‘Old’ wins quiet movie weekend
M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old” easily won a slower weekend at the North American box office, while the G.I. Joe pic “Snake Eyes” lived up to its name.
Although both are fresh offerings from major studios, moviegoers turned out in modest numbers on a weekend where there was the notable distraction
of the Olympics as well as rising concerns about the delta variant.
Universal on Sunday said that “Old” grossed an estimated $16.5 million. Paramount’s “Snake Eyes” origin story brought in an estimated $13.4 million in ticket sales.
While not wildly far apart in grosses, “Snake Eyes,” starring Henry Golding as the warrior-intraining, cost significantly more with a reported $88 million price tag.
Meanwhile “Old,” starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps as the heads of a family whose tropical vacation turns into a horror when they begin to rapidly age, was independently financed for around $18 million. Including international grosses, “Old,” which is based on the graphic novel “Sandcastle,” grossed $23 million worldwide in its first weekend.
Disney and Marvel’s “Black Widow” crept ahead to third place with $11.6 million, bringing its global total to $314.9 million, while last week’s No. 1 film “Space Jam: A New Legacy” grossed $9.6 million, down 69% from last weekend.
James Brown settlement:
The family of entertainer James Brown has reached a settlement ending a 15-year battle over the late singer’s estate, an attorney involved in the mediation said Friday.
David Black, an attorney representing Brown’s estate, confirmed to The Associated Press that the agreement was reached July 9. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Legal wrangling over the Godfather of Soul’s estate has been ongoing since his death at the age of 73 on Dec. 25, 2006.
More than a dozen lawsuits were filed over the years by people trying to lay claim to the singer’s assets, which courts have estimated to be worth anything from $5 million to more than $100 million.
Jolie-Pitt drama: Angelina Jolie scored a victory Friday in her divorce with Brad Pitt when a California appeals court agreed with her that the private judge deciding who gets custody of their children should be disqualified.
The 2nd District Court of Appeal agreed with Jolie that Judge John W. Ouderkirk didn’t sufficiently disclose business relationships with Pitt’s attorneys.
“Judge Ouderkirk’s ethical breach, considered together with the information disclosed concerning his recent professional relationships with Pitt’s counsel, might cause an objective person, aware of all the facts, reasonably to entertain a doubt as to the judge’s ability to be impartial. Disqualification is required,” the court ruled.
The decision means that the custody fight over the couple’s five minor children, which was nearing an end, could just be getting started. The judge already ruled the pair divorced, but separated the child custody issues.
Jolie and Pitt have six children: Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 12. Only the five minors are subject to custody decisions.
Jolie, 46, and Pitt, 57, were among Hollywood’s most prominent couples for 12 years. Ouderkirk officiated the couple’s 2014 wedding, then was hired to oversee their divorce when Jolie filed to dissolve the marriage in 2016. They were declared divorced in April 2019.
July 26 birthdays: Actor Robert Colbert is 90. Singer Darlene Love is 80. Singer Mick Jagger is 78. Actor Helen Mirren is 76. Singer Gary Cherone is 60. Actor Sandra Bullock is 57. Actor Kate Beckinsale is 48. Actor Monica Raymund is 35. Singeractor Taylor Momsen is 28.