Oscars: Momentum Builds For American Sniper

Momentum for American Sniper is building in the US ahead of the Oscars ceremony.

For weeks, most people have thought the battle for Best Picture was a dead heat between Boyhood and Birdman.

But there's a growing feeling that Academy voters might have voted for the Clint Eastwood film due to its cultural impact.

While the movie has split the critics, it has proved to be a hit with the public.

It has already taken over $300m at the box office - slightly more than the other seven nominees combined.

Los Angeles is plastered with billboards for the Bradley Cooper film, and the studio behind it, Warner Bros has even set up an exhibit on its studio lot in Burbank.

VIP tour guide John says the fact that the film is based on real life US sniper Chris Kyle means they have had to get the display completely spot on.

"When you're doing movies like this, so much research goes into it - you want to make sure you do the person justice," he said.

The display is part of an Oscars exhibit that displays props from other Warner winners in the past - including Casablanca and My Fair Lady.

Oscar nominee Michael Keaton's Batman suit is also on display, and John admits that stars come onto the lot to look at their own collections.

Christian Bale recently came to look at all of his Batman suits on display in the Warner Bros museum.

The clamour to get close to the movies in LA isn't reserved just for the big studio tours.

Memorabilia is a big deal across the city.

The Hollywood Museum, which is a stones throw from the Dolby Theatre, has also put on an exhibition featuring props from Oscar-nominated films.

They include Steve Carrell's jacket from Foxcatcher, Ellar Coltrane's trainers from Boyhood as well as the model of The Grand Budapest Hotel that was used in the movie.

The museum's curator Steve Nycklemoe says part of the problem with displaying props is that they were built to look good on screen, not to last.

"Sometimes props are just made for the movies and they are incredibly delicate," he said.

"We handle everything with care and throughout this museum, there's a hundred years of things from the movies - including going all the way back to Charlie Chaplin days."