YES!!! Jackie Robinson Biopic ’42′ Homers $27.3M #1 At The Box Office!
The Jackie Robinson biopic 42 (3,003 theaters) nicely overperformed tracking which was in the mid-teens for an original movie about race and baseball with no hot stars. (Granted Harrison Ford is a legend but not box office nowadays.) The opening number is a record for a baseball flick in terms of straight dollars, topping the $19.5M debut of 2011′s Moneyball. Even factoring in higher ticket prices and inflation, the $13.7M debut of 1992′s A League Of Their Own would have been on par with 42. The moderately budgeted film ($38M) received an ‘A+’ CinemaScore which will help word of mouth. Grosses on MLB’s Jackie Robinson Day – which is April 15 - when every player wears Robinson’s #42, could even stay level because of the attention. In addition to the $38M marketing spend, the film has generated a ton of national media and awareness that didn’t cost any money. “Just watching the film’s box office growing at a rapid pace all day,” a Warner Bros exec gushed on Friday. “Great news for Thomas Tull and his team at Legendary.” (Question still remains whether financier/filmmaker Tull’s Legendary will exit Warner Bros, or vice versa. But Sue Kroll’s marketing did well by him.) Still, I wondered whether Academy Award winning writer-director Brian Helgeland’s soft-focus storyline would turn off moviegoers to Thomas Tull‘s passion project, especially without the street cred of African-American filmmakers involved. But no. ‘All you can do is put these things together in the way you think is best,” Tull told me Thursday. Instead he relied on Rachel Robinson. ”Her voice helped us with authenticity. That was the person who lived it,” Tull said. “And that was a really important story for us to tell.” Tull does admit that, had Rachel herself not been so involved, there may have been more focus on the tough stuff. The filmmakers wound up with the highest testing movie that Legendary has ever had. Rachel Robinson had been promised over the last two decades that Hollywood would make this movie – and never did. Then, at 90 years old, she was approached by Tull two years ago. ”She looked me in the eye and asked, ‘Are you going to make this movie?’ and I said we’d make it happen,’” Tull recalled.
Far, far, far behind in #2 was Scary Movie 5 (3,402 theaters) which bombed badly considering that 2006′s Scary Movie 4 opened to $40.2M from 3,202 theaters. This franchise has run out of steam. For one thing, there’s no Anna Faris or Regina Hall who both starred in all four earlier installments. But it does have the nauseating casting of Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen playing themselves. (Audible groan…) Once again, Dimension just isn’t bringing the box office heat to Weinstein Co grosses like it did to the old Miramax. Bringing back the Scream and Spy Kids franchises produced only 1/2 and 1/3 of the originals’ openings. This fifth Scary Movie installment which cost $19.5M is directed by Malcolm D. Lee and written by/produced by David Zucker who also directed 3 and 4. Dimension really needs to get off its butt and incubate new low-budget genre storylines.
Here’s the Top Ten list based on weekend estimates:
1. 42 (Legendary/Warner Bros) NEW [Runs 3,003] PG13
Friday $9.1M, Saturday $11.3M, Weekend $27.3M
2. Scary Movie 5 (Dimension/Weinstein) NEW [Runs 3,402] PG13
Friday $5.5M, Saturday $6.0M, Weekend $15.1M
3. The Croods (DreamWorks Animation/Fox) Week 4 [Runs 3,689] PG
Friday $3.0M, Saturday $6.1M, Weekend $13.2M, Cume $142.5M
4. GI Joe: Retaliation (Paramount) Week 3 [Runs 3,535] PG13
Friday $2.9M, Saturday $4.9M, Weekend $10.8M, Cume $102.4M
5. Evil Dead (Ghost House/FilmDistrict/TriStar/Sony) Week 2 [Runs 3,025] R
Friday $3.1M, Saturday $4.0M, Weekend $9.5M (-64%), Cume $41.5M
6. Jurassic Park 3D (Universal) Week 2 [Runs 2,778] PG13
Friday $2.4M, Saturday $3.9M, Weekend $8.8M (-53%), Cume $31.9M
7. Olympus Has Fallen (FIlmDistrict) Week 4 [Runs 2,935] R
Friday $2.0M, Saturday $3.2M, Weekend $7.3M, Cume $81.9M
8. Oz The Great And Powerful (Disney) Week 6 [Runs 2,504] PG
Friday $1.2M, Saturday $2.2M, Weekend $4.8M, Cume $219.3M
9. Tyler Perry’s Temptation (Lionsgate) Week 3 [Runs 1,805] PG13
Friday $1.3M, Saturday $2.0M, Weekend $4.5M, Cume $45.4M
10. Place Beyond the Pines (Focus) Week 3 [Runs 514] R
Friday $1.2M, Saturday $1.6M, Weekend $4.0M, Cume $5.3M
YES CONGRATS TO THE MAKERS OF “42”!!
Adele, Rita Ora, & Alicia Keys Cover ‘ELLE’ Magazine’s Women In Music Issue
Adele, Rita Ora and Alicia Keys brought their own style to the May cover of ELLE Magazine. Each individually grace the rotating May cover that celebrates the annual Women in Music issue. Catherine Stuart of Elle writes: For this year’s Women in Music Issue, ELLE highlights today’s brightest stars. Here, we check in with the crew who brought two of our cover subjects, Alicia Keys and Rita Ora, to life. Assistant Fashion Editor Sarah Schussheim: "We shot Alicia Keys on the rooftop of Siren Studios. She radiated cool New York glamour, relaxing and singing along to a Grace Jones album." Photographer Doug Inglish: "Alicia brought her two-year-old son,
Egypt, and played with him constantly." Photographer Thomas Whiteside: "We flew to London to shoot Rita Ora. Fans kept asking for her autograph—she even stopped to dedicate a soccer ball to someone’s dog." Schussheim: "Rita loved hairstylist Ken O'Rourke's whimsical headpieces. She kept Instagramming selfies." ELLE Creative Director Joe Zee: "Including one of her in Mickey Mouse gear! Not many people get so excited to have their picture taken in whiskers—Rita definitely has a special aura."
The music issue includes a tribute to Adele and fellow musician’s thoughts on her meteoric rise to fame such as Katy Perry, Britney Spears, John Mayer and legend Barbra Streisand.
Also from Elle Mag
New York City’s Edison Ballroom played host to the 4th Annual ELLE Women in Music Celebration.
With divas Rita Ora, Adele, and Alicia Keys serving as the mag’s covergirls to commemorate the event, the celebration saw some of music’s best and brightest ladies join forces for the cause. Amongst distinguished guest was ‘Kisses Down Low’ diva Miss Kelly Rowland who served as the night’s entertainment.
See more snaps of the other celebs who showed up:
The event comes as one of many stops Rowland has made in the past days in promotion of her fourth forthcoming album ‘Talk A Good Game’ (due summer 2013).
Ex “Housewife” Sheree Whitfield Offers Divorce Advice To RHOA’s Porsha Stewart?
Former Real “Housewife” of Atlanta Sheree Whitfield just refuses to give us a chance to miss her and with an upcoming appearance on OWN’s “Iyanla: Fix My Life” she’s speaking out more than ever.
Whitfield has been quite busy getting her buzz up in preparation for her onscreen debut…. filing “trespassing” restraining orders against Atlanta bloggers for reporting on Chateau Sheree (which were quietly dismissed by the way) to hitting up CNN’s headline news to speaking out about Phaedra Parks new ‘Rich People’s Problems’ court show, while also admitting she’s a bit low on dough and misses those easy RHOA checks
Her antics have even been awarded by RHOA when during part 1 of the 5th Season Reunion show, Bravo’s Andy Cohen referred to the ex-”housewife” as “disposed of at 40″…
With age comes wisdom and Whitfield, who publicly battled divorce woes through 4 seasons on the popular reality show, has generously offered newbie Porsha Stewart a bit of advice on handling her bitter divorce from former NFL great Kordell Stewart.
Here’s what Sheree wants Porsha to know about handling her divorce…
Sheree hit up RumorFix with some unsolicited advice for Porsha, stating:
Well my heart goes out to her. Stay positive, stay strong and keep moving forward.
It’s not easy. It’s not easy for anyone, but it will get better. I would tell anyone whether they were married to an NFL player or a trash collector, ‘You definitely have to have those people you can trust around you — and, of course, you have to cry!
That was nice of her.
Sheree goes on to say that whatever problems a couple has will be heightened on reality TV.
I honesty think marriages that were broken up on any reality show came into the reality show with problems.
Well duhhhh!
Anywhoo… just for the record, Sheree’s not talking for nothing. There’s a petition she started to gather support for her to get her old job back on RHOA and I fully support her efforts.
It’s been up for several weeks and Sheree’s already gotten at least 116 signatures of support.
Granted… she needs a million or more, but it’s a start, right?
Hot Shot: Chrisette Michele’s Shares New Album Cover
From the looks of things Chrisette Michele fans.can look forward to “Better Days”
After months of teasers the ‘Charades’ singer has unveiled the cover to her fourth studio LP ‘Better’. Due June 11th from Motown Records, the album is set to feature a number of big names including Musiq Soulchild, Wale, 2 Chainz, etc. and follows her well received mixtape ‘Audrey Hepburn: An Audiovisual Presentation‘.
Joining songstress India Arie, Kelly Rowland, Ashanti, Ciara, and many more with her release, it appears R&B will be alive and well this summer.
Your thoughts?
MAGAZINE FAB: Nas INVESTS In "MASS APPEAL" Magazine RE-LAUNCH
Fans of the original Mass Appeal Magazine, a graffiti magazine founded in 1996, get excited. The magazine will be rebooted with Nas (shown above on its 2002 cover) as its Associate Publisher.
The rapper spoke to FORBES recently about his new acquisition, explaining that he was disappointed with the lack of options available to readers interested in hip hop culture.
“Mass Appeal has a legacy and respect. It already has a foundation … I just feel like I can add on because I can lend my kind of cultural expertise and my professional acumen, and develop the business.” He added, "They invested into the culture … I saw their vision for what they planned and I thought I could add value across the board."
After a five-year hiatus, the magazine's re-launch as a quarterly print product with web, video , monthly event components, is thanks to a hefty six-figure investment from the Life Is Good rapper.
While other rap moguls like Jay-Z, Diddy and 50 Cent each began exploring big business opportunities early in their careers, Nas explained his late start saying,
“I knew that this was down the road,” he says. “I didn’t care to interrupt me being a creative musical artist … I said I’ll be more of a businessman down the road. I’m down the road now.”
As a far as getting any criticism from the magazine about his own contributions to hip hop, Nas is letting his editorial board off the hook saying,
“If that happens, I don’t want to see it until it’s out,” he says. “I won’t get involved with that at all … I won’t touch anything, they’re free to say whatever they want. They can say I’m a psychopath, they can say I’m a sweetheart … as long as it’s from their honest opinion, that’s all that matters to me.”
Congrats to Nas! Glad he's working on business moves outside that rap life.
Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Not Sleeping With Kate Upton
Cassie can breathe a little bit easier. News broke this morning said that Sean "Diddy" Combs was allegedly spotted kissing Kate Upton in Miami late last month. However, both the Bad Boy Records founder and the swimsuit model refute these claims.
TMZ reports:
Sad news from the Diddy camp ... the rap mogul says he's 100%, positively NOT having s-xual relations with model Kate Upton ... despite the fact it would be totally awesome if true.
Reports surfaced this morning that Diddy and Double-Diddy were spotted making out at a NY restaurant last week ... and the Internet instantly exploded with jealousy.
But Diddy says it just ain't true ... tweeting, "Attn all Media. I don't even know Kate Upton personally! I'm not dating her! What's being reported is not true. END of story!"
A rep for Kate also tells TMZ ... Kate and Diddy "barely know each other" and they are definitely not dating.
And that's that. You care.
Gossip Game’s’ JasFly Says Don’t Blame Mona Scott Young For Black Women Fighting On TV
One of the freshest faces of VH1 reality tv, Jas Fly, is giving another perspective on black women fighting on TV–and it doesn’t involve pointing the finger. After only two episodes, the freelance writer, who now has a gig on ‘Gossip Game‘, is using her personal tumblr to weigh in on watching a few fights on the show. And although she’s inserted herself in the conflict between Ms. Drama and Vivian, she wants to make it quite clear that viewers should not blame one of the show’s producers, Mona Scott-Young, for black women throwing blows on TV.
Read a few excerpts from her post:
I’m tired of watching Black women fight on TV. We’re two episodes into The Gossip Game and last night we witnessed our second fight. Sigh. When I accepted Mona Scott-Young’s invitation to sit down for a casting meeting, I was more than skeptical. This was three weeks into Love & Hip Hop ATL and all that kept running through my mind was ‘she’s not gonna do me like she does these other women.’ And as soon as I sat down – in front of Vh1 execs, show creator Tone Boots and his team and the network casting department – I told her as much. Mona heard me out and then informed me that she never set out to abuse Black women. And that she didn’t prompt Stevie J to keep both a mistress and a wife. All she does is give a look inside their lives.
She continues:
Sometimes, we as Black women don’t treat one another very well. Societal factors have made us defensive and (often times) insecure about who we are and afraid of who we are not. We’ve been told that we’re all in competition over men, jobs, friends, adoration, etc. And because we are such an insular culture – Black woman are known for watching/dating/buying/talking/living in our Blackness – we turn a great deal of frustration back on one another. We’re so hyper-sensitive to criticism (because we’re SO over criticized)that in the moment we often can’t discern between someone attacking us and someone trying to help us. It’s hard to see kinship in someone you’re determined to make your enemy. So (often times) we fight.
I couldn’t get mad at Mona for the fights that happened between Drama and Viv. Not when I was dealing with the very same things (via toxic email threads, vicious sub-tweets, subversive moves against me etc) in my own life. Mona didn’t make those two women fight. In that moment, instead of risking being hurt or hearing something they didn’t want to, they chose to antagonize one another. This choice is made every single day. And I couldn’t expect Mona to create a television show about us and ask her not to show all of it, including the parts we’re not proud of. So we can continue to complain about how we’re portrayed on television. Or we can candidly address how we treat each other in real life.
Is JasFly right? Is Mona to blame for the drama (entertainment) that we watch on TV? Or are we (*raises hand*) to blame?
Kim Porter SUED By Ex-Nanny -- Stories Of The Twins Surrounded By Weed Smoke...And Covered In "White Powder"
Kim Porter better have Diddy call up every lawyer on speed dial. Because a brand new lawsuit filed against her by her ex-nanny is a doozy. Get the deets inside about how Diddy's baby's mama allegedly treats the twins...according to the former employee....
Whether all these allegations are true or not, Kim Porter's reputation as the mother of Diddy's kids will be tarnished for even being caught up in this--at least for now.
A woman named Dawn Drago, who worked for Kim as her kids' nanny from 2011-2012, filed a lawsuit against Kim after she was fired.
Dawn claims in the suit some interesting things-- 1) Kim chain smoked pot in the house when the girls, Jessie James & D'Lila Star, were home, 2) The girls were at one point covered in a "mysterious white powder" after they had gotten into a bag of Kim's pills that were capsules and Ms. Porter said was "medicine" and 3) Kim verbally & violently abused her.
As for that powder--it could be baby powder and the "capsule" story could be a fraud. Or it could be something way harder than weed.
We wouldn't be surprised if any of these things ended up being true. But will the nanny just end up sonding like a bitter & fired employee?
TMZ reports Dawn is seeking unspecified damages.
Frank Ocean Makes ‘Out’ Power List 2013
After spending the last year being celebrated for the undeniable quality of his music, ‘We All Try’ singer Frank Ocean is now being celebrated for the bravery he showed last when baring all on a personal experience he had shared with a friend some time before.
While he is yet to label himself, he has now been named at an LGBTQ hero by Aaron Hicklin’s ‘Out Magazine’, standing as the only African American to make the publication’s 2013 Power List.
Also standing as the highest ranking musician on the list, OUT said of Ocean:
Beating record executive Clive Davis (42) and Bravo boss Andy Cohen (14), OUT’s celebration of the groundbreaking vocalist comes after he watched his debut album ‘Channel Orange’ certified Gold in the US, and after he watched his classic cut ‘Thinkin’ ‘Bout You‘ reach Platinum status for sales of over 1 million units.
Rick Ross’s Concerts Canceled & Reebok Pressured to Drop Rapper After Rape Song
I don’t know if you been keeping up with all the Rick Ross Drama regarding his new song about Rape, which has the World pissed. People are now canceling concerts and trying to get him endorsement dropped from Reebok check out the details below.
Ross is feeling the fallout from his verses on Rocko’s track “U.O.E.N.O.,” where he seemingly condones date rape. According to O.Canada.com, Rick Ross’s Tuesday performance at Canada’s University of Ottawa had to be cancelled amid “security concerns.” Apparently, concert promoter Urban Jamz Entertainment was worried that protests over the rapper’s questionable lyric could get out of hand. Before the concert was canned, the show took a big hit when the university’s Student Federation pulled out of the concert once Ross was scheduled to appear at the annual event. In past years the Student Federation has been integral in helping to organize the yearly concert.
Billboard reports Rick Ross is finding out that saying “sorry” just doesn’t cut it.
Reportedly more than 150 rape survivors are stepping-up their campaign to have Reebok dump its lucrative contract with the controversial rapper over what they describe as his “dangerous” lyrics.
Sources say Ross has found himself at the center of a media feeding frenzy after it emerged that in the lyrics of his song “U.O.E.N.O.” he boasted about drugging and raping a woman.
UltraViolet members are far from impressed by what they see as Ross’ “non apology” and they’ve launched a combined phone, Twitter, and online ad push to accompany its letter to Reebok.
“Every single day that Reebok continues rewarding Rick Ross with a lucrative endorsement deal, Reebok is condoning rape. When one in five women will be the victim of completed or attempted rape, this is dangerous and it has real-life consequences,” writes the letter, which is signed by Wagatwe Wanjuke. “Your silence on this issue is unacceptable. It’s time you took a stand against rape and drop Rick Ross as a spokesman.”
Ross has his own line of Reebok shoes, and stars in a TV and online campaign for the clothing manufacturer.
Since the uproar over the lyric, Rick Ross has apologized. Last week on Twitter the rapper took to Twitter to says he was sorry for the misinterpreted verse.
Dame Dash Drops Knowledge About The Fakeness Of The Industry, and Life After
In one of the realest interviews from someone who was in the industry but not of the industry, Dame Dash clears up what really went down with his infamous career.
Dame drops knowledge about why he's left the fake industry for good and why everything went down with Jay-Z, Aaliyah, Rachel Roy & Rocafella the way it did....
He's known as the original a**hole of the hip hop industry. But he's also one of the first to truly build and own the rap brands he worked with. And with that, comes drama. We haven't heard from him in years, but here's the lowdown if you've ever wondered (and we know we have) why the 41-year-old REALLY left his long time business partners like Jay-Z & Rocafella. The 41-year-old dad of four also addresses the long time beef with Just Blaze (who shows up as well for some awkward talk).
Dame explained why he hates working with men in the industry, and prefers working with females. "Men can be too insecure. The more you do for a guy, the more they resent you. I prefer working with females [like ex-wife Rachel Roy] because the more success you get, they take it as their success too. They're thankful."
Interesting.
Dame drops some knowledge about the fake titles, fake power and fake people in the often fake industry. If he didn't own it and it wasn't authentic, Dame wasn't having it. He essentially let us know that being handed a title and some cash in a deal wasn't the way he wanted to win. But it's the way many people he worked with in the industry did want to win. Instead, he wanted to own and completely control the deal. So now he's clearing the air about being the bad guy. And he's also talking about those "broke" rumors.
Check out the epic 2 hour interview with The Combat Jack Show below:
Thoughts?
MARRIED: Delonte West Has Gotten Married & Expecting A Baby
Former baller Delonte West announced he’s married….and he’s expecting a baby on away. He posted the above pics with his new wife at the Justice of the Peace and tweeted from his now private account:
“Look at my two babies! Lil Charleeredz, coming to a theater near you soon.”
Kevin Durant's Nike Zoom KD V "N7" [PHOTOS]
The latest versionof the Kevin Durant's Nike Zoom KD V the "N7," is an Native American inspired shoe.
The sneaker features a turquoise upper as well as yellow fade print inspired by Native America art. The color selection is impportant, with turquoise representing friendship in many Native communities while yellow is one of the colors featured on traditional Native American medicine wheel. The right shoe features the KD logo while the left features N7 logo. Each shoe comes with a N7 KD t-shirt.
"Playing in Oklahoma City has connected me to the mission of Nike N7 and the meaningful impact that it has with Native Americans here and across North America," said Durant via a press release. "The new N7 KDV is very special—I believe in the power of sport to change lives and I support helping youth in Native American communities experience the positive benefits of being physically active."
The Nike N7 collection launched in 2009, and has raised more than $2 million for Native American and Aboriginal youth sport programs via the the N7 Fund.
Chris Brown’s Bodyguard Sues Drake Over Brawl Injuries;
Chris Brown’s bodyguard Big Pat, real name Patrick Strickland, is suing Drake and the SoHo nightclub over the brawl last June that left him with injuries to the head. In his filing Pat throws shade at Drake, by referring to him as “a popular and successful, albeit critically derided, entertainer.”
In his lawsuit filed Monday, Big Pat says the club W.i.P., is responsible for his injuries suffered during the brawl because it sat Chris’ entourage near to Drake’s even though the staff knew the two were beefing over Rihanna, reports the NY Daily News. The suits claims that seating arrangement created “a substantial and unjustifiable risk that a mass altercation would occur between the two camps.” The suit further claims, the club over-served Drake and his entourage and had an employee hand Chris a note from Drake that read: “I’m f*cking the love of your life.” That note is what led to a “verbal altercation” that caused a “massive bar brawl that involved bottle throwing, possible gunshots and a general state of riot and disorder.”
The suit which is seeking unspecified damages adds that Big Pat has ”severe and disfiguring injuries to his face, head and eyes.”
Is R&B Divas Nicci Gilbert Still Refusing to Film?
Last month there were rumors that R&B Divas' Nicci Gilbert walked away from the show after a big brouhaha between her husband and Latocha Scot's husband that ended with guns being drawn
From the looks of things Nicci is standing by her decision...
According to Funky Dineva
Nicci Gilbert has gone from being fired, to changing management & begging for her job back, to being rehired, to now refusing to show up to work.
Dineva dug up this picture from the filming of an upcoming R&B Divas Special with a certain someone noticeably absent.
HMMMMM!
A Healthier Natalie Cole Hits LAX,
Is it me, or is singer Natalie Cole looking healthier these days?
The singer was caught by photogs, as she caught a flight at LAX. As we all know she has been battling some ailments yet and still we’re grateful to God for sustaining her! LOVE YOU NATALIE!
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
‘Queen Of The Jungle’
Me Tarzan, you Jane. Me swing on vines and hunt for boar to eat. You go pick up some Sweet Baby Rays and maybe some Ben & Jerry’s for dessert.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD EVERYBODY!!!
EFREM
