Clint Eastwood says he doesn't hold a grudge against Michael Moore and never threatened to kill the filmmaker and activist after his criticism of American Sniper. In fact, Eastwood told a CinemaCon audience on Wednesday that Moore's criticism helped the film's record-breaking box office success.

American SniperBradley Cooper starred as Chris Kyle in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper

"Everyone keeps saying I threatened to kill Michael Moore. That's not true," said Eastwood, before joking, "It isn't a bad idea."

"He was just expressing an opinion," said Eastwood of Moore's criticism.

In a Facebook post in January, Moore said that 10 years prior to American Sniper, Eastwood "stood in front of the National Board of Review awards dinner and announced to me and to the crowd that he would 'kill' me if I ever came to his house with my camera for an interview. 'I'll kill you,' he declared."

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In the same Facebook post, Moore called American Sniper "a mess of a film that rewrites history."

American Sniper, which starred Bradley Cooper as the U.S's most celebrated sniper Chris Kyle, took $541 million worldwide and Eastwood said Moore's criticism did the film no harm.

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"The right things kept happening. The right people complained about it," said the director, "People ask me, 'What do you think of Michael Moore saying all this stuff?' I said he's probably right. That's his opinion and he's welcome to it."

"I'm all for everyone, whatever people's attitudes are. That's what's great about this country. You can think what you want. No one has to agree with you."

Eastwood was honoured at the Legend of Cinema luncheon at CinemaCon and was presented with the moviegoer-generated Fandango Fan Choice Award.

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