Zero Dark Thirty was the top draw in the US and Canada this weekend, taking an estimated $24m in its first three days on wide release.
Kathryn Bigelow's film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, which had a limited cinema run last month, was last week nominated for five Academy Awards.
Its leading lady, Jessica Chastain, was crowned best actress in a drama at the Golden Globes on Sunday.
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But Bigelow's follow-up to her Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker has been the subject of much controversy in the US, with critics attacking its depiction of aggressive interrogation methods.
US politicians have criticised the hint that torture may have played a part in discovering Bin Laden's location.
