‘Jumanji’ again wins the weekend; ‘12 Strong’ second

‘Jumanji’ again wins the weekend; ‘12 Strong’ second

NEW YORK

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” outdid another weekend’s worth of newcomers to top the North American box office for the third straight weekend, making the surprise hit the fifth-highest grossing film of all time for Sony Pictures.

“Jumanji,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, sold $20 million in tickets, according to studio estimates Sunday, bringing its five-week domestic total to $317 million. That makes Sony’s reboot the studio’s best non-Spider-Man movie domestically, not adjusting for inflation.

The film’s unexpectedly strong staying power has lent a boost to the January box office but kept new releases from reaching the top of the box-office chart. “Jumanji” has also reigned overseas, where it has grossed $450.8 million and topped all films internationally for three straight weeks.

The war drama “12 Strong,” starring Chris Hemsworth, debuted in second with $16.5 million in ticket sales. The Warner Bros. release, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, is a fact-based tale, adapted from Doug Stanton’s best-seller “Horse Soldiers,” about a group of Special Forces soldiers sent into northern Afghanistan just weeks after Sept. 11.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final four-day domestic figures will be released today.

1. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” $20 million ($32.6 million international).

2. “12 Strong,” $16.5 million ($2.5 million international).

3. “Den of Thieves,” $15.3 million ($1.3 million international).

4. “The Post,” $12.2 million ($6.6 million international).

5. “The Greatest Showman,” $11 million ($11 million international).

TV meteorologist who helped launch Weather Channel dies

LAS VEGAS

John Coleman, who co-founded the Weather Channel and was the original meteorologist on ABC’s “Good Morning America” during a six-decade broadcasting career, has died, his wife said Sunday. He was 83.

Linda Coleman told The Associated Press her husband died Saturday night at home in Las Vegas. She did not give a cause.

The Texas native got his first TV job while still a student at the University of Illinois. Coleman worked at several local stations in Chicago and the Midwest before joining “GMA” when it launched in 1975, staying with the program for seven years.

He served as CEO of the Weather Channel for about a year after helping launch it in 1981.

Jim Rodford, ex-bassist of The Kinks and The Zombies, dies

LONDON

Former Kinks bassist Jim Rodford has died after a fall. He was 76.

The Zombies, the group Rodford had played with since 1999, confirmed the death of the British musician on their Facebook page Saturday.

Zombies co-founder Rod Argent says his cousin and longtime bandmate was a “magnificent bass player.”

Rodford joined The Kinks in 1978, touring with the group and playing on its later albums. Ray Davies, The Kinks’ co-founder, tweeted that Rodford was “an integral part of the Kinks’ later years.”

Argent also highlighted Rodford’s commitment to music in St Albans, north of London, where he lived his entire life.

Argent says, “Jim’s life was dedicated to music. He was unfailingly committed to local music – an ever-present member of the local scene in St. Albans.”

Associated Press