People

‘Harry Potter’ retains No. 1 magic

Los Angeles — The boy wizard held off an interstellar fugitive, robotic wives and a talking cat to maintain his sway at movie theaters.

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” was the top movie for a second weekend, taking in $35.1 million to lift its 10-day total to $158.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

“Shrek 2” held up well in its fourth weekend, slipping from second to third place with $24 million but pushing its domestic haul to $354 million. That made it the top-grossing animated movie ever, passing the $339.7 million gross of “Finding Nemo.”

Other estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.:

2. “The Chronicles of Riddick,” $24.6 million.

4. “The Stepford Wives,” $22.2 million.

5. “Garfield: The Movie,” $21.7 million.

It’s a girl for Courteney Cox

Los Angeles — Former “Friends” star Courteney Cox and her husband, actor David Arquette, became parents early on Sunday, after years of trying, People magazine reported.

Cox, who turns 40 on Tuesday, gave birth to a girl in an unidentified Los Angeles hospital, according to a report on the Web site for People magazine, www.people.com.

The magazine said Cox checked into the hospital on Saturday, a week before the baby’s due date and was in labor through the night. The baby has yet to be named, it said.

Cox and Arquette have spoken publicly of their attempts to have a child, including miscarriages that Cox has suffered.

When reality bites

Lincoln, Neb. — TV reality star Anna Nicole Smith, recovering from two broken ribs, considered canceling an appearance at an HIV/AIDS benefit for children but showed up after all.

Smith said she was “very much in pain” when she arrived in Lincoln. But, “I love children. I’m doing this for the kids.”

The 36-year-old model appeared at the Rococo Theater for Saturday’s fund-raiser with Jerri Manthey of “Survivor,” Hilarie Burton of “One Tree Hill,” and Lincoln native Jon Kelley, who appears on television’s “Extra.”

Smith suffered two broken ribs in a fall from a watercraft while filming “The Anna Nicole Show.”

Garcia’s wine selling just fine

Los Angeles — The late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia was many things: musician, artist, writer, composer.

Wine connoisseur wasn’t really one of them, even though J. Garcia wine, released last year, sold out its first shipment of 22,000 cases in just 30 days, according to the Clos du Bois winery, which is producing it with the approval of Garcia’s estate. A second batch of wines, more than 30,000 cases of merlot, zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon, recently arrived in stores.

“Quite honestly, Jerry was not really a big drinker,” said Grateful Dead biographer and longtime Garcia friend Dennis McNally. “But he did have his occasional glass of wine.”

Garcia died of a heart attack in 1995.