NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Snow White’ puts bite on the box office

LOS ANGELES

“Snow White & the Huntsman” turned out to be a fairer box-office beauty than Hollywood anticipated.

According to studio estimates Sunday, Universal Pictures’ action yarn debuted at No. 1 with $56.3 million domestically. That’s about $20 million higher than industry expectations.

“Snow White” bumped Sony’s “Men in Black 3” from into second-place with $29.3 million. The Will Smith-Tommy Lee Jones sequel raised its domestic total to $112.3 million.

Disney’s superhero sensation “The Avengers” remained strong at No. 3 with $20.3 million, lifting its domestic total to $552.7 million.

Rounding out the top five were “Battleship” with $4.8 million, fourth place; and “The Dictator” with $4.7 million, fifth place.

Alexander apologizes for ‘gay’ cricket remark

LOS ANGELES

Actor Jason Alexander has apologized for joking during a TV talk show that he considers cricket to be a “gay” sport.

In a blog post, the former “Seinfeld” star explained Sunday what led to his remark on CBS’s “Late Late Show.” He writes that he at first didn’t grasp why some might object to the comment, but that subsequent conversations with his gay friends led him to realize his insensitivity.

Queen leads flotilla

LONDON

The River Thames became a royal highway Sunday, as Queen Elizabeth II led a flotilla of more than 1,000 vessels in a waterborne pageant to mark her Diamond Jubilee.

An armada of skiffs and sailboats, rowboats and paddle steamers joined a royal barge down a 7-mile stretch of London’s river.

With a crowd of spectators estimated by organizers at 1.25 million cheering from the riverbanks, the pageant was the largest public event in four days of celebrations of the monarch’s 60 years on the throne.

Associated Press