'Avengers: Endgame' breaks all-time box office record

Agencies
July 22, 2019

Los Angeles, Jul 22: Superhero blockbuster Avengers: Endgame has officially become the biggest movie of all time, Disney confirmed Sunday, ending the 10-year reign of James Cameron's Avatar atop the global box office.

The epic finale to Disney-owned Marvel's 22-movie 'Infinity Saga' story-arc took in an estimated $1.5 million at home and abroad in its 13th weekend to bring its total since its April 26 release to $2.7902 billion.

Avatar, released in 2009, made $2.7897 billion, including its original theatrical run and various re-releases.

Marvel Studios and its parent company pre-empted the announcement on Saturday, revealing that Endgame was just $500,000 behind as of Friday, and would "close this gap by tomorrow."

The coronation of Endgame was timed to coincide with the appearance of Marvel president Kevin Feige at San Diego Comic-Con, the world's biggest pop culture fan convention.

"You have to shout out to James Cameron, who held that title for a long time," Feige said.

"If you adjust for inflation he still holds the title, and he'll probably get the title again as soon as he puts out another movie. But for right now... Avengers: Endgame is the biggest film of all time."

Both films are now owned by Disney following its takeover of 21st Century Fox.

Endgame drew a sky-high 94 per cent rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website and features a star-studded cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper and Josh Brolin.

The fourth chapter in the team-up adventures of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and company cost around $500 million to make, including marketing costs.

It set a new standard for Hollywood blockbusters in its opening weekend with stunning hauls of $357 million in North America and $1.2 billion worldwide.

Packed with spectacular fight scenes, special effects, gags and tear-jerking moments, it almost doubled the previous world record opening weekend take held by its predecessor, Avengers: Infinity War.

Among the many other superlatives thrown in Marvel's direction, Endgame was the widest release in North American history, showing on 4,662 screens in the US and Canada.

Disney co-chairman Alan Horn thanked "fans around the world who lifted Avengers: Endgame to these historic heights."

"Of course, even with the passage of a decade, the impact of James Cameron's Avatar remains as powerful as ever, and the astonishing achievements of both of these films are ongoing proof of the power of movies," he added.

Back on Earth, the roar of The Lion King rattled the cinematic world as the new Disney film scored a huge debut in North American theatres with an estimated $185 million for the three-day weekend, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.

The Lion King, director Jon Favreau's update of the classic 1994 animated film, notched the biggest domestic launch ever for a PG-rated film, and an all-time record for a July release, the Hollywood Reporter said. Worldwide, the movie has passed the half-billion-dollar mark.

The film employs hyper-realistic computer-generated images and has a voice cast including Donald Glover as Simba and Beyonce as Nala, as well as Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor and James Earl Jones.

Well back in second place was Sony's Spider-Man: Far From Home at $21 million. The latest instalment in the blockbuster franchise picks up where Avengers: Endgame left off, with Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man atop a cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal -- and Favreau.

In third was Toy Story 4, taking in $14.6 million in its fifth week out while the fourth spot went to Paramount's Crawl, at $6 million.

The disaster thriller tells the story of a father and daughter (Barry Pepper and Kaya Scodelario) battling hungry gators after a hurricane hits their Florida town.

And in fifth was Universal's Yesterday, at $5.1 million. The sweet comedy is based on the entertaining if fantastic premise of a struggling musician (Himesh Patel) suddenly becoming one of the only people on Earth who remembers the Beatles.

Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were:

Stuber ($4 million)

Aladdin ($3.8 million)

Annabelle Comes Home ($2.7 million)

Midsommar ($1.6 million)

The Secret Life of Pets 2 ($1.5 million)

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News Network
June 30,2020

Mumbai, Jun 30: Actor Aamir Khan on Tuesday issued a statement and confirmed that some of his staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, while the rest of his family members have tested negative.

Khan also announced that he was taking his mother for a COVID-19 test and urged his fans to pray for her test to come out as negative.

The '3 Idiots' star put out the statement on Instagram and said, "This is to inform you that some of my staff have tested positive. They were immediately quarantined, and BMC officials were very prompt and efficient in taking them to a medical facility."

Thanking the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for their precautionary steps, he added, "I would like to thank the BMC for taking such good care of them, and for fumigating and sterilising the entire society."

Informing about the health of his family members, the 'Thugs of Hindostan' actor added, "The rest of us have all been tested and found negative," and informed that, "Right now I am taking my mother to get her tested. She is the last person in the loop. Please pray that she is negative."

Thanking the BMC, and hospital authorities for their swift prompt, he added, "I would, once again, like to thank the BMC for the prompt, professional and caring manner in which they helped us. And a big thank you to Kokilaben Hospital and the doctors, nurses and staff there. They were very caring and professional with the testing process."

Aamir also urged his fans to be safe amid the coronavirus outbreak.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Washington, Mar 23: Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, US media reported Sunday.

Harvey Weinstein, 68, is in prison in northern New York state after being sentenced to 23 years in jail for rape and sexual assault.

The fallen film producer's diagnosis was first reported Sunday evening by local paper the Niagara Gazette.

Harvey Weinstein's spokespeople have declined to comment to US media on the subject.

The New York state Department of Corrections did not respond when contacted by AFP for confirmation of the reports.

Harvey Weinstein was transferred Wednesday to a prison near Buffalo, 350 miles (560 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

Prior to his transfer, he stayed at Rikers Island prison and a Manhattan hospital, where he was treated for chest pains.

Crowded US prisons have the potential to become hotbeds for coronavirus infections. Last week, guards at Rikers and New York's Sing Sing prison tested positive for the virus, local media reported.

As of Sunday, the virus has killed 417 people in the US out of more than 33,000 cases, according to a tracker managed by Johns Hopkins University.

Harvey Weinstein was convicted in February of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, while being cleared of predatory sexual assault charges.

He was convicted of raping ex-actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and of forcibly performing oral sex on former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006.

Nearly 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, have leveled sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of "Shakespeare in Love" and numerous other critical and box office hits.

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News Network
June 20,2020

Washington, Jun 20: American actor Angelina Jolie has now opened up about her 2016 divorce announcement with Brad Pitt, which shocked fans.

Fox News said the 45-year-old Jolie opened up about leaving the father of her six kids,18-year-old Maddox, 16-year-old Pax, 15-year-old Zahara, 12-year-old, Shiloh, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

"I separated for the well-being of my family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing," the Oscar-winning star told Vogue India magazine.

The 'Maleficent' star added, "Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds. In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people."

Since 2004, Pitt and Jolie were together but only married in August 2014 at their estate in France.

The 'Mr and Mrs Smith' star previously told Harper's Bazaar magazine how the last few years have been physically, emotionally and mentally turbulent for her.

"My body has been through a lot over the past decade, particularly the past four years, and I have both the visible and invisible scars to show for it," Jolie said.

"The invisible ones are harder to wrestle with. Life takes many turns. Sometimes you get hurt, you see those you love in pain, and you can't be as free and open as your spirit desires. It's not new or old, but I do feel the blood returning to my body," she added.

Besides her marriage ending on the public stage, Jolie underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013 followed by breast reconstruction after testing positive for the BRCA gene. In 2015, the actor 'Girl, Interrupted' star also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.

She admitted it has taken a while for her to feel like her old self. She said, "The part of us that is free, wild, open, curious can get shut down by life. By pain or by harm."

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