Category: Entertainment

Even with an option to watch “Black Widow” at home, audiences went to the movie theater in pandemic record numbers this weekend to catch the first Marvel movie released in two years.

The Walt Disney Co. said Sunday the superhero pic generated an estimated $80 million in ticket sales in North America. Combined with $78 million from international theaters and at least $60 million in Disney+ Premier Access rentals, “Black Widow” grossed over $215 million in its first weekend. The studio said it’s the largest domestic opening weekend since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” debuted in 2019, pre-pandemic.

It’s a massive win for coronavirus-era moviegoing. In North America, the previous pandemic recordholder was Universal’s “F9,” which debuted to $70 million a few weeks ago. But unlike “Black Widow,” which is playing on 4,100 screens, the ninth “Fast & Furious” movie was exclusively in theaters.

“This was a pretty monumental weekend for the industry,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “‘Black Widow’ played well on big screens and small screens. And it actually strengthens the case for movie theaters.”

Dergarabedian noted that the vast majority of profits, $158.8 million, came from theaters. Around $12 million of that came from IMAX screens too.

“Hollywood blockbusters continue to gain ground at the box office with each successive release, and that bodes very well for the many films lined up for exclusive worldwide theatrical release this fall and beyond,” said Rich Gelfond the CEO of IMAX.

“Black Widow,” starring Scarlett Johansson, has had a long journey to theaters. Originally slated to come out in May of 2020, the blockbuster was delayed because of the pandemic. Disney ultimately decided to release it “day and date,” meaning it came out on more than one platform at the same time. “Black Widow,” in theaters and for a $30 rental on its subscription streaming service Disney+. Although not unprecedented for pandemic movie releases, or even for Disney, which did the same for “Cruella,” it’s the first Marvel movie to attempt the hybrid strategy. And it’s by far the biggest earner to date.

It is unusual for studios to release grosses from streaming profits in real time. Many never do so, and some release figures weeks after the fact.

“‘Black Widow’s’ strong performance this weekend affirms our flexible distribution strategy of making franchise films available in theaters for a true cinematic experience and, as COVID concerns continue globally, providing choice to consumers who prefer to watch at home on Disney+,” said Kareem Daniel, the chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, in a statement.

The film was liked by audiences, who gave it an A-minus CinemaScore, and critics. “Black Widow” currently boasts an 80% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Men made up some 58% of the opening weekend crowd.

“F9” came in second place with an estimated $10.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $140.8 million in its third weekend out in North America. Globally, it’s grossed $541.8 million. Universal also held the third and fourth place spots with the animated sequel “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” which added $8.7 million, and the horror “The Forever Purge,” with $6.7 million. “A Quiet Place Part II” rounded out the top five with $3 million.

Currently, 81% of North American theaters are open, and most are operating at full capacity. Overall the films this weekend grossed a total of $117 million. It’s the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that a moviegoing weekend has surpassed $100 million.

And while it’s promising for the industry as a whole, Marvel films have always been in a box office category of their own. Overall, they’ve grossed nearly $23 billion.

“Marvel films are a unique monster,” Dergarabedian said. “I don’t know that you’ll see this for every release.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach will make his directorial debut in hopes of telling an in-depth story about a famed New Orleans-based musician.

RadicalMedia announced their partnership with Auerbach on Monday to create a documentary feature about the late singer-piano player Dr. John. The project will tell a story about Dr. John’s intricate life along with his musical and cultural impact.

Dr. John was known as the funky New Orleans “night-tripper” musician who blended several musical styles with a hoodoo-infused stage persona and gravelly bayou drawl. He was a six-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer who was a white man that found a home among Black New Orleans musicians. He died after a heart attack in 2019.

Auerbach said he’s honored to create a project focused on Dr. John, who he called a friend. He said Dr. John – whose real name was Mac Rebennack – was a “shining example of the great melting pot of American music.”

“From his mysterious voodoo stage persona Dr John, to his real, humble self Mac Rebannack, the street poet, the family man, the junkie, the Grammy award winner and all that’s in between, this documentary will introduce the world to him in a way they haven’t seen him before,” Auerbach said in a statement. “I’m still learning bits about him that I never knew, and I hope the movie provides a lens into the story of the life of Dr John.”

Auerbach said he’s thrilled to work with RadicalMedia as a first-time filmmaker. The feeling is mutual from the production company.

“We know his talents will transcend the ability to now tell an amazing story as he actually worked with and knew Mac extremely well,” said Jon Kamen, the chairman and CEO of RadicalMedia. Kamen will serve as an executive producer with Jon Doran and Impact Artist Productions on Auerbach’s project.

RadicalMedia’s upcoming project with Auerbach comes on the heels of executive producing first-time filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s “Summer of Soul” on Hulu. The production company has produced several other titles including Netflix’s “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” and Apple TV Plus’ “The Me You Can’t See” with Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry.

“We’re here to help (Auerbach) shape this story,” Kamen said. “We’re here to help support it the same way we did on Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul.’ We’ve done this before, and we’ll do it again without any trepidations. We have the confidence that with the right team around an artist like Dan, you can do wonderful things. I’m sure this will be an amazing story as well.”

Do I need to take precautions at hotels if I’m vaccinated?

Most people won’t need to, but it depends on your situation.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk of COVID-19 is low if you’re fully vaccinated, and that you can resume indoor and outdoor activities without wearing a mask or social distancing.

But if you have health issues, the CDC says to talk to your doctor about the need to continue taking precautions. Parents of young children may also want to be more careful until their kids are vaccinated. Guidance might vary by country as well, depending on local vaccination and infection rates.

“Hotels are safe, but I think there are individual personal factors that may sway you one way or another,” says Dr. Soniya Gandhi, associate chief medical officer at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital.

To help you decide your comfort level, Gandhi suggests looking at infection and vaccination rates in the place you’re visiting. If cases are low, you should feel more confident about activities that could put you in close contact with others, like dining at a hotel restaurant or using the gym.

Most U.S. hotel chains took measures during the pandemic to reduce the risk of infections, and those changes remain in effect. Many hotels offer contactless check-in, prepackaged breakfast items instead of open buffets and more frequent cleaning of common areas.

Some hotels and inns, including the MGM Resort chain, have also upgraded their air filtration systems and even added individual air purifiers to some guest rooms.

If you’re concerned, call ahead to see what protocols the hotel has in place.

Marriott, Hyatt, IHG Hotels & Resorts and other hotel operators have removed mask mandates for fully vaccinated guests at their U.S. hotels. Hilton’s mask rules vary by location, but employees are still required to wear masks.

The streaming service Peacock is ramping up its offerings with a new deal with Universal Filmed Entertainment Group.

The companies said Tuesday that starting in 2022 all Universal films, including the new “Jurassic World” and “Minions” movies, will become available exclusively on Peacock no later than four months after their theatrical premieres. Both companies are subsidiaries of Comcast’s NBCUniversal.

The unique multi-year deal guarantees that in an 18-month window, Universal films will be available on Peacock for the first and last four months. The films can be licensed to other services in the middle 10 months.

Universal’s 2022 slate incudes “Jurassic World: Dominion,” “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and a new original film from “Get Out’s” Jordan Peele.

The studio will also start developing and producing Peacock-only content.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — “The Voice” coaches Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton celebrated their nuptials over the Fourth of July holiday during a weekend wedding in Oklahoma.

The pop star and the country star posted photos on Monday of their wedding including an image of the couple posing under a twilight sky. A representative for Shelton said they married in his home state of Oklahoma and the No Doubt singer tagged the wedding photos with Saturday’s date.

In one photo, Shelton was dressed in jeans and driving a golf cart decorated with white tulle, while Stefani showed off her white boots under her wedding dress and held up a bouquet of white flowers.

The two singers announced their engagement in October. The two stars met as judges on the singing competition show years ago. After Shelton divorced Miranda Lambert and Stefani divorced her husband Gavin Rossdale in 2015, the two later began dating. They have released a couple of duets together, including “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Conan O’Brien stayed true to form as he wrapped his TBS show “Conan” after nearly 11 years, bouncing between self-deprecating and smart-aleck humor before allowing himself a touch of sentiment.

“Try to do what you love with people you love, and if you can manage that, it’s the definition of heaven on Earth,” he said, marking the end of his third late-night show over 28 years. It’s a tenure second only to Johnny Carson’s 30 years on “Tonight.”

O’Brien’s next venture is a weekly variety series for HBO Max, set to arrive in 2022 with an as-yet unannounced format.

The hour-long “Conan” finale Thursday was largely a trip down memory lane with clips of guests including Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Sarah Silverman, and highlights of specials taped outside the United States. Will Ferrell appeared by Zoom from Boston, with Jack Black on hand to salute O’Brien.

Ferrell noted that he’s been a guest for the conclusions of O’Brien’s previous shows, “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and “Tonight,” both on NBC but with widely varying runs: the former from 1993 to 2009, the latter for less than eight months in 2009-10.

“It’s kind of become a tradition,” O’Brien said of Ferrell’s presence.

“It’s become (expletive) exhausting,” Ferrell replied. He then proceeded to perform farewells that he suggested O’Brien should bank for probable future need, including for his new HBO Max series.

“People would say six episodes isn’t a lot, but you packed enough entertainment in them for eight episodes,” Ferrell said. He then lauded him for a string of projected talk show flops on Al Jazeera and Delta Airlines, and his YouTube “classic unboxing videos.”

O’Brien, a writer for “The Simpsons” in his salad days, sat for his exit interview with surprise HR rep Homer Simpson, who was unimpressed when reminded that O’Brien was a talk show host.

“Wow, a dying breed,” Simpson told the animated version of O’Brien. “There’s only like 800 of you left.”

Black limped onto the stage wearing an orthopedic boot, which he and O’Brien explained was because of a badly sprained ankle Black suffered during pre-taping of what was supposed to be a big-finish action and dancing skit.

In its place, Black serenaded O’Brien and his longtime sidekick Andy Richter with revamped lyrics set to the signature Frank Sinatra standard, “My Way.”

“Conan, you are my friend. You are the best, and so is Andy,” Black sang, switching up the lyrics to honor “Con’s way.”

The host, whose gravity-defying, trademark swoop of red hair has remained virtually unchanged through the years, wrapped up the show with heartfelt thanks to his colleagues, family and fans. He also shared a slice of philosophy.

”I have devoted all of my adult life, all of it, to pursuing this strange, phantom intersection between smart and stupid,” things he said many people believe can’t coexist. But when the two come together, he said, there is a tiny flicker of “what is a kind of magic.”

O’Brien, formerly a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” was championed by “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels to succeed David Letterman as “Late Night” host. Letterman moved to CBS in “The Late Show” after losing the post-Carson “Tonight” job to Jay Leno, a rivalry that became a media fixation.

In an effort to design an orderly transition, NBC executives in 2004 anointed O’Brien to take over for Leno in 2009. After ratings for “Tonight” faltered with O’Brien, Leno ended up reclaiming the show and O’Brien found a new home and, he said, more creative freedom at TBS.