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Final ‘Star Wars’ sets box office records
Los Angeles – Moviegoers have turned out in full force for the final chapter of the “Star Wars” saga, which took in $158.5 million since its opening to shatter three-day and four-day box office records.
“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” grossed $124.7 million from Thursday to Saturday, according to studio estimates Sunday. That’s higher than the three-day record set by the first “Spider-Man,” which took in $114.8 million in May 2002 – though “Star Wars” had a lower Friday-Sunday take ($108.5 million) than the Tobey Maguire film.
“Revenge of the Sith” rang in a whopping $50 million on its opening Thursday, a single-day record boosted by eagerly anticipated midnight showings, and its total receipts since then beat the four-day $134.3 million opening of 2003’s “The Matrix Reloaded.” The George Lucas film has also grossed $144.7 million overseas for a total of $303 million worldwide.
“The reaction to the movie is absolutely spectacular,” said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution at Twentieth Century Fox.
Last weekend’s box office champ, “Monster-in-Law,” which marked Jane Fonda’s return to the big screen as Jennifer Lopez’s villainous prospective mother-in-law, slipped to a distant second with $14.4 million, a 38 percent drop. The Will Ferrell soccer comedy “Kicking & Screaming” took in $10.5 million to finish third.
Theater owners, studios and marketing partners were pleased to see “Star Wars” jump-start the summer movie season.
“It’s a very strong start to what will hopefully be a very strong summer,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc:
1. “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” $108.5 million.
2. “Monster-in-Law,” $14.4 million.
3. “Kicking & Screaming,” $10.5 million.
4. “Crash,” $5.5 million.
5. “Unleashed,” $3.8 million.
Beatty thinks he could do better than ‘The Terminator’
Berkeley, Calif. – Warren Beatty says he isn’t ruling out running for governor of California, and thinks he could do a better job than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“I don’t think anyone should ever rule public service out,” Beatty said. “It’s a way of saying, ‘Take me out of the mix and don’t listen to me any more.”‘
The actor made the remark after giving a commencement address to graduates of University of California Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy. Beatty, who has been involved in politics for years, played a senator in the 1998 movie “Bulworth” and entertained the idea of running for the presidency six years ago.
Beatty, 68, said he has “a real soft spot for actors even if they are right wing,” and has always liked Schwarzenegger. But the former action star is a politician who should “rise to the higher level of that calling,” Beatty said, and not denigrate fellow politicians by mocking them as “girlie men,” as the governor did of Democratic lawmakers last summer.
Harvey airs last shows
Los Angeles – Comedian Steve Harvey has signed off for the final time after five years as host of a morning radio show that delivered one-liners, political commentary and hip-hop.
“The Steve Harvey Morning Show” on KKBT-FM featured a mix of Harvey’s advocacy for the city’s black community, ruminations on everyday life and interviews with local and national political figures. The show, which also aired in Dallas, ended Friday.
“As I close the door on this chapter, please know that the people of Los Angeles have made me a better person, and I thank them for that,” Harvey said.
The WB network also announced this week it was canceling Harvey’s TV variety show, “Steve Harvey’s Big Time Challenge.”
KKBT general manager Sue Freund said Harvey wanted to spend more time with his family and take a break, but was discussing possible future projects with the station’s parent company, Washington, D.C.-based Radio One Inc.
‘Partridge Family’ mom gets honorary degree
Washington, Pa. – Shirley Jones is finally getting the college degree that was delayed by a 50-plus-year career on Broadway, in movies and portraying the rock ‘n’ roll mom to television’s Partridge Family.
Jones, 71, received an honorary degree at Washington & Jefferson College’s graduation ceremony Saturday.
Jones was raised in Smithton, Pa., about 25 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. After graduating from high school, Jones planned to study veterinary medicine – after she returned from a summer trip to New York City.
But Jones tried out for the chorus of “South Pacific” and Rogers and Hammerstein cast her in the Broadway production.
“I wanted to become a veterinarian. As God would have it, I was given another path to follow,” Jones said. “But I most miss not necessarily getting the degree, but the broad experiences you can only get in college.”