‘Little Things’ is big at box office
Would audiences pay to see a new movie on the big screen if they could watch the same title at home? Prior to the pandemic, the response from theater operators and cinema purists would have been a resounding “no.”
Yet Hollywood is finding that, at least while the coronavirus rages, the answer is: “sorta.”
“The Little Things,” a crime thriller starring Denzel Washington and Rami Malek, topped domestic box office charts, debuting to $4.8 million from 2,171 venues in North America. At the same time, it was available to HBO Max subscribers for a monthly fee that’s less than a single movie ticket in some parts of the country. “The Little Things” is one of 17 films from Warner Bros. that will premiere simultaneously in cinemas and on the HBO Max streaming service.
In normal times, those box office receipts would spell disaster. But today, it actually ranks as one of the stronger COVID-19-era opening weekends. HBO Max didn’t report how many viewers opted to stream “The Little Things.” However, Warner Bros. and its parent company, WarnerMedia, said the film “immediately shot up to No. 1” on HBO Max. It’s unclear what that bench mark means.
John Lee Hancock directed “The Little Things,” which centers on two police officers trying to catch a serial killer.
‘CODA’ sets record at Sundance:
In a record-setting purchase, Apple Studios has emerged as the winner of “CODA,” the virtual Sundance sensation about a hearing girl who grapples with breaking away from her deaf family.
The studio paid close to $25 million for the film, breaking last year’s recording-setting “Palm Springs”
sale at north of $22 million.
Breakout lead Emilia Jones plays Ruby, the daughter of a charismatic and tight-knit deaf family on the coast of Massachusetts. Fishermen by birth for generations, Ruby is crucial to the daily lives of her clan as the only hearing person in the house. Her dream of singing leads to a scholarship opportunity that forces a life-changing choice.
Founding Animals guitarist dies:
Hilton Valentine, the founding guitarist of the English rock and roll band The Animals, has died. Valentine, who was 77, is credited with coming up with one of the most famous opening riffs of the 1960s.
The band’s label ABKCO Music confirmed Valentine died on Friday, saying it was told of his death by his wife, Germaine Valentine. The cause of death was not given.
Valentine took up the guitar at age 13 in his hometown of North Shields in northeast England, subsequently getting involved in the skiffle craze — a kind of fusion of American folk, country, jazz and blues — that was sweeping the U.K. His skiffle band The Heppers evolved into The
Wildcats, a rock and roll band that became popular across the north of England, partly because of Valentine’s habit of rolling on the ground while playing his guitar.
Having learned his craft, Valentine formed The Animals in 1963 alongside singer Eric Burdon, bassist Chas Chandler, organist Alan Price and drummer John Steel.
The band’s most famous hit came in 1964, when their rock-infused take of the folk song “The House of the Rising Sun” topped the charts in both the U.K. and the U.S. The song’s opening riff has been a rite of passage for budding guitarists around the world ever since.
Valentine remained with the band for four years and is also heard on its other classics, including “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.”
Feb. 1 birthdays:
Singer Don Everly is 84. Blues musician Sonny Landreth is 70. Singer Exene Cervenka of X is 65. Actor Michael C. Hall is 50. Rapper Big Boi is 46. TV personality Lauren Conrad is 35. Singer Harry Styles is 27.