Guilty pleasures
By NewsPress Now
‘Sonic 3’ and ‘Mufasa’ battle for No. 1 at the holiday box office
Two family films dominated the holiday box office this week, with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” winning the three-day weekend over “Mufasa” by a blue hair.
Paramount’s Sonic movie earned $38 million, while “Mufasa” brought in $37.1 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. On a normal weekend counting Friday, Saturday and Sunday ticket purchases, the winner would be somewhat clear. But when the Christmas holiday falls on a Wednesday as it did this year, the studios look at two sets of numbers: The five-day earnings and the three-day weekend earnings. With the five-day tally, The Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa” had the edge, bringing in $63.8 million.
It all adds up to a rather robust theatrical landscape, helped by the continued success of “Wicked” and “Moana 2,” which are on their sixth and fifth weekends, respectively.
The vampire horror “Nosferatu” also debuted fairly triumphantly. Robert Eggers’ modern reimagining of a 1922 silent film starring Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp rose to the top of a starry batch of Christmas Day newcomers, which included the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” with Timothée Chalamet; the erotic drama “Babygirl” with Nicole Kidman; and “The Fire Inside,” about boxer Claressa Shields.
“Nosferatu” landed in third place with $21.2 million from the weekend and $40.3 million from its first five days. Not accounting for inflation, it had the best Christmas Day opening ever for a genre film, with $11.6 million (besting “The Faculty’s” $4.4 million in 1998). Focus Features released the R-rated film in 2,992 theaters.
It was a gamble to open “Nosferatu” on Christmas, when family films or all-ages blockbusters tend to be prioritized. But it paid off, attracting the coveted 18 to 34-year-old demographic to theaters.
“It was a risky move, but we knew that we had such a great film,” said Lisa Bunnell, who leads distribution for Focus Features. “A lot of people thought we were insane. But I think the more that people thought we were crazy, the more we all felt like it was the right thing to do.”
The response to the unconventional counter-programming was gratifying. The sarcophagus-inspired popcorn buckets are even reselling for over $100.
“People keep talking about ‘how do we get people back into the movies?’ I think the only way you can get people to go back is to shake it up,” Bunnell said. “You don’t just spoon feed them the same things over and over again.”
The Bob Dylan movie, directed by James Mangold, also got off to a bright start with $11.6 million over the weekend and $23.2 million since Christmas. The 5-day total is a record for Searchlight Pictures since Disney acquired the company in early 2019. It’s been well received by both critics (96% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (A on CinemaScore) and will likely get more of a boost from the awards race.
“Babygirl,” an A24 release from filmmaker Halina Reijn, played on 2115 screens, earning $4.4 million over the weekend and $7.2 million since Christmas. The film stars Kidman as a married, buttoned-up CEO who begins an affair with a young intern at the company, played by Harris Dickinson. Kidman won the best acting prize for her performance at the Venice Film Festival.
“The Fire Inside,” from Amazon MGM Studios, meanwhile got a bit lost in the mix despite strong reviews. It has earned a total of $4.3 million, with $2 million coming from weekend showings where it played in 2006 theaters.
Thanksgiving releases continued to perform well through the Christmas timeframe. Fourth place went to “Wicked,” which earned another $19.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $424.2 million. On Tuesday, the lavish movie musical will also be available to rent or purchase at home. It’s a move that has drawn some critics who believe making it available at home after only 40 days in theaters will cannibalize profits.
“Moana 2” rounded out the top five films this weekend with $18.2 million. The Disney movie has made $882.5 million globally and is closing in on $400 million domestically.
Christmas Day itself was massive for the industry, with $61 million in ticket sales. Thursday was nearly as big, with $50 million.
“Every day was like Saturday at the box office because of the way the holidays lined up,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst.
Comscore is projecting that the year will net out with about $8.75 billion in domestic box office receipts. That’s down about 3.3% from last year, which cracked $9 billion, and the pre-pandemic normal of $11 billion.
Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78
Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster who broke barriers during his career calling some of the biggest sporting events, has died from cancer, according to a statement from his family released by the network on Friday. He was 78.
“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten,” wife Marcy Gumbel and daughter Michelle Gumbel said in a statement.
In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues.
Gumbel was the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties.
In 2001, he announced Super Bowl 35 for CBS, becoming the first Black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship.
David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Gumbel as someone who broke barriers and set standards for others during his years as a voice for fans in sports, including in the NFL and March Madness.
“A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time,” Berson said.
Gumbel had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998.
Sean McManus said of all the moves he made in his nearly 27 1/2 years leading CBS Sports, one of his proudest was bringing Gumbel back.
“Not only did he elevate our NFL and NCAA coverage to a new level, but his kindness, generosity, sense of humor and unselfishness were second to none. When he was around, he made everyone from the researchers to the technicians to the executives feel like he was their best friend,” said McManus, who retired as CBS Sports chairman in April. “His love for his family was always the foundation of his life. There will never be another Greg Gumbel, and our industry and this world is a sadder place without him.”
Gumbel hosted CBS’ coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during its four-year run broadcasting the national pastime. In 1995, he hosted the world figure skating championships and the following year hosted NBC’s daytime coverage of the Atlanta Summer Olympics.
But it was football and basketball where he was best known and made his biggest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS’ NFL studio show, “The NFL Today,” from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004-05.
Earlier this year, Gumbel recalled replacing Brent Musburger as host of “The NFL Today” in 1990, describing it as intimidating and daunting.
“The fact that I got to sit in the same chair and do the same thing or try to do the same thing that he did was an incredible honor,” he said.
Gumbel also called NFL games as the network’s lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl 35 and 38. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving that role after the 2022 season.
“Like all who knew and loved him, I too am saddened by his death, yet also so very grateful to have known him in my life,” Clark Kellogg, a CBS Sports college basketball game and studio analyst, said in a statement. “What a gift to be touched by such a good man and partner.”
Gumbel was the older brother of Bryant Gumbel, the host of NBC’s “Today” show and “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” on HBO. Bryant Gumbel received a lifetime achievement award at the Sports Emmys in 2003.
Greg Gumbel grew up in Chicago and graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1967 with a degree in English. He had plans to become an English teacher, but after his brother got into sportscasting, he auditioned at WMAQ-TV, an NBC affiliate in Chicago in 1973, according to the book “You Are Looking Live!: How The NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting.” He was soon offered a position as weekend sports anchor.
“I’m kind of surprised I got the job. I certainly wasn’t anyone who was polished,” he said in the book. “By my own reckoning, it took me a good year to start to feel comfortable in front of a camera.”
Gumbel also worked for ESPN and the Madison Square Garden network.
James Brown, who currently hosts “The NFL Today,” described Gumbel on Friday as “Mr. Versatility and also very telegenic.”
“It was my pleasure to call him a friend and one who could do anything that was given to him in the wake of an assignment,” he added.
Gumbel won local Emmy Awards during his long career and was the recipient of the 2007 Pat Summerall Award for excellence in sports broadcasting.
Outside of his broadcast career, he was affiliated with the March of Dimes for three decades, including as a member of its board of trustees. He also was a member of the Sports Council for St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for 16 years.
‘Morrison Hotel’ made famous by The Doors goes up in flames
The former Morrison Hotel, made famous by The Doors and their 1970 album of the same name, was significantly damaged by a fire that erupted in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday.
The four-story building, which has been vacant more than a decade, burned for nearly two hours before more than 100 firefighters brought the flames under control, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The Morrison Hotel was featured on the cover of The Doors’ fifth album. Celebrated music photographer Henry Diltz made the image in 1969 and said years later that it took a little trickery to pull it off.
A hotel clerk told the band they weren’t allowed to take photos inside, but when the clerk stepped away, the group ran into the lobby and Diltz quickly got the photo looking through the window, with legendary frontman Jim Morrison in the middle.
“It was a great old wooden building with many small rooms upstairs where transients and drinkers could sleep it off on a cot for $2.50 a night!” Diltz told The Associated Press on Friday. “I think the beautiful front window with “Morrison Hotel” in red letters was the best part of it! So did The Doors!”
The album was viewed as a comeback to their roots for The Doors, coming on the heels of Morrison’s on-stage arrest at a Miami concert that saw him convicted of indecent exposure and profanity.
Morrison and The Doors would release one final album, “L.A. Woman,” before he was found dead in a Paris bathtub on July 3, 1971.
Los Angeles firefighters who first arrived at the blaze on Thursday found heavy flames on the building’s top floor.
Several people who were in the building escaped without injuries, including three people rescued by firefighters from the third floor, according to the department. The building’s roof collapsed, leaving its structural integrity in doubt, the department said.
The building in recent years had been used as a training site for firefighters.
—From AP reports
