Monday, July 25, 2011
NEWSMAKERS
‘Captain America’ knocks ‘Harry’ off top
LOS ANGELES
In a battle of summer movie heroes, Captain America topped Harry Potter this weekend at the box office.
Paramount Pictures’ “Captain America: The First Avenger” opened at No. 1 with $65.8 million, according to Sunday studio estimates. The Marvel Comics superhero adventure sets up next summer’s all-star blockbuster “The Avengers.”
Warner Bros.’ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” the eighth and final installment in the boy-wizard franchise, dropped to the second spot. It made just over $48 million in its second weekend for a domestic total of $274.1 million.
The week’s other big release, “Friends With Benefits” from Sony Screen Gems, opened at No. 3 with $18.5 million. The romantic comedy stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis as friends who try to maintain a strictly physical relationship.
Coming in fourth and fifth, respectively, were “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” with $12 million, and “Horrible Bosses” with $11.7 million.
Quaids: Corruption keeps us in Canada
LOS ANGELES
Randy Quaid says he would like to return to the United States one day, but he and his wife still fear they are being persecuted by California prosecutors and tabloid media.
Although U.S. officials recently refused to seek extradition of the actor and his wife from Canada to face felony vandalism charges in Santa Barbara, Calif., authorities in the coastal town say they’ll still have the couple arrested if they return to the states.
The Quaids, who have missed several court appearances in the case, claim they are the victims of corrupt forces and are demanding an investigation.
“I feel like we’ve been driven out of the country and that the door’s been slammed behind us,” Quaid told The Associated Press in a phone interview from British Columbia on Friday. “And for what, these phony little trespassing, vandalism charges? Santa Barbara can sleep better tonight knowing the Quaids are out of their hair.”
Producers: 3 stars not done with ‘Glee’
SAN DIEGO
“Glee” stars Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith will appear in future seasons of the hit show.
Co-creator and executive producer Brad Falchuk told thousands of so-called “Gleeks” gathered at Comic-Con on Sunday that Rachel, Kurt and Finn “are not done with the show after this season.”
Reports surfaced last month that the three stars would not return for season four of the musical Fox series. Their characters are high school seniors who are set to graduate at the end of the season three.
“They’re seniors, they’re graduating, but just because they’re graduating doesn’t mean they’re leaving the show,” Falchuk told fans, noting that the actors remain under contract.
Associated Press