newsmakers

newsmakers

‘Dark Knight’ stays on top with $64M

LOS ANGELES

“The Dark Knight Rises” stayed atop the box office for the second-straight weekend, making just over $64 million. But it’s lagging behind the staggering numbers of its predecessor, 2008’s “The Dark Knight.”

The final piece in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has grossed more than $289 million in its first 10 days in theaters. It dropped 60 percent from its opening weekend of $160.9 million.

By comparison, “The Dark Knight” took a 53 percent drop in its second weekend with a gross of nearly $75.2 million and a 10-day cumulative gross of $313.8 million.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., declined to comment on the Sunday estimates again out of respect for the victims of the Aurora, Colo., shooting that left 12 people dead and 58 injured at a midnight showing of the film on opening night.

In second place this weekend was the animated family film “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” which is still going strong in its third week. It made $13.3 million for a domestic total of nearly $114.9 million. The fourth movie in the 20th Century Fox franchise features the voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary and Queen Latifah.

The 20th Century Fox comedy “The Watch” came in third place with $13 million. Big-name comic actors Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill play a group of guys who come together to form a neighborhood watch; despite the star power, the film was panned critically.

Olympics: NBC critics loud on social media

NEW YORK

In the age of social media, NBC now has millions of television critics who make their opinions known about every aspect of Olympics coverage instantly.

They’ve even set up their own hashtag on Twitter: #nbcfail. The online complaints focused Saturday on NBC’s decision to air the marquee swimming event won by American Ryan Lochte on tape delay in prime time, and Friday on the network’s not streaming the opening ceremony online. Sunday’s critics started early: people wondering why the U.S. men’s basketball team’s opening game aired on a cable network while women’s cycling was shown on NBC.

The conversation is so active that NBC’s executive producer of the games, Jim Bell, took to Twitter to answer critics and even change the way NBC is doing something in response.

Ailing Tom Jones cancels Olympic gig

LONDON

Tom Jones has apologized to fans after pulling out of an Olympic celebration concert in London after contracting bronchitis.

The 72-year-old Welsh crooner had been due to entertain tens of thousands of people at the outdoor concert in Hyde Park on Saturday. He was replaced by British singer Will Young.

Jones tweeted “sorry to all,” adding that doctors had ordered him to cancel gigs scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

The concert was part of the BT London Live series that is offering fans without Olympic tickets an opportunity to listen to music and watch sports on big screens.

Associated Press