Wrinkle in Time can’t beat Black Panther
T’Challa still rules the box office four weeks in, even with the fresh rivalry of another Walt Disney Studios release, A Wrinkle in Time.
Black Panther took the No. 1 spot in North America with $41.1 million (U.S.) according to studio estimates Sunday. The Marvel and Disney phenomenon crossed the $1-billion mark worldwide this weekend and became the seventh-highestgrossing domestic release, with $562 million. Not accounting for inflation, it’s now surpassed The Dark Knight.
It faced stiff competition from its own studio in Ava DuVernay’s adaption of the Madeleine L’Engle book A Wrinkle in Time, which opened in second place with $33.3 million from 3,980 locations.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore: 1. Black Panther, $41.1 million 2. A Wrinkle in Time, $33.3 million 3. The Strangers: Prey at Night, $10.5 million 4. Red Sparrow, $8.2 million 5. Game Night, $7.9 million 6. Peter Rabbit, $6.8 million 7. Death Wish, $6.6 million 8. The Hurricane Heist, $3.2 million 9. Annihilation, $3.2 million 10. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, $2.8 million The Associated Press
More tickets for Come From Away
Consider it an extended standing ovation. Beginning Tuesday, the homegrown hit musical Come From Away will offer standing- room-only tickets for those seeking last-minute entry to the high-demand show.
Sixteen tickets per performance will grant theatregoers a space to stand at the back of the ground-floor orchestra level. The tickets are priced at $25 apiece and will be available only in person at the Royal Alexandra Theatre box office on the day of performance, with a limit of two tickets per customer.
The newly minted production of the musical, with a Canadian cast, has seen soaring demand. Though tickets are now on sale through October, many performances through March and April are already sold out.
The only other time Mirvish added standing-room tickets was in December 2016 — the last time Come From Away was in town, for a short pre-Broadway run. Star staff
B.C. actor denies accusations
Actor Michael Coleman has denied what he calls a “whisper campaign” of sexual-harassment allegations against him, saying they have damaged his reputation and his career could be ruined.
Coleman, who co-founded a Vancouver acting school and is known for his role as Happy the dwarf in the television series Once Upon a Time, told a news conference Friday that he has never kissed or inappropriately touched any acting student, staff member or fan.
He directly addressed four separate allegations, which he said date back to 2009, including one involving inappropriate comments that he says came from a fake Twitter account in his name.
The complainants have not been identified and none of the allegations have been proven.
Coleman said the first allegation emerged in October at a town hall meeting held by the Union of B.C. Performers, which did not immediately return a request for comment.
After that, Coleman said that SchoolCreative Institute of the Arts launched an investigation.
He said he voluntarily stepped aside from an active role in the school to allow the investigation to take place, but it was never completed.
Scott Gamble, admissions director at SchoolCreative, said that to its knowledge, none of the allegations involved the school.
A group of about 10 protesters watched the news conference on Friday, holding signs reading, “We believe the women.” The Canadian Press
Briefly
Brace yourselves, Wonder Woman fans: the cast for the film’s sequel just got even more wonderful. Director Patty Jenkins confirmed on Twitter Friday that Kristen Wiig is joining the cast. She will play villain Cheetah, a rival to Wonder Woman who possesses superhuman strength and agility.
Canadian comedy star Norm Macdonald is getting a talk show on Netflix. The streaming service says it’s ordered 10 episodes of Norm Macdonald Has a Show. The program will feature one celebrity guest per episode, with the Quebec native as host and Adam Eget as his sidekick.
Comedian Kathy Griffin is embarking on her comeback, about nine months after she provoked outrage — and lost much of her work — by posing with a fake severed head that appeared to depict U.S. President Donald Trump. Griffin announced on HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday that she had booked upcoming shows at New York’s Carnegie Hall and at Washington’s Kennedy Center — “Trump’s backyard,” she called it.
Singer Lorna Luft, 65, the daughter of Judy Garland, was undergoing tests in a London hospital following an initial diagnosis of a brain tumour after she collapsed backstage Friday at a concert in London.
Shammi, an actress who appeared in about 200 Bollywood films and was beloved for her comedic roles as doting sisters, mothers and grandmothers, died Tuesday at her home in Mumbai. She was 89. Star wire services