 2015 goes to Michael Mann's techno-thriller Blackhat, which stars Chris Hemsworth as a brawny computer hacker. Apparently nobody wants to watch Thor jabbing away at a keyboard for two hours, and Mann's long since lost his cred as a box office draw. The film does have an international flavor and could perform better internationally, but that is something we'll have to wait and find out. 

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Review: 'American Sniper' starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller

At what point does a Hollywood biopic delve so far into dramatization that the subject is completely lost? It's a delicate balance that is weighed frequently, and we've seen movies like Selma and Unbroken deal with the issue in different ways. One can either strip away the gloss to reveal the human core, which is what Selma does; or go Angelina Jolie's path and pump up the theatricality of an extraordinary life. But Clint Eastwood has something different to tangle with in American Sniper, which is based on the life of Chris Kyle, recognized as the most lethal marksman in military history. The film is taken from Kyle's own book, which details his multiple tours of duty in Iraq and the exploits that made him enemy #1 to insurgents. It's also one giant pat on the back; a self-congratulatory screed about how awesome Kyle sees himself. The book is also packed full of so many falsehoods that the adaptation can do nothing but be a fairly generic look at Kyle's life. To go any deeper would be to expose him as a fraud.

Apparently screenwriter Jason Hall, who previously wrote the terrible Ashton Kutcher flick Spread, didn't bother to look too deep into who Kyle was. Or perhaps he did, and that's why none of his lies are in the movie.  He's claimed a number of things that have been proven to be completely phony; from gunning down looters in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina to finding material for WMD in Iraq. With so many lies to his name it's a wonder anybody believes in his rep as such a lethal sniper, a claim which is mainly verified by the shooter himself. Without his reputation there's little that makes Kyle's story any different from every other modern story about war and the plight of soldiers returning home to find they no longer fit in normal society or with their families. Those who care will find it tough to reconcile the Kyle in the movie with the reality; others will find it a familiar, occasionally moving, but ultimately directionless peek through the crosshairs at the personal costs of war.

Bulked up and with a thick scruff of facial hair, the gleaming Bradley Cooper is barely recognizable as Kyle. Behind a thick Texas drawl we're introduced to the marksman as he peers through the scope at a suspicious Iraqi woman who has just handed something that looks like a bomb to a child. If he takes the shot and is wrong he'll be crucified for it; but the alternative is just as bad. Does he shoot? The wait is tense, excruciatingly so. Unfortunately it's at that moment we're taken into a flashback to Kyle's childhood hunting bucks with his father and revealing his "gift" for shooting. Later, Kyle has a brief stint in the rodeo before news reports of a terrorist attack drive him to enlist as a SEAL.  A sense of duty was something Kyle had in spades, but through the grind of SEAL training he found camaraderie, loyalty, and the need to protect his brothers-in-arms.

Okay, so now he's a soldier, but what's the movie about beyond him just gunning people down? Not long after training he meets the beautiful Taya (Sienna Miller, stuck in an endless string of "wife" roles) in a bar. They hit it off even though she's against dating self-involved soldiers. He takes offense to her comments but wins her over with his surprisingly disarming charm. They get married soon after, only to have the reception interrupted by "the call" that he's being deployed to Iraq.

There's the emotional hook we'd been waiting for. Every deployment seems to unravel Kyle a little bit further. The best scenes are the ones you'd expect from Eastwood and they mostly involve just Kyle alone with his rifle peering through the scope making life and death decisions. He's not portrayed as some glory hound or adrenaline junkie, he sees killing as simply a patriotic duty that needs to be fulfilled. But the toll on him is great, and each trip back seems to widen the emotional distance with Taya.  The problem is that she never really registers as a full character in contrast to Kyle. She gets pregnant, has a couple of kids with Kyle, but that's it. In one tremendously overdone and ridiculous moment, she's screaming with joy about having a baby while he's getting shot at on the other end of the line. And yeah, she's basically wailing in the front of the hospital while he's trying to duck for cover. That level of unbelievable histrionics happens far too often in the homestead scenes.

It's been awhile since Eastwood has made a true action movie but the intensity and immersive nature of the war scenes show he's still got what it takes. There's nothing flashy about most of it; a scope, the shattering bang of a shot, and the brutal consequences. Eastwood has been dabbling in dramas and musicals for far too long and he seems to revel in the chance to get dirty again. A crazy battle in the midst of a raging sandstorm is one of Eastwood's most impressive visual sequences ever. He should do more of it. Problems arise with the creation of a fictional rival for Kyle, an Iraqi marksman who leaps across rooftops like a cat and snipes American soldiers with ease. He's there to help give the film more purpose than it actually has, but his presence doesn't really make sense. It always feels shoe-horned in and that's because it was. American Sniper needs the help; it needs the boost of a made-up villain because ultimately it doesn't seem to be about much. The family scenes don't carry the weight needed to balance out the war scenes and truly reflect the price Kyle paid in service to his country. And without that, what's the point of this film? Is it to portray Kyle as a great war hero and stone-cold killer? The kind of guy who wrote in his book that the only thing he regrets is not killing more? The reality is that American Sniper has its own patriotic duty, and that's to sand down the edges of who Chris Kyle was. Doesn't make for the most interesting character to follow, and it prevents us from truly learning about the man or the truth about the effects war had on him. Perhaps it was dealing so much death and getting praised for it that transformed Kyle into the man he turned out to be, but American Sniper isn’t interested in exploring any of that.

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*TONIGHT* Free Advance Screening of 'American Sniper' starring Bradley Cooper

We're offering our DC readers a chance to attend tonight's free advance screening of Clint Eastwood's acclaimed drama, American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper! The film is based on the autobiography of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in military history. The screening takes place tonight, January 12th, at AMC Mazza Gallerie at 7pm.

To attend, simply use the Gofobo link here, register for an account, and download one Admit-Two pass to the screening. Remember these screenings are first come, first served and you will want to arrive at the theater at least 60 minutes early.

Enjoy the show! American Sniper opens in DC theaters on January 16th.

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Box Office: 'Taken 3' Steals #1 with $40M; 'Selma' Opens with $11M

1. Taken 3- $40.4M
There was never any doubt that Taken 3 would be the first big hit of 2015. Of course that would be the case, and it's largely why these badly-reviewed movies keep opening when they do. Hyped as the final time for Liam Neeson to show off his "particular set of skills" as Bryan Mills, the film $40.4M opening is extraordinary given the poor response to Taken 2, which opened with $49M back in 2012 and ended up with $376M worldwide. These films have always had a strong international following and chances are Taken 3 will as well, and when all the numbers are added up it's going to be hard for Europa and 20th Century Fox to shut this franchise down no matter how much it needs to end.
2. Selma- $11.2M
After a modest Christmas Day debut to qualify for the Oscars, Ava DuVernay's Selma expanded to over 2000 theaters and earned a solid $11.2M. That's not bad given the $20M budget for the civil rights drama which centers on Martin Luther King's march for voting rights back in 1965. The film has had incredible word of mouth and a ton of Oscar buzz, and there seems to be a genuine movement to get people out to see it. For one thing, many people are pushing for DuVernay to succeed where so many other indie directors have failed when given the reigns to high-profile projects. While there has been some push back on some of the portrayals in the film that probably won't hurt its momentum. On the other hand Selma isn't quite the easy sell as last year's The Butler which had a marketable cast and could be positioned as less depressing than 12 Years a Slave.
3.Into the Woods- $9.7M/$105.2M
4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $9.4M/$236.5M
5. Unbroken- $8.3M/$101.6M
6. The Imitation Game- $7.6M/$40.8M
7. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb- $6.7M/$99.5M
8. Annie- $4.9M/$79.4M
9. The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death- $4.8M/$22.3M
10.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $3.7M/$329.5M

For an indication just how jam-packed the Oscar season can get, and how beneficial awards buzz can be, just take a look at the movie's on the bottom end of the scale. Reese Witherspoon's Wild continues to perform well with another $2.7M and $30.3M total; and American Sniper brought in another $555K in only four locations for a $3.1M haul before going wide release next week. Also debuting was Paul Thomas Anderson's druggie detective comedy Inherent Vice, which expanded and brought in $2.9M for a $4.8M total. Let's face it, Anderson's movies have never been big sellers (The Master only made $28M worldwide) and Inherent Vice comes with its own challenges such as the R-rating, genre, and '70s setting.

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Box Office: Strong Debuts by 'Unbroken' and 'Into the Woods' can't Topple 'The Hobbit 3'

1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $41.4M/$168.5M
Turns out audiences haven't grown bored of Middle Earth quite yet. Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies dominated the 5-day Christmas holiday with $54M overall, $41M over the weekend. Overall it will have passed the $500M worldwide mark probably by tomorrow, and when all is said and done it should be right up there with Guardians of the Galaxy as the top earners of the year.
2. Unbroken- $31.7M/$47.3M
Angelina Jolie's sophomore directorial effort, Unbroken, got off to the kind of powerhouse opening Academy voters will love with $47M over the holiday. The film, which stars breakout actor Jack O'Connell as Olympian and WWII hero Louis Zamperini, was built for this time of season and it showed. In an extremely crowded week, its $47M debut counts as the third best ever for Christmas week. Jolie's name was pretty much what the movie was promoted on, not that she spends a single moment in front of the camera, and clearly she turned out to be just as much of a draw as the inspiring true story being told.
3. Into the Woods- $31M/$46.1M
Disney's star-studded musical Into the Woods nearly sang its way past Jolie but just fell short with $46M over the 5-day week. The film boasts more superstars than anything in theaters right now with Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, and more as iconic fairy tale characters. Does this count as a much-needed win for Depp, who has had four flops in a row? Probably not. He only appears in the film for a hot second as the Big Bad Wolf, and this one was all about the ensemble, anyway. Sorry, Depp. Better look forward to Mortdecai (which looks awful) for Depp's next chance to rebound. Anyway, it's a big win for Disney and a good month for musicals overall with the Annie remake also performing well. More on that later.
4. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb- $20.6M/$55.3M
Showing why so many family-friendly movies open around Christmas, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb bounded 20% from last week for $20.6M. Considering the mediocre start from last week this makes things look somewhat better.
5. Annie- $16.6M/$45.8M
And continuing to sing its way to our hearts is Annie, the hip-hop remake starring Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis, and Cameron Diaz. It didn't seem to be fazed by having another high-profile musical like Into the Woods opening, as the film earned $16.6M, nearly 5% up from last week.
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $10M/$306.6M
7. The Gambler- $9.3M/$14.3M
A Mark Wahlberg-led remake of a 1974 James Caan film few remember? The Gambler was always going to have a tough go of it, especially this time of year with audiences looking for something relatively harmless, but the film still managed to perform well with $14M over the holiday. Once eyed as a potential Oscar contender, The Gambler probably won't meet those expectations, but the $25M flick has a solid performance by Wahlberg that has gained it some solid word of mouth. It's a good film, worth checking out if you can get away from the kiddies.
8. The Imitation Game- $7.9M/$14.6M
Booming to over 740 theaters, an increase of 800%(!!!), The Imitation Game is clearly being positioned as a Best Picture frontrunner. This is pretty much how things went with The King's Speech a few years ago, rolling out small in November before going huge a month later. We'll see if Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley can bring the story of heroic mathematician Alan Turing some gold.
9. Exodus: Gods and Kings- $6.75M/$52.5M
10. Wild- $5.4M/$16.3M

Told you this was a crowded week. There were a number of major films that had tiny platform releases worth mentioning. Ava DuVernay's MLK Jr. drama Selma opened in 19 sites for $912K, which isn't bad at all for a film many (like me) perceive as the best of the year. It will expand in a few weeks. Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper's American Sniper, in which Cooper gains a Texas accent and mad sharpshooting skills, got off to an incredible start with $610K at only 4 locations. That's another one many are looking at as an Oscar candidate, both for Eastwood and Cooper.

Tim Burton's art world dramedy Big Eyes earned $4.4M over the 5-day holiday, opening in just over 1300 theaters. That's pretty small by Burton standards, but consider that it was only supposed to get a small Christmas release by Sony until they were forced to scramble after the whole fiasco with The Interview.

Speaking of which, The Interview did $2.85M of business in its 331 locations. Of course the film also opened on VOD, and we won't have those numbers for awhile, but no matter what Sony is going to eat it big time on this one. If they had just left well enough alone and kept it in the original number of theaters (likely 3000 or more) it probably would have made back the $40M+ production budget. Now it doesn't have a prayer, not even when the Blu-Ray release hits.

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New Trailer for Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper' starring Bradley Cooper

The story of Chris Kyle is one that sees him begin as an ordinary man who entered the military to serve his country, but went on to be far more than just another soldier in the war on terror. Kyle went on to become the most lethal sharpshooter in American military history, and his story is getting the big screen treatment courtesy of Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper in the potential Oscar contender, American Sniper.

Cooper, sporting a thick beard to go with his Texas drawl and attitude, plays Kyle as he deals with the consequences of being the deadliest sniper on the battlefield. Not only does he become a wanted man with a bounty on his head by Iraqi insurgents, but he also finds life difficult back home with his family. It's the kind of story we've seen before (Fort Bliss had a similar dynamic earlier this year) although this one has the weight of Kyle's real life exploits behind it. Whether you're killing for personal defense or national security, all of that death takes a mental toll few can handle.

Also starring Sienna Miller, American Sniper opens in limited release on Christmas Day, expanding January 16th 2015.

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First Trailer for Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper' starring Bradley Cooper

Let's not hand any Best Actor awards to Benedict Cumberbatch just yet. While it's easy to start handicapping the films that have already been seen during the season's festivals, there are a handful of others yet to make an appearance that could be factors. One of those is American Sniper, which stars Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the best military sniper in history.

The first trailer has been released for the film based on Kyle's memoir, which Cooper scooped the rights to a couple of years back. Clint Eastwood came aboard more recently after Steven Spielberg dropped out, and at least judging by this footage he and Cooper seem to be doing the soldier's story justice. Over the course of his 10-year career Kyle scored more than 150 confirmed kills, earning him the admiration of his peers and a bounty on his head by Iraqi insurgents.

Cooper has put his heart and soul into this one to do right by Kyle's memory (he died in 2013), and we'll see how he fared when American Sniper opens Christmas Day, expanding January 16th 2015.


American Sniper TRAILER 1 (2015) - Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller Movie HD by MOVIES Coming Soon

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First Images of Bradley Cooper as Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper'

Bradley Cooper has long been drawn to the story the military's greatest sniper, Chris Kyle. He optioned the rights to his book, American Sniper, a couple of years ago and began seeking top notch directors to do the story justice. Steven Spielberg once counted it amongst his wealth of potential projects, but it was Clint Eastwood who ultimately took the job. In the meantime, Kyle was tragically killed while trying to help a troubled soldier at a shooting range. That kind of thing brings a heavy burden to the film, which USA Today has now released the first images of.

Cooper spoke about the added responsibility he felt doing justice to Kyle's life and career....

Cooper: "I had to do right by him and his family, there was really no choice. You're sitting across the dining-room table talking to this person's father and mother. And his children and wife are there. And he's passed away. Knowing that they are putting all of their stories in your hands and the responsibly of that, it's actually unique."

The Texas-born Kyle was America's deadliest sniper, with more than 150 confirmed kills during his Navy SEAL career. He was so deadly that he became known as "The Legend" amongst his peers, and Iraqi insurgents wanted him dead so bad they placed a bounty on his head. American Sniper co-stars Sienna Miller, Cory Hardrict, Kyle Gallner, and Luke Grimes, opening on Christmas Day when it's expected to be a major awards player.

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Joel Edgerton gets 'Life'; Sienna Miller Targets 'American Sniper'; Ciaran Hinds Joins 'Agent 47'

* Anton Corbijn is putting together an awesome cast for Life, landing Joel Edgerton to join Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan. The film tracks the friendship between James Dean (Pattinson) and Magnum photographer Dennis Stock, the man behind many of Dean's most iconic images. Edgerton will play editor John Morris, who brokered the deal with Life magazine for the photos. [Variety]

* Bradley Cooper finally has a co-star for American Sniper, the adaptation of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's autobiography directed by Clint Eastwood. Sienna Miller (Factory Girl) is in talks to play Kyle's wife, who must watch over their family while he's overseas serving. Kyle was the most lethal sniper in military, scoring the most confirmed kills over his 10-year career. Miller beat out Evangeline Lily, Kate Mara, and Jaimie Alexander for the role, all of whom have upcoming franchise commitments in superhero movies. [TheWrap]

* The Hitman reboot, titled Agent 47, has just landed Ciaran Hinds (Munich) for an undisclosed role. Rupert Friend will play the bald and bar-coded assassin, joined by Zachary Quinto, Hannah Ware, Thomas Kretschmann and Dan Bakkedahl. Aleksander Bach is currently shooting the film in Berlin. All we know about Hinds' mysterious role is that it involves a major event involving a scientist. That suggests it could have something to do with the genetic engineering that gives Agent 47 the skills of the world's greatest criminals.  [THR]

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Clint Eastwood to Replace Steven Spielberg on 'American Sniper'

One really has to give it up to Bradley Cooper, not just for reinventing himself as a serious actor, but for working with some of the best directors around to help make it happen. The list of auteurs he's teamed up with of late has been mighty impressive, and it was set to get even better when Steven Spielberg came aboard to helm American Sniper, which Cooper is producing and will star in. The picky (read: flaky) Spielberg dropped out last month, and now it appears another legend may be stepping in to take his place.

According to Twitch, Clint Eastwood has "gotten the nod" to replace Spielberg on the film, an adaptation of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's memoir about his career as the most successful sniper in military history, leading to Iraqi insurgents placing a bounty on his head. Eastwood certainly knows his way around the genre, just as Spielberg did, but the two aren't remotely the same as filmmakers. One of the reasons Spielberg departed was a dispute over the budget, a concern that Eastwood has rarely had to deal with because he keeps things minimal for the most part.

Assuming everything comes together, production will likely begin after Eastwood wraps up his Jersey Boys musical, and when Cooper finishes Cameron Crowe's upcoming comedy.

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Steven Spielberg Exits 'American Sniper'

It was expected that Steven Spielberg would follow up Lincoln with the sci-fi adaptation, Robopocalypse, a potential blockbuster that he had been developing for quite some time. Instead he put it on the shelf and chose instead to direct American Sniper, based on a book Bradley Cooper picked up the rights to with plans of starring. The film seemed to be moving fast with red hot writer Jason Dean Hall penning the script, but now it's basically starting over as Spielberg has dropped out.

Deadline reports that not only has Spielberg exited the project, but he's taking Dreamworks with him. The plan had been for it to be a co-production between Dreamworks and Warner Bros., but now another backer will have to be sought. Creative conflicts are said to be the cause for Spielberg's departure, as he was unable to square his vision with the budget. Based on the autobiography by late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the story follows his 10-year career as the greatest sniper in military history, with Iraqi insurgents placing a sizable bounty on his head. Cooper is producing and will play Kyle, although it's unknown if the script will include the soldier's death earlier this year.

The search for a new director is on, and it wouldn't be surprising if Cooper gave his buddy David O. Russell first crack at it.

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Steven Spielberg will direct 'American Sniper' starring Bradley Cooper

When Steven Spielberg put his adaptation of Robopocalypse on hold, it was with the expectation that he would work on the script then get back to it after awhile. But that's looking to be a ways off in the distance, as he's signed up to direct American Sniper, making it the next project on his slate.

Starring Bradley Cooper, who picked up the rights and will serve as a producer, the film is based on the autobiography by the late Chris Kyle, the most proficient sniper in American military history, scoring more kills over his ten-year career than anyone. He was so effective that Iraqi terrorists placed a sizable bounty on his head. It's unclear if the script by Jason Dean Hall (Spread) will reflect Kyle's recent death, as he was killed at a gun range by a fellow veteran he was trying to help deal with his PTSD.

Cooper became the latest name to drop out of western Jane Got a Gun, and is still wrapping up American Hustle for David O. Russell. But clearly, American Sniper is a film he holds very dear, and he's probably ecstatic over having the opportunity to work with Spielberg on it. Production is slated to begin early next year.

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