NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Cowboys & Aliens,’ ‘Smurfs’ tie for No. 1

LOS ANGELES

Little blue Smurfs and not-so-little green men from space are in a photo finish for the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office.

Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford’s sci-fi Western “Cowboys & Aliens” and the family adventure “The Smurfs” both opened with $36.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

That leaves Sony’s “Smurfs” and Universal’s “Cowboys & Aliens” tied for the top spot. Figuring out the No. 1 movie must wait until final numbers are counted today.

The previous weekend’s top movie, “Captain America: The First Avenger,” slipped to No. 3 with $24.9 million and raised its domestic total to $116.8 million.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” pulled in $21.9 million to become the franchise’s top-grossing chapter, at $318.5 million domestically.

Also this weekend, the “Harry Potter” finale became the first of the franchise’s eight movies to top $1 billion at the box office worldwide.

The weekend’s other new wide release, the Warner Bros. romantic comedy “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” opened modestly at No. 5 with $19.3 million.

Conn. home owned by Hepburn up for sale

OLD SAYBROOK, Conn.

Katharine Hepburn’s former home on Connecticut’s Long Island Sound is up for sale.

Owners have updated the house by combining rooms to create larger and more open spaces. The house had 21 rooms and nine bathrooms but has been reduced to 15 rooms and 7 1/2 bathrooms.

The estate is on the market for $28 million. The house, on the largest of three lots, can be purchased separately for $18 million.

Seven years ago, the property sold for $6 million.

The Academy Award-winning actress retired to the home and lived there until her death in 2003 at 96. The feminist icon won four Oscars and received 12 nominations over her 60-year career.

Associated Press