NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Fast 6’ hangs onto first place at box office

LOS ANGELES

With its supercharged muscle cars, “Fast & Furious 6” raced to first place at the box office for the second-consecutive weekend.

The Universal Pictures release is expected to add another $34.5 million to its North American ticket sales, keeping it in the No. 1 spot.

Among the new original offerings was the magic-heist thriller “Now You See Me,” which exceeded industry expectations to debut in second place with $28.1 million.

“After Earth,” the futuristic caper starring father-and-son team Will Smith and Jaden Smith, opened to $27 million, good for third place.

Fox’s animated “Epic” and Paramount’s “Star Trek: Into Darkness” tied for fourth place with $16.4 million each, while “The Hangover Part III” was fifth with $15.9 million.

Source: Bruno Mars’ mother dies at age 55

NEW YORK

The mother of Grammy-winning pop star Bruno Mars has died in Hawaii.

Bernadette Hernandez died Saturday of a brain aneurysm, according to a publicist for Mars’ label, Atlantic Records, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak on the record.

Hernandez was 55 years old. She died in Honolulu at Queens Medical Center; no other information was given.

Mars is one of pop’s top acts with several No. 1 hits including his most recent, “When I Was Your Man.”

Jolie joins Pitt at ‘World War Z’ premiere

LONDON

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stepped out together Sunday at the premiere of zombie thriller “World War Z” — Jolie’s first public appearance since announcing last month that she had undergone a double mastectomy.

The couple walked a black, rather than red, carpet at the world premiere Sunday of the big-budget film, which stars Pitt as a United Nations employee battling to save the world from a zombie apocalypse.

Jolie told reporters she felt great, and had “been very happy to see the discussion of women’s health expanded” by her announcement.

Jolie revealed last month in an op-ed piece for The New York Times that she had had her breasts removed after discovering she has an inherited genetic mutation that puts her at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Jolie’s mother Marcheline Bertrand died from ovarian cancer at 56, and the actress’ aunt died of breast cancer last month.

Napster co-founder Parker ties the knot

BIG SUR, Calif.

A spokesman for former Facebook president and Napster co-founder Sean Parker says the wealthy Web entrepreneur has married singer-songwriter Alexandra Lenas.

Matthew Hiltzik says the couple wed Saturday.

Parker helped start the music-sharing site Napster and was an early Facebook adviser who served as its first president. He was portrayed by Justin Timberlake in the movie “The Social Network.”

Forbes estimates the 33-year-old’s net worth at $2 billion.

Associated Press