With $220M, ‘Last Jedi’ opens first at box office

With $220M, ‘Last Jedi’ opens first at box office

NEW YORK

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” will happily settle for second.

Rian Johnson’s second installment in the third “Star Wars” trilogy rocketed to a debut of $220 million at the North American box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. That gives “The Last Jedi” the second-best opening ever, slotting in behind only its predecessor, “The Force Awakens,” which earned $248.8 million.

Fox was the only studio to open another new wide-release film against “The Last Jedi.” Its family film, “Ferdinand,” came in second place, grossing $13.3 million.

Rounding out the top five at the box office were: “Coco,” $10 million, third place; “Wonder,” $5.4 million, fourth place; and “Justice League,” $4.2 million, fifth place.

Prince Harry interviews Obama for radio show

LONDON

Britain’s Prince Harry has interviewed Barack Obama for a radio program in which the former U.S. president shared his memories of the day he left office and his hopes.

Kensington Palace said Sunday the interview was recorded in Toronto in September during the Invictus Games, a sports event for injured military personnel that Harry championed.

The palace said the conversation featured Obama discussing his plans to cultivate the next generation of leadership through the Obama Foundation.

The interview was part of Harry’s guest editorship of the BBC’s Today program. In a video clip on the BBC website showing Harry and Obama warming up ahead of the chat, Obama joked: “Do I need a British accent?”

The interview will be broadcast Dec. 27.

Jazz, pop singer Keely Smith dies at 89

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.

Keely Smith, a pop and jazz singer known for her solo recordings of jazz standards as well as her musical partnership with Louis Prima, has died of apparent heart failure in Palm Springs. She was 89.

According to a news release from her publicist Bob Merlis, Smith was under a physician’s care when she died Saturday.

Smith was born Dorothy Jacqueline Keely in Norfolk, Va., on March 9, 1928, and was still a teenager when she began singing with Louis Prima’s band. She and Prima married in 1953, and together they won a Grammy for their hit, “That Old Black Magic” in 1959. In 2001 – 42 years later – Smith was nominated for a Grammy for her album “Keely Sings Sinatra.”

During her seven-decade career Smith was lauded by critics for her bold voice and ability to make the music swing.

Associated Press