Magical 'Shazam!' is weekend's box office hero - Fox News

Seven films in, the DC Extended Universe is finally flying with some wind behind its back. The well-reviewed, relatively modestly budgeted "Shazam!" debuted with $53.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, handing DC its latest critical and box-office success.

Though one of the oldest characters in DC's superhero stable, "Shazam!" doesn't boast the name-recognition of Batman or Superman. But by scaling back to a $100 million budget and going for the lighter, comic tone, "Shazam!" steadily built up its word of mouth with stellar reviews. Warner Bros. also showed the film nationwide two weeks before opening, where it made $3 million in advance screenings.

"Shazam!" came out well ahead of the weekend's other top draw, "Pet Sematary." Paramount Pictures' remake of the original 1989 Stephen King adaptation opened in a distant second with $25 million. It's a solid start for "Pet Sematary," though far from the haul that the last big-screen adaptation of King's conjured up: "It" opened with $123.4 million in 2017.

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Last week's top film, "Dumbo," slid steeply in its second week. Landing in third, the Disney live-action remake dropped 60 percent with $18.2 million.

Pitched as "'Big' meets Superman,'" "Shazam!" stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, a teenage foster kid who transforms into an adult superhero (played by Zachary Levi).

Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief at Warner Bros., said the studio originally forecast a $40 million opening. "That was the right number for us," Goldstein said. "That's what we needed to make money on it."

'DUMBO' STALLS AS FAITH-BASED FILM 'UNPLANNED' IS SURPRISE BOX OFFICE SUCCESS

But expectations grew based on reviews (91 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience reaction (an "A'' Cinemascore). The PG-13-rated film attracted an especially young crowd; 45 percent were under 25.

The result further validated DC's pivot following the disappointments of Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman" and David Ayer's "Suicide Squad." Warner Bros. has since steered its comic book adaptions in a different direction, leaning more on stand-alone entries less predicated on the overall "universe" and more fluctuating in tone.

Earlier in the week, Warner Bros. also teased the DC release "Joker," with Joaquin Phoenix, at CinemaCon. An even smaller-budgeted origin story with a similarly unique, albeit much darker, tone; it was one of the most talked-about movies at the Las Vegas event.

'WONDER WOMAN' SEQUEL PUSHED BACK TO SUMMER 2020

"'Wonder Woman' was really the start of changing the ship," Goldstein said. "When you look at each of these properties, they're all very different. Their approach is different. Their tone is different. But here's the commonality: All good movies, all well done. I think that's what you'll see out of DC is very specific approaches for that property."

Overseas, "Shazam!" grossed $102 million in 79 markets, including $30.9 million in China.

"DC has really found its groove," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. "They're really breaking out each character. Shazam and the Joker could not two more different characters within the DC Universe. But I think that diversity of content is going to serve them well."

AMBER HEARD ON 'AQUAMAN' CHARACTER MERA: 'SHE'S NOT A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS'

Dergarabedian noted the two most dominant genres in movies right now — superheroes and horror — swamped theaters, taking up four of the top five spots at the box office. The stiff competition in similar-styled holdovers could have slightly depressed results for both "Shazam!" and "Pet Sematary." But right now, there is little room on the calendar between major comic book films and horror releases.

In fourth was Jordan Peele's horror thriller "Us," which added $13.8 million in its third week. Its cumulative global total stands at $216.6 million.

Marvel's Brie Larson-led "Captain Marvel," which recently crossed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, took in $12.7 million domestically in its fifth weekend. Captain Marvel, ironically, was Shazam's original name when the character was first crafted, as a Superman knockoff, in 1939. He was relaunched in 1973 as Shazam after decades of lawsuits and the debut of Marvel's own Captain Marvel.

JORDAN PEELE'S 'US' SCARES AWAY BOX OFFICE COMPETITION

The weekend's other wide-release newcomer was STX Entertainment's "Best of Enemies," starring Taraji P. Henson as a civil rights activist and Sam Rockwell as a Ku Klux Klan leader. It opened with $4.5 million.

In limited release, Claire Denis' "High Life," starring Robert Pattinson, opened with about $100,000 in four theaters for A24.

Neon's Aretha Franklin documentary, "Amazing Grace," debuted with $96,000 in eight locations. The film, shot over two days at the New Bethel Baptist Church in the Watts section of Los Angeles in 1972, was lost for decades in part because its director, Sydney Pollack, failed to slate the images, leaving them not synced with the audio. Before her death last August, Franklin sued several times to prevent its release.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.

1. "Shazam!" $53.4 million ($102 million international).

2. "Pet Sematary," $25 million.

3. "Dumbo," $18.2 million.

4. "Us," $13.8 million.

5. "Captain Marvel," $12.7 million.

6. "The Best of Enemies," $4.5 million.

7. "Five Feet Apart," $3.7 million.

8. "Unplanned," $3.2 million.

9. "Wonder Park," $2 million.

10. "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," $2 million.

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2019-04-07 18:32:13Z
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R. Kelly delivers 28-second performance, asks media to 'take it easy' on him - Fox News

R. Kelly gave a 28-second performance and spent about half an hour more hobnobbing with fans who paid $50 to $100 to see him at a club in the Illinois capital of Springfield.

The R&B singer posted a video on his Instagram page hours before the early Sunday performance at the Dirty South Lounge. In the video, Kelly calls on the media to take it easy on him, saying he needs to perform in order to make money amid the sexual abuse case he faces.

TV stations WICS and WRSP report that about 100 people were at the 450-person-capacity club to see Kelly, who arrived at 1:30 a.m. There was a $100 entrance fee, which was lowered to $50 once Kelly arrived.

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Kelly thanked supporters, sang a line from one of his songs for 28 seconds and spent about 35 minutes taking selfies and conversing with fans.

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The stations report that some fans said it wasn't worth the $100 and that they wouldn't pay again. Fans also said they separate the accusations from the "artist."

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2019-04-07 18:14:18Z
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Weekend Box Office Results: Shazam! Smashes Expectations with $53.5 Million Opening - Rotten Tomatoes

It certainly felt like the late ’80s this weekend at the box office. A re-adaptation of Pet Sematary (that felt more like a remake) and a superhero film with more than a few nods to Big together grossed more than $78 million. Can they ultimately match the $172 million that those films made? Or could Shazam! reach that number all by itself?

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King of the Crop: Shazam! Could be the Ant-Man of the DCEU

(Photo by @ Warner Bros. Pictures)

DC’s Shazam! led the box office with $53.45 million this weekend, on top of the $3.3 million it earned in early preview screenings. That was higher than projections. Even though that is the lowest opening in the DC Extended Universe, knocking the film for that fact would be like giving Ant-Man a hard time for not living up to the numbers of Captain America or Iron Man. Shazam! is a different beast than the mostly darker offerings from the DCEU, something that critics appear to dig. Shazam! has scored a 91% on the Tomatometer, just shy of the 92% of Wonder Woman. That is also higher than two of the Christopher Nolan Batman films – Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises – which are a universe apart from the current DC crop.

Shazam! now currently owns the ninth-best opening weekend ever in April; that will be knocked back to 10th on April 26 when Avengers: Endgame opens. Among the 10 films that had the biggest ever April openings, the low bar for ultimate totals has been set by Fast and Furious ($155 million) and 2010’s Clash of the Titans ($163.2 million). The two best multiples among April’s top 10 were earned by A Quiet Place (3.74 times its opening weekend) and 2016’s The Jungle Book (3.52). Their Tomatometer scores were both 95%. Audience word-of-mouth looks to be solid for Shazam!, which bodes well for its future. The R-rated Hellboy is unlikely to eat into the DC hit’s core audience, and if it can maintain a drop less than 45% it should be on track to earn at least $172 million, and potentially out-earn the original Ant-Man’s $180 million.

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Rotten Returns: Best Of Enemies Struggles to Find Allies 

(Photo by @ STX)

The Best of Enemies opened with $4.5 million from 1,705 theaters, representing STX Entertainment’s seventh-lowest opening per-theater-average. Critics were mixed on the the movie – it has a 52% Tomatometer score – and audiences didn’t show up in impressive numbers. STX had a better month back in January with their Weinstein Co. pickup, The Upside, which remains one of the five highest-grossing films of the year with $107 million. That was the second-best tally (behind Bad Moms) for the studio in its nearly four-year history.

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The Rest of the Top 10 and Beyond: Stephen King Continues to Draw Crowds, but Can Sematary Match the Original?

(Photo by Paramount Pictures)

A smart bit of counter-programming from Paramount Pictures saw the newest take on Stephen King’s Pet Sematary land in second place with $25 million, despite a less than stellar response from critics. The movie received glowing reviews after its premiere at the South By Southwest Film Festival, but is now just barely Fresh with 61% on the Tomatometer. That is better than the reviews for Mary Lambert’s 1989 verion of Pet Sematary (48% with 31 reviews), but without strong word-of-mouth there may now be some doubt that the new movie can reach the $57.4 million that the original film made 30 years ago. (That is about $117 million in today’s dollars.)

There seems little hope that directors Kevin Kölsch & Dennis Widmyer’s version can match those inflation numbers off of a $25 million weekend. Among eight horror films that have opened between $22 million and $26 million, only The Visit and 2005’s The Amityville Horror managed to pass $57 million. (Each actually made $65.2 million.) Another two films – the 2013’s Evil Dead and 2015’s Poltergeist – appear to be more in line with audience response and dropped a respective 63.2% and 64.4% in their second weekends. Tune in next week to see which way Pet Sematary goes.

(Photo by @ Universal)

Meanwhile, another horror film is climbing the charts of the all-timers. Jordan Peele’s Us is now ahead of 2018’s Halloween after 17 days, with $152.3 million vs. the latter film’s $150.2 million total. That’s the second-highest ever for a horror film. It also bested Halloween’s third weekend ($13.8 million to $10.8 million). Pet Sematary took some viewers away from Us this weekend but more people will still be talking about Us next week as it continues to forge a path towards $200 million. Its international total is $216.5 million.

One film not headed to $200 million – at least not on the domestic front – is Tim Burton’s Dumbo. It is the 13th film from Disney released in over 3,000 theaters to drop 60% or more in its second weekend. With $76 million after 10 days that puts Dumbo behind 1999’s Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch, and Wild Hogs on the Disney charts. The film has made an additional $137.5 million internationally for a total of $213 million to date. It is going to need more than half-a-billion to break even.

Good thing that Captain Marvel’s numbers are still looking super. Its $374 million domestic take is the 19th highest gross ever after 31 days of release. And the $12.6 million it earned this weekend is the 21st best fifth weekend ever. It is now the 37th film to cross the $1 billion mark globally (and the seventh Marvel Cinematic Universe film to do so) and it continues to climb both of those charts. This weekend it also become the 30th highest-grossing film ever.

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This Time Last Year: A Quiet Place Began Its Record-Breaking Run

(Photo by Jonny Cournoyer/Paramount)

John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place opened to $50.2 million, beginning its run towards becoming one of the biggest horror films of all time. The Universal comedy Blockers came in third with $20.5 million and the Ted Kennedy drama Chappaquiddick opened in seventh with $5.7 million. Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One was just two days away from passing $100 million domestically. That movie’s $24.6 million second weekend helped the top 10 films gross a total of $140.86 million with an average Tomatometer score of 60.9%. This year’s top 10 grossed an estimated $138.59 million and averaged 64.7% on the Tomatometer.

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On the Vine: Hellboy Offers Darker Fare, Little Riffs on Big

(Photo by Eli Joshua Ade /@ Universal)

If Shazam! was too family-friendly for you and you cannot wait until Avengers: Endgame, then Lionsgate’s reboot of Hellboy with Stranger Things’ David Harbour might satisfy your hunger for R-rated comic-book fare. Once there was Tom Hanks in Big, now Universal presents Regina Hall in Little, a modern reversal in every respect that sprung from the mind of 14-year-old black-ish star Marsai Martin. Laika Animation is back with its latest, Missing Link, and Aviron releases the adaptation of young adult novel, After. Then for one night only on Wednesday, April 10, you can see Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, a film 21 years in the making.

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The Full Top 10: April 5-7

1. Shazam! (2019) 91% – $53.45 ($53.45 million total)
2. Pet Sematary (2019) 61% – $25 million ($25 million total)
3. Dumbo (2019) 47% – $18.22 million ($76.27 million total)
4. Us (2019) 94% – $13.81 million ($152.4 million total)
5. Captain Marvel (2019) 78% – $12.69 million ($374.13 million total)
6. The Best of Enemies (2019) 52% – $4.5 million ($4.5 million total)
7. Five Feet Apart (2019) 55% – $3.7 million ($41.59 million total)
8. Unplanned (2019) 50% – $3.2 million ($12.47 million total)
9. Wonder Park (2019) 30% – $2.04 million ($41.98 million total)
10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) 90% – $1.99 million ($156.69 million total)

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Erik Childress can be heard each week evaluating box office on WGN Radio with Nick Digilio as well as on Business First AM with Angela Miles and his Movie Madness Podcast.

[box office figures via Box Office Mojo]

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2019-04-07 17:35:34Z
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Radio station bans Kodak Black's music over his comments about Nipsey Hussle's girlfriend - NBC News

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April 7, 2019, 4:16 PM GMT

By Janelle Griffith

Rapper Kodak Black is facing backlash — and some fallout — from comments he made over the weekend about Lauren London, the longtime girlfriend of slain rapper Nipsey Hussle.

During a live broadcast on Instagram on Saturday, Kodak announced his intentions to romantically pursue London, with whom Hussle had a young son.

"I’ll be the best man I can be for her," Kodak said. "I’ll give her a whole year. She might need a whole year to be crying and s--- for him."

Kodak Black performs onstage at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 23, 2018.Nicholas Hunt / Getty Images for TIDAL file

He continued: "I ain’t trying to shoot [my shot] at her. I’m saying, listen. She can do two, three years. I’ll try to be like the friend if you need to holla or a shoulder to lean on. She can call my line."

The comments were met with swift backlash, including from rapper T.I. and Justin Credible, a disc jockey at Power 106 in Los Angeles, California, who pledged to no longer play Kodak's music.

"We stand with the family of Nipsey Hussle and are appalled by the disrespectful and poor comments made by Kodak Black," Justin Credible said Saturday. "With that, Power 106 will not support Kodak Black’s music."

Later Saturday, Kodak issued a half-hearted apology in a live broadcast on Instagram.

"If I disrespected you, Lauren London, in any shape or form, I'm sorry, even though I didn't," he said.

Hussle was fatally shot outside his clothing store in Los Angeles' Hyde Park neighborhood last Sunday afternoon. He was 33.

The Grammy-nominated rapper, born Ermias Asghedom, was shot multiple times in the parking lot of The Marathon Clothing, a store he opened in 2017. Hussle was a beloved figure both in his native South Los Angeles and the hip-hop community. His store has been transformed into a makeshift memorial by mourners.

On Thursday, prosecutors charged Eric R. Holder Jr., 29, with Hussle’s murder. He pleaded not guilty.

London, an actress and model, paid tribute to Hussle on Tuesday in an Instagram post that featured images of the rapper and their family.

"I am completely lost," she wrote. "I’ve lost my best friend, my sanctuary my protector my soul ... I’m lost without you. We are lost without you babe. I have no words."

London has not responded to Kodak's comments.

Janelle Griffith

Janelle Griffith is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. 

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2019-04-07 16:16:00Z
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Box Office: ‘Shazam!’ Grows to $53 Million Debut - Variety

The magic word at the box office this weekend was “Shazam!” Warner Bros.’ latest superhero adventure easily topped charts in North America, pocketing $53 million when it debuted in 4,217 venues.

Buoyed by positive reviews, “Shazam!” arrived ahead of expectations, which anticipated a start around $40 million to $45 million. The film also earned $3 million in advanced screenings for a domestic haul of $56 million. Overseas, “Shazam!” dominated with $102 million from 79 international markets, bringing its global start to $158.6 million.

While “Shazam!’s” domestic opening weekend is on the lower side for a traditional comic-book movie, it was less expensive to make compared to other superhero films. That means it doesn’t have to reach the same heights as entries like “Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman” to turn a profit. Warner Bros. and New Line spent $98 million to produce “Shazam!,” proving that studios can crank out a solid superhero installment without breaking the bank. Prior DC films like “Justice League” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” on the other hand, cost upward of $300 million before taking marketing and distribution into count.

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Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution, said this weekend’s “thrilling result” was because “Shazam!” doesn’t take itself too seriously. Though it’s still in the superhero genre, it feels lighter in tone than the influx of comic-book titles in theaters. “It was about having fun,” he said.

“‘Wonder Woman and ‘Aquaman’ were very dark and dramatic and different,” Goldstein added. “It shows we’re making a variety of different movies that can all live in the same space.”

“Shazam!” — described as “Big” set in the comic-book world — centers on Billy Baston (Asher Angel), a teenager who transforms into a bubble-gum-snapping superhero (Zachary Levi) when someone says the magic word. Both critics and fans praised the movie for its lighter take on the genre, compared to the apocalyptic storylines in comic-book adaptations. Males accounted for 57% of opening weekend audiences, while 45% of crowds were under the age of 25.

Though “Shazam!” led the way in North America, Paramount’s horror remake “Pet Sematary” also had a strong start, scaring up $25 million when it debuted in 3,585 locations. The supernatural thriller, based on Stephen King’s novel, cost $21 million to produce.

The final newcomer this weekend was “Best of Enemies,” starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell as a civil rights activist and a KKK leader forced to work together.  It pulled in an underwhelming $4.5 million from 1,705 screens. Astute Films fully financed the film, which was distributed by STXfilms. Older moviegoers aren’t generally a demographic that rushes out to see a movie on opening weekend, so the studio anticipates that word-of-mouth about the feel-good drama will grow in the coming weeks, leading to a long life in theaters. Nearly 80% of moviegoers were over the age of 25, and 63% were female.

A number of holdovers filled out North American box office charts. In third place, Disney’s re-imaginging of “Dumbo” earned $18.2 million in its sophomore outing, marking a steep 60% drop from its debut. Directed by Tim Burton, the remake of Disney’s 1941 classic has surpassed $200 million globally, including $76 million in North America.

Universal and Jordan Peele’s “Us,” now in its third weekend of release, amassed another $13 million for a domestic haul of $152 million. The psychological thriller, starring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, hit $200 million in ticket sales worldwide.

Rounding out the top five is Disney’s “Captain Marvel,” adding $12.7 million. Starring Brie Larson, the superhero tentpole has crossed $1 billion in ticket sales, with $373 million of that bounty coming from North American theaters.

Among specialty releases, Neon’s Aretha Franklin documentary “Amazing Grace” made $57,353 from three theaters, averaging $19,118 per location. The non-fiction film, which was 46 years in the making, captures the Queen of Soul as she records her wildly successful album in a Baptist church.

Elsewhere, Amazon Studio’s released “Peterloo,” a historical drama about the deadly 1819 massacre in Manchester, in three locations. It pocketed $30,426 for a per-screen-average of $10,142.

This weekend continued to prove that scares and superheroes are some of the most reliable money-makers at the box office. Overall, ticket sales are still pacing around 16% behind last year, according to Comscore. That gap is shrinking as films like “Captain Marvel” and “Us” impress audiences, and Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame,” the studio’s epic conclusion that is expected to shatter records, could help close that margin even more.

More to come…

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2019-04-07 14:51:00Z
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CNN's Don Lemon is engaged to boyfriend Tim Malone - CNN

CNN anchor Don Lemon announced his engagement to boyfriend Tim Malone on Saturday.

"He gave me a present on his birthday. How could I say no?" the anchor captioned the photo of their bowtie-shaped dog tags engraved with the words, "daddy will you marry papa?" The tags were on their puppies, Boomer and Barkley.

The photo posted on Lemon's Instagram also shows off the couple's rings.

Malone popped the question on his birthday Friday as the two were celebrating, Lemon said. Malone shared the same photo on his Instagram account, writing: "He said YES!"

Lemon and Malone, a real estate agent, met in New York a couple of years ago.

They shared an on-air kiss during a live broadcast CNN's New Year's Eve broadcast last year.

Lemon anchors "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon" that airs weeknights at 10 pm. He joined CNN in September 2006.

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2019-04-07 13:17:00Z
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Man tackles pro wrestler Bret Hart during WWE Hall of Fame speech - CNN

The live broadcast cut out as Zachary Madsen, 26, jumped into the ring and grabbed Hart, 61, the NYPD said in a statement.

Various WWE superstars rushed to pull the man off during the event held at New York's Barclay Center, according to CNN affiliate WLNY.

They included wrestling stars Shane McMahon, Xavier Woods, Tyson Kidd and Curtis Axel, as well as UFC heavyweight and husband to Ronda Rousey, Travis Browne.

Security held the man down until police arrived and arrested him, but Madsen reportedly caused the guard minor injuries, according to the station.

Madsen faces two counts of third-degree assault, criminal trespass, and one other misdemeanor charge, according to NYPD. It said Hart was not transported to the hospital and continued on with his speech.

Wrestlemania, WWE's biggest event of the year, will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night.

CNN's Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.

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2019-04-07 10:46:00Z
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