NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Furious 7’ holds on to box office’s top spot

NEW YORK

“Furious 7” enjoyed a victory lap over the weekend, becoming only the third film ever to make $1 billion internationally and leading the domestic box office for the fourth-straight week. But the movie that’s poised to topple the Universal juggernaut, Marvel’s “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” revved up overseas with a massive $201.2 million debut.

The Sony comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” held up stronger than expected to take second place with $15.5 million in its second week. The only new wide release was the Blake Lively fantasy romance “The Age of Adaline.” The Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment release came in third with $13.4 million.

In fourth place was “Home” with $8.3 million; in fifth place was “Unfriended” with $6.2 million.

Hayek visits Lebanon to launch ‘The Prophet’

BCHARRE, Lebanon

Salma Hayek is in Lebanon, her first visit to her ancestral homeland, to launch “The Prophet,” an animated feature film she co-produced.

Hayek visited the picturesque mountain village of Bcharre in northern Lebanon on Sunday to pay homage to Khalil Gibran, the Lebanese-born poet who wrote “The Prophet,” the book on which the film is based.

“Let us have a private moment in this place that we dreamt so long to be a part of,” Hayek said before entering the Gibran Museum.

“The Prophet,” written in 1923, has inspired generations of artists. The book, a series of poems about love, joy, sorrow, work and spirituality, has been translated into at least 40 languages.

The film tells the story of a friendship between a young girl and an imprisoned poet.

“The Prophet” director Roger Allers, who also directed Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King,” accompanied Hayek.

Associated Press