NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Star Wars’ blasts record with $238M opening weekend

LOS ANGELES

To say that the force is strong with this one is an understatement.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” brought in a galactic $238 million over the weekend, making it the biggest North American debut of all time, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Walt Disney Co. earnings destroy the previous opening record set by Universal’s “Jurassic World,” which drew $208.8 million this summer.

Internationally, the film brought in $279 million, bringing its global gross to $517 million – second only to “Jurassic World’s” global bow of $525 million. But the dinosaurs had the added benefit of China – “Star Wars” won’t open there until Jan. 9.

Almost a galaxy away, Fox’s animated “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” came in second with $14.4 million.

In third place, the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy “Sisters” earned an estimated $13.4 million out of the gates.

Miss Universe mistake

las vegas

The Miss Universe contestant from the Philippines is this year’s winner, but for one brief moment Sunday evening, it appeared as if it might be a repeat win for Colombia.

Colombia contestant Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo already was wearing the crown as this year’s Miss Universe winner when host Steve Harvey returned to apologize.

Harvey says it was his mistake and that he would take responsibility for not reading the card correctly that named contestant Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach this year’s winner and Colombia the first runner-up.

A mystified Wurtzbach appeared stunned as she walked to the front of the stage alongside the crown-wearing Arevalo before last year’s Miss Universe from Colombia removed the crown and placed it on Wurtzbach’s head instead.

NBCUniversal and Donald Trump co-owned the Miss Universe Organization until earlier this year. The real-estate developer offended Hispanics in June when he made anti-immigrant remarks in announcing his Republican presidential run.

That led Spanish-language network Univision to pull out of the broadcast for what would have been the first of five years airing the pageants and NBC to cut business ties with Trump.

Associated Press