Ed Sheeran has COVID, will do performances from home

LONDON » British pop star Ed Sheeran said Sunday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will do interviews and performances from his house while he self-isolates.

Sheeran, 30, broke the news on social media days before his new studio album is due out.

“Quick note to tell you that I’ve sadly tested positive for Covid, so I’m now self-isolating and following government guidelines,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram. “It means that I’m now unable to plough ahead with any in person commitments for now, so I’ll be doing as many of my planned interviews/performances I can from my house. Apologies to anyone I’ve let down.”

Despite hybrid release, ‘Dune’ draws well on the big screen

NEW YORK » Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” debuted with $40.1 million in ticket sales in its opening weekend in North America, drawing a large number of moviegoers to see the thundering scifi epic on the big screen despite it also being available to stream in homes.

Warner Bros. launched the Legendary Entertainment production simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.

When the studio first charted that course for all its 2021 releases due to the pandemic, how the strategy would affect “Dune” — one of the year’s most anticipated spectacles — was always one of the biggest question marks. Villeneuve vehemently protested the decision.

“I strongly believe the future of cinema will be on the big screen, no matter what any Wall Street dilettante says,” Villeneuve wrote in a lengthy statement to last December.

Warner Bros. has continued to maintain it will return to exclusive theatrical releases next year.

For now, the $165 million-budgeted “Dune” marks the best domestic opening for any of the studio’s hybrid releases.