newsmakers

newsmakers

‘Hunger Games’ earns $61.1M to top ‘Titans’

LOS ANGELES

“The Hunger Games” is still the first item on the menu for movie fans, taking in $61.1 million to remain the No. 1 film in its second weekend.

Studio estimates Sunday put Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games” well ahead of Sam Worthington’s action sequel “Wrath of the Titans,” which opened in second-place with $34.2 million.

That’s far below the $61.2 million opening of its predecessor, “Clash of the Titans,” two years ago. But distributor Warner Bros. opened “Clash” on Easter weekend, when young fans already were off school and in holiday mode. With Easter coming next weekend, the studio expects “Wrath” to catch up to “Clash” in the next few weeks.

Julia Roberts’ comic “Snow White” reinvention “Mirror Mirror” debuted at No. 3 with $19 million. Released by Relativity Media, the film casts Roberts as the wicked queen opposite Lily Collins as Snow White.

Public pays last respects to Scruggs

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

Mourners gathered Sunday in the country music capital to pay last respects to bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs.

A public funeral was set at the Ryman Auditorium near a cluster of downtown honky-tonks where Scruggs’ music is still played. His plaque in the Country Music Hall of Fame is three blocks away.

The Academy of Country Music planned a tribute Sunday night at its annual awards show in Las Vegas.

The pioneering banjo player who teamed for 20 years with guitarist Lester Flatt died Wednesday at age 88.

Flatt and Scruggs were best known for their song “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” from “The Beverly Hillbillies” TV series. For many viewers, the hummable theme song was their first introduction to country music. Flatt died in 1979.

As rock ‘n’ roll threatened country music’s popularity 50 years ago, Flatt and Scruggs became symbols of traditional country music. They went their separate ways in 1969.

Sandler sets record with Razzies sweep

LOS ANGELES

Adam Sandler and friends have scored a new high — or low — among voters of the Razzies, an Academy Awards spoof that presents prizes for the year’s worst movies.

Sandler’s “Jack and Jill” managed a Razzies first on Sunday, claiming 10 awards to sweep every single category. Along with the movie’s worst-picture award, Sandler won for both worst actor and actress for his dual roles in “Jack and Jill,” in which he plays a family man and his own pesky sister.

Al Pacino won as worst supporting actor for playing himself in “Jack and Jill,” while Sandler pal David Spade was named worst supporting actress for his own cross-dressing role in the movie.

WrestleMania 28 rules

MIAMI

Pro wrestling continued its weeklong stranglehold — or is it chokehold? — on South Florida’s attention Sunday night with WrestleMania 28, the unofficial Super Bowl of the massively popular pseudo-sport.

World Wrestling Entertainment, known more commonly as WWE, these days readily acknowledges the scripted nature of its matches.

For fans, none of that really matters. They don’t know the results going in, and Sunday’s WrestleMania included an extra helping of suspense and drama with the return of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who went head-to-head with WWE icon John Cena.

Who won that clash of the titans? The Rock, of course, to an eruption of inevitable, thundering cheers from the hometown crowd. During the bout, one fan held up a sign that said, “If Cena wins, we riot.” Besides, Johnson’s victory now sets the stage of a rematch.

Sunday’s string of wrestling matches at the Miami Dolphins’ Sun Life stadium attracted a crowd of 78,363 ,which WWE claimed was a SunLife record.

Associated Press and MCT