‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ tops weekend at box office

‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ tops weekend at box office

NEW YORK

The Coen brothers’ “Hail, Caesar!” and the Jane Austen-monster mashup “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” followed distantly behind “Kung Fu Panda 3,” which remained on top of the box office over Super Bowl weekend.

DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda” sequel earned an estimated $21 million in its second weekend of release, according to studio estimates Sunday. Joel and Ethan Coen’s ’50s Hollywood satire “Hail, Caesar!” opened in second place with an estimated $11.4 million in North American theaters for Universal Pictures.

Rounding out the top three at the box office were: “The Revenant,” $7.1 million, third place; “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” $6.9 million, fourth place; and “The Choice,” $6.1 million, fifth place.

‘Inside Out’ sweeps 43rd Annie Awards

LOS ANGELES

The 43rd annual Annie Awards were a joyous affair for “Inside Out.”

The Pixar release won the Annies’ top honor and 10 awards altogether at the ceremony Saturday evening at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles. Along with best animated feature, the film won best director for Peter Docter, best screenplay for Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley, and outstanding achievement in voice acting for Phyllis Smith, who voiced Sadness.

The wins further solidify “Inside Out” as the Oscar favorite. “The Good Dinosaur” gave Pixar an 11th Annie award for best animated effects in an animated movie.

Inarritu’s ‘Revenant’ wins top DGA prize

LOS ANGELES

An unclear cinematic season got a little foggier Saturday with Alejandro Inarritu’s Directors Guild win for his harrowing frontier epic “The Revenant.” With only weeks to go before the Academy Awards on Feb. 28, the race is still as wide open as ever.

Even the guilds are divided in their top awards. “Spotlight,” the drama detailing the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into sex abuses in the Catholic Church, won the Screen Actors Guild award for best ensemble, while the financial crisis dramedy “The Big Short” picked up the Producers Guild Award.

The DGA win for “The Revenant” is not insignificant. Inarritu won last year for the showbiz sendup “Birdman,” which went on to win the best picture and best director Oscar.

Associated Press