'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
May 14,2020

Mumbai, Mar 14: Animal Planet has announced a new documentary "The Zoo: COVID-19 And Animals", which seeks to explore the effects of coronavirus on animals.

The special will see Dave Salmoni, Animal Planet’s big cat expert, talking to a number of experts, from the World Health Organization to wildlife biologists, in order to find out how COVID-19 is affecting animals and what pet owners can do to safeguard them.

The issue came to forefront when a four-year-old Malayan tiger tested positive for COVID-19 at Bronx Zoo in New York.

The documentary will feature chief veterinarian of Bronx Zoo, who will give an update on the big cats and their treatment, and also Dr Peter Embarek from WHO's COVID-19 Task Force, who works particularly on all aspects of the virus related to animals.

In a statement, Salmoni said, "When news about Nadia the tiger came out the questions immediately began; what about my pets? How do I keep my animals and family safe? We’re going to answer these questions and more through this documentary."

"We're speaking to a wide range of experts from the World Health Organization, to wildlife biologists, to veterinarians. We are at war with this disease and so we get down to the nitty-gritty, and discuss practical questions about daily lives with our pets," he added.

Sai Abishek, Director – Content, Factual & Lifestyle Entertainment – South Asia, Discovery, said, "We have been the forefront of busting myths around novel coronavirus with international documentaries. With this latest film, we take a hard look at how animals are being treated during such a crisis and the safety measures that can be taken to keep both, the people and their pets healthy."

"The Zoo: COVID-19 And Animals" will premiere on May 17 on Animal Planet, Animal Planet HD and Discovery Plus app.

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News Network
May 26,2020

New Delhi, May 26: As the country celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr in the testing times of coronavirus this year, megastar Shah Rukh Khan's greetings reflected of blessings from the almighty to help the countrymen sail through the tough times.

The 54-year-old actor took to Twitter to extend Eid greetings to his fans.

"May the blessings of Allah see us through these times," he wrote in the tweet.

"In the end, it's Faith that keeps us going... Eid Mubarak to all. May He shower all with love, peace and prosperity always," Khan's tweet further read.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the conclusion of the holy month of Ramzan, which is a month of fasting and prayer for the Muslim community.

This year, Eid is being celebrated amid a nationwide lockdown imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.

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News Network
July 19,2020

New Delhi, Jul 19: Actor Deepika Padukone on Sunday confirmed the news of her teaming up with 'Baahubali' actor Prabhas for an upcoming project.

Padukone stated that she is "beyond thrilled" for her the project, which will be helmed by Nag Ashwin, who is known for delivering some hit Telugu movies.

He is known for directing the National-Award winning biopic 'Mahanati'. The forthcoming flick will be under the banner of Vyjayanthi Movies.

The 34-year-old star shared a video by the production house revealing the news, and wrote: "Beyond Thrilled! Cannot wait for what we believe is going to be an incredible journey ahead.."

In the video, the makers of the movie addressed their pride in collaborating with Deepika Padukone and Prabhas. The yet-to-be-titled movie will be the first film to see the two actors sharing the screen-space.

However, other details of the project are yet to be officially revealed.

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