‘Suicide Squad’ sets record

‘Suicide Squad’ sets record

NEW YORK

The supervillain romp “Suicide Squad” shrugged off scathing reviews to open with an estimated $135.1 million in North American ticket sales, scoring one of the year’s biggest box-office debuts.

Pressure had risen on the performance of the Warner Bros. film, directed by David Ayer, after the studio’s previous poorly received DC Comics film, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” But “Suicide Squad” proved a massive draw despite its much-derided lead-in. It set a record for an August opening, easily besting Marvel’s 2014 hit “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which debuted with $94.3 million.

Rounding out the top five at the box office were: “Jason Bourne,” $22.7 million, second place; “Bad Moms,” $14.2 million, third place; “The Secret Life of Pets,” $11.6 million, fourth place; and “Star Trek Beyond,” $10.2 million, fifth place.

Ricci Martin, Dean’s son, dies

NEW YORK

Ricci Martin, the musician son of entertainment legend Dean Martin, has died. He was 62.

Martin died Wednesday at his home in Utah, his family announced Saturday. A cause of death has not been determined.

The youngest son of Dean Martin, Ricci Martin became an entertainer himself. In the 1990s, he joined the band Dino, taking the place of his late brother Dean Paul Martin. Martin later performed a touring tribute show to his father, singing his hits and telling stories.

In 2002, Martin wrote a memoir, “That’s Amore,” about growing up in Beverly Hills, Calif., as a member of the famous family.

Woody Allen’s Amazon series gets fall debut date, title

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.

Woody Allen’s first small-screen series will debut on Amazon this fall.

The streaming service announced the Sept. 30 debut date as well as the title for Allen’s project: “Crisis in Sex Scenes.” The comedy, set during the upheaval of the 1960s, focuses on a suburban family dealing with the chaos brought by a visitor. The cast includes Allen, Miley Cyrus and Elaine May.

It’s one of several new comedies to be released this fall, Amazon said Sunday, beginning with comedian Tig Notaro’s “One Mississippi,” inspired by events in her life and debuting Sept. 9.

It will be followed Sept. 16 by playwright Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “Fleabag,” about modern life in London and starring and written by her.

Associated Press