NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Madagascar 3,’ ‘Prometheus’ team up for big weekend

LOS ANGELES

Circus animals and space beasts have lifted Hollywood to a huge weekend.

The cuddly critters of “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” led the weekend with a $60.4 million debut domestically, followed by a big opening for Ridley Scott’s alien saga “Prometheus” at No. 2 with $50 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

DreamWorks Animation’s “Madagascar 3” was the family favorite for the weekend, reuniting voice stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer as the zoo animals continue their travels by joining a circus.

“Prometheus,” from 20th Century Fox, stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron in an offshoot of director’s Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror tale “Alien.”

The previous weekend’s top draw, Universal’s “Snow White & the Huntsman,” slipped to third-place with $23 million, raising its domestic total to $98.5 million.

Sony’s “Men in Black 3” finished fourth with $13.5 million, putting its domestic receipts at $135.5 million.

The superhero smash “The Avengers,” from Disney’s Marvel Studios, was No. 5 with $10.8 million.

Les Paul guitar auction fetches nearly $5 million

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.

An auction of guitars and memorabilia owned by the late Les Paul, known as the godfather of the electric guitar, has raised nearly $5 million for a foundation in his name benefiting music education and innovation.

Julien’s Auctions of Beverly Hills said Sunday that the two-day sale fetched record-setting prices for guitars. The items most coveted by rock musicians, museum curators and collectors included a 1951 Fender No-Caster, which sold for $216,000, a 1982 Gibson Les Paul that went for $180,000 and a 1940s Epiphone Zephyr that fetched $144,000.

Paul invented one of the world’s most widely played guitars, the Gibson Les Paul. The sale concluded Saturday, on what would have been his 97th birthday.

Tom Cruise rocks out in London for premiere

LONDON

Tom Cruise is rocking London with the European premiere of his new film “Rock of Ages,” a tribute to the big-haired, big-riffing glam metal sound of the 1980s.

Cruise, who plays a tattooed — and frequently shirtless — rock star, is to be joined on the red carpet in London’s Leicester Square on Sunday by fellow stars Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti and Mary J. Blige.

Based on the musical hit, the film tells the story of small town girl Sherrie (Hough) and city boy Drew (Diego Boneta) who share a dream of reaching dizzying heights in Hollywood. Their glittery romance is set to a soundtrack that includes hits from Def Leppard, Foreigner, Bon Jovi and Poison.

“Rock of Ages” is being released in the U.S. and the U.K. on Friday.

Actor Donald Sutherland is honored in France

PARIS

Actor Donald Sutherland has been awarded the honor Commander of the Arts in France for his contribution to cinema.

Sutherland was decorated Saturday evening at a ceremony in Paris by former French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand, who praised the Canadian star’s “extraordinary” career — with diverse roles in films such as Federico Fellini’s “Casanova.”

There were chuckles as Mitterrand struggled to tie the medallion around the 76-year-old actor, who sported the long silver hair last seen for his role in blockbuster movie “The Hunger Games.”

Innovative blues, jazz guitarist Pete Cosey dies

CHICAGO

Pete Cosey, an innovative guitarist who brought his distinctive distorted sound to recordings with Miles Davis, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, has died, his daughter says. He was 68.

Mariama Cosey says her father died May 30 of complications from surgery in Chicago.

Pete Cosey was born in Chicago, and later moved to Arizona, where, according to a Chicago Tribune article, he started to develop his unique sound.

In the 1960s, Cosey was a member of the studio band at Chess Records in Chicago, where he played with Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Cosey also played on many of Miles Davis’ boundary-pushing recordings in the 1970s.

Associated Press