NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Puss in Boots’ stomps ‘Heist’ at box office

LOS ANGELES

“Puss in Boots” pounced on “Tower Heist” and “Harold & Kumar” at the box office.

The DreamWorks 3-D animated film, distributed by Paramount Pictures, earned $33 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The PG-rated film centering on the swashbuckling feline voiced by Antonio Banderas from the “Shrek” series surprisingly toppled the weekend’s two new releases, bringing its total haul to $75 million.

Universal’s PG-13 revenge romp “Tower Heist” starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy palmed $25.1 million in the No. 2 spot, while the Warner Bros. R-rated sequel “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” with John Cho and Kal Penn unwrapped $13 million at No. 3.

Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com, said family films are tough to beat out.

Aretha Franklin honored in Cleveland

CLEVELAND

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was honored with a star-studded tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on Saturday night.

The Plain Dealer reports that Franklin’s songs were performed by the likes of Lauryn Hill, Dennis Edwards of the Temptations and Chaka Khan.

The 69-year-old soul singer was not scheduled to perform, but toward the end of the three-hour event she sat behind a piano and traded lines with Edwards in a rendition of “A Song for You.”

During the event, Franklin received a key to the city from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and an honorary doctorate from Case Western Reserve University.

The show ended a weeklong American Music Masters tribute to Franklin.

Associated Press