newsmakers

newsmakers

‘Twilight’ stays bright, but Hollywood snoozes

LOS ANGELES

The latest “Twilight” movie cast the longest shadow with $16.9 million for a third-straight No. 1 finish during one of the year’s slowest weekends at the box office.

Business was dismal, with box-office tracker Hollywood.com estimating Sunday that domestic revenues totaled just $82 million. That puts it barely ahead of Hollywood’s worst haul of the year, when revenues were $81.5 million over the second weekend in September.

Once studios release final numbers today, this past weekend could come in as the worst of the year if revenues finish even lower.

The first weekend of December often presents a lull in between big Thanksgiving releases and the onslaught of year-end blockbusters that arrive a bit later. But this big a slowdown is surprising given that there’s quality stuff out there among the top-10 films, particularly family fare such as “The Muppets,” “Hugo” and “Arthur Christmas.”

Coming in second again was Disney’s “The Muppets” with $11.2 million, lifting the family film’s domestic total to $56.1 million. Despite good reviews, though, “The Muppets” audience was off more sharply than any other top-10 movie compared with Thanksgiving weekend.

Paramount’s family adventure “Hugo,” an acclaimed saga directed by Martin Scorsese, finished third with $7.6 million, raising its domestic take to $25.2 million.

Indian film star Dev Anand dies at 88

NEW DELHI

Bollywood star Dev Anand, a charismatic and flamboyant Indian film fixture for more than a half-century, has died of a heart attack in London, his family said Sunday. He was 88.

Famed for his roles in dozens of movies, including “Jewel Thief” and “Guide,” the veteran actor, director and producer was working up to the last minute, with a new script in the works.

Anand lived and died on “his own terms,” his nephew and renowned film director Shekhar Kapur said in a posting on Twitter. “He was working one minute. Sat down and smiled. And was gone the next. So much to learn.”

Anand died of a heart attack Saturday night in a hotel in London, where he had gone recently for a medical checkup, the family said.

Born Sept. 26, 1923, the son of a Punjab lawyer, Anand studied English literature and law, eventually moving in his early 20s to India’s film capital of Mumbai, then called Bombay, where he pursued a love of acting.

Known for his good looks, melodious voice and success in romantic leads, Anand was considered a superstar within just a few years of his 1946 screen debut in the Hindi-language film “Hum Ek Hain.”

Associated Press