FILM/ BIG BOX OFFICE RETURNS THIS WEEKEND: Warner Bros "
The Hangover Part II" grossed $118.1 million in its 1st 4 days in the US to help fuel the best Memorial Day weekend in history at the domestic box office. The sequel, which set many box office records, is expected to gross another $20 million tomorrow for a staggering 5 day bow of $138.1 million, setting a new benchmark for comedies. Overseas, "Hangover" opened to $59 million from 40 countries, some 3 times higher than the 1st "Hangover" and bringing the sequel's global bow to almost $200 million. "Hangover" grossed $16.4 million in the UK, the best ever launch for a US comedy, as well as the top opening of 2011 in the country. "Kung Fu Panda 2" also contributed to the boom, grossing $53.8 million in its 1st 4 days. The 3D toon should the holiday weekend with a 5 day total of $68.2. "Kung Fu Panda 2" impressed overseas, where it grossed a mighty $57 million from 8023 theaters in only 11 territories. In 7 territories, it scored the best opening ever for an animated title and in China, scored the biggest opening of all time for a foreign film in grossing $18.5 million. Back in the US, coming in 3rd at the domestic box office was "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which grossed a solid $39.3 million for the 3 day weekend and is projected to earn $50 million through Monday. "On Stranger Tides" should end Monday with a domestic total of $163.7 million.Overseas, Pirates continued to thrive, grossing an estimated $122.9 million for the 3 day weekend. By Monday, the tentpole’s global cume will be $646.5 million, by far the best showing of the year for any film. Even with competition from "Hangover," "Bridesmaids" hel
d well over the weekend, declining only 27% to an estimated $16.4 million. On Monday, Bridesmaids is expected to earn another $4.4 million for a domestic cumulative total of $89.4 million. The specialty business also soared, thanks to Woody Allen’s holdover "Midnight in Paris" and new entry "The Tree of Life," from Terrence Malick. "Tree of Life," grossing $352,320 for the weekend proper as it opened in 4 theaters in New York and Los Angeles, posted a per location average of $88,080, an all-time high for a Fox Searchlight title. The Cannes winner expands next weekend.
(SK COMMENT: Skip "The Hangover 2," see "Pirates" and definately see "Bridesmaids, the best comedy in ages. Its miles ahead of "The Hangover 2".).
Adele's mega-selling smash hit album, "21" finally cedes the penthouse in the UK today, as Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" set enters the chart at #1. Gaga will also debut at #1 in the US later this week with somewhere around 1 million copies sold. Back on the UK album chart, Adele's debut set "19" remains at #3 in its 115th week on the chart. New entry albums, in addition to Gaga, belong to "World's On Fire Live" by The Prodigy which enters at #5 and Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons "Working My Way Back To You Collection," which slides in at #12. On the singles chart, Pitbull logs at 2nd week at #1 with "Give Me Everything". The single also features Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer. Alexandra Stan's "Mr Saxobeat," a top 10 hit all over Europe, moves up 9 spots to #5 this week. And, The Saturday's have the only new entry in the top 20 of the singles chart as "Notorious" enters at #8.
THEATRE/ "GOOD PEOPLE" CLOSES TODAY: "Good People," David Lindsay-Abaire's new play about high-school lovers reuniting in adulthood and reaching across a class divide, ends its world-premiere Broadway today. The close date represents the end of a 2nd extension at Broadway's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The Manhattan Theatre Club production earned two 2011 Tony Award nominations: one for Best Play and one for Best Lead Actress, for Frances McDormand. Lindsay-Abaire is the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of "Rabbit Hole". He grew up in the setting of the play, working-class South Boston, called "Southie" by the locals. "Good People," co-starring Tate Donovan and directed by Daniel Sullivan, opened on March 3 to positive reviews from critics and enthusiastic almost sold-out houses. The acting company also includes Oscar winner Estelle Parsons ("Bonnie and Clyde"). At close, the play will have run 101 regular performances and 27 previews. The synopsis of the play is:"Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, where this month's paycheck covers last month's bills, and where Margie Walsh (McDormand) has just been let go from yet another job. Facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break, Margie thinks an old fling (Donovan) who has made it out of Southie might be her ticket to a fresh new start. But is this apparently self-made man secure enough to face his humble beginnings? Margie is about to risk what little she has left to find out". The New York Drama Critics' Circle (NYDCC) announced May 9 that "Good People" was the winner of the 76th annual New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play of the 2010-2011 season.
The star filled Broadway revival of Jason Miller's Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning 1972 drama "That Championship Season," which recorded the Broadway debut of Kiefer Sutherland, closes today at The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Directed by Gregory Mosher, the production began previews February 9 and officially opened March 6. When it closes, the limited engagement will have played 28 preview performances and 97 regular performances. In addition to Sutherland, the cast also includes Brian Cox, Jim Gaffigan, Chris Noth and Jason Patric (whose late father wrote the play). Cox portrays the retired basketball coach in Miller's Scranton, Pennsylvania set drama about a team of high school basketball players who reunite to hash out the past on the anniversary of their winning game. The former champs include comedian Gaffigan as George Sikowski, Golden Globe nominee Noth ("Sex and the City") as Phil Romano, Patric as Tom Daley and Golden Globe Award winner Sutherland ("24") as James Daley. The orginial "That Championship Season" premiered at the Public Theater on May 2, 1972. The production, with the original cast intact, transferred to Broadway's Booth Theatre on September 11, 1972 and ran through April 1974. Playwright Miller later directed the 1983 film. The Broadway production won the Pulitzer Prize, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play and the Tony Award for Best Play.
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