'Bullet Train' locked and loaded atop N.America box office

LOS ANGELES, United States - Sony's "Bullet Train" held the top spot for the second week running in the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations estimated Sunday during a relatively flat mid-August period of moviegoing.

As the last major studio release of the summer, the action thriller starring Brad Pitt pulled in $13.4 million, less than half its take the previous week but still nearly doubling up on its closest competitor.

Pitt, who plays a professional assassin on a Japanese train seemingly loaded with them, heads a cast that includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Latin music star Bad Bunny, as well as Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in bit roles.

Holding second spot was former number one "DC League of Super-Pets," Warner Bros.' animated film which pairs the likes of Superman and other action heroes with furry partners. It earned $7.2 million.

Jumping back up three spots to third was "Top Gun: Maverick," Paramount's long-awaited -- and extremely popular -- Tom Cruise sequel. It pulled in $7.1 million, for an eye-popping $674 million in North American ticket sales over the past 12 weeks.

Fourth spot went to Disney's action comedy "Thor: Love and Thunder," at $5.3 million. It stars Chris Hemsworth as the uber-muscular space Viking, who pines for his ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman). It has now eclipsed $325 million over six weeks.

Following closely in fifth was Universal's "Nope," also at $5.3 million. The sci-fi/horror flick, boosted by the involvement of popular writer/director Jordan Peele, stars Daniel Kaluuya.

Overall, domestic releases are gradually getting back on track since the coronavirus pandemic hammered the industry, but the schedule remains relatively "thin," according to Franchise Entertainment Research's box office newsletter.

"There's no question, the total box office would be bigger with more studio releases," it said.

Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were:

"Minions: The Rise of Gru" ($4.9 million)

"Where the Crawdads Sing" ($4 million)

"Bodies Bodies Bodies" ($3.3 million)

"Elvis" ($2.6 million)

"Fall" ($2.5 million)

Agence France-Presse

Angelina Jolie makes first public appearance after mastectomy

LONDON – Angelina Jolie made her first public appearance since announcing her double mastectomy on Sunday, joining fiance Brad Pitt on the red carpet in London where she welcomed the debate on women’s health that the surgery had sparked.

The Oscar-winning actress has stayed out of the spotlight since announcing her operation in a New York Times column last month, saying the decision was made after finding she carried a gene giving her an 87 percent chance of getting breast cancer.

The 37-year-old mother of six, praised for her courage in publicly announcing her surgery, is now reported to be planning another operation to remove her ovaries as the BRCA1 gene also gives her a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer.

On the red carpet for the world premiere of Pitt’s latest movie, zombie blockbuster “World War Z”, Jolie praised her partner as being “a wonderful man and a wonderful father.

“I’m very, very grateful for all the support … and I have been very happy just to see the discussion of women’s health expanded and that means the world to me,” she told reporters.

“After losing my mom to these issues, I am very grateful for it,” added the American actress, wearing a long black, backless Yves Saint Laurent dress.

Jolie’s mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56 and her aunt, 61-year-old Debbie Martin, died last week as a result of breast cancer.

Jolie missed her aunt’s funeral to accompany Pitt to London for the premiere of “World War Z”, an adaptation of Max Brooks’ 2006 apocalyptic novel.

Pitt’s production company Plan B Entertainment bought the screen rights to the novel about six years ago and it is one of the big box office releases this summer, but it is under pressure to perform before even opening.

It was due to be released late last year but suffered setbacks amid reports that the budget had ballooned above $200 million and Pitt clashed with director Marc Forster.

In “World War Z”, Pitt plays United Nations representative Gerry Lane who is enlisted to help stop a zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to destroy mankind.

Pitt said he was proud of the film and also of Jolie for her decision to have a mastectomy for the sake of their family and to share that experience.

“When she’s faced with a problem – and we have known this was coming for some time – she takes it by the horns,” Pitt, 49, also dressed in black, told reporters. “I’m super proud of her. She’s a bad ass.”

Asked how important it was to have her on the red carpet with him, Pitt said: “It’s just more fun to do these things with each other. More fun when she’s around and same for her.”

“World War Z” marks Pitt’s first foray as the star and producer of his own potential franchise.

Pitt said his own children’s reaction to the book sparked the project which ultimately was about survival and family.

“The boys love a zombie,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Brad Pitt becomes first male face of Chanel No.5

PARIS  - Brad Pitt is set to become the first male face of Chanel No.5, a role previously filled by such fellow Hollywood luminaries as Marilyn Monroe and Nicole Kidman.

A new 30-second ad campaign for the iconic women's perfume is to be unveiled online via the French fashion house's YouTube page at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) Friday and then on television later in the day.

The decision to choose Pitt to head the campaign was announced back in May.

After campaigns depicting actress Estella Warren as red riding-hood, Kidman running through the streets of New York and actress Audrey Tautou aboard a luxurious night train, the sparse black and white in which Pitt appears marks a stark change.

In the ad, made by British director Joe Wright, Pitt recites a poem, specially written for the campaign, to a mystery woman.

Chanel sees the ad campaign as a new direction, saying that the perfume "has to go where we are not expected".

Press reports have said that Pitt is being paid seven million dollars (5.5 million euros) for his efforts.

No. 5 was created in 1921 by French perfumer Ernest Beaux, under the direction of Coco Chanel, who wanted a fragrance to complement her clothes.

The most famous face of the perfume was Marilyn Monroe, who in 1953 said it was all she wore to bed. — Agence France Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

‘Brangelina’ daughter to make film debut as young princess

LOS ANGELES – She is only four-years-old but Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, daughter of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, will soon follow in the footsteps of her famous parents, appearing in the Disney movie “Malificent,” the studio said on Wednesday.

The movie is expected to hit theaters in March 2014 with Jolie playing villain Malificent from animated classic “Sleeping Beauty.” Vivienne will portray a young version of Princess Aurora who is cursed to sleep until awoken by kiss from a handsome prince.

“Angelina Jolie’s daughter Vivienne will play a minor role as the child version of Princess Aurora opposite her mother in ‘Maleficent’,” Disney said in a statement. “The live-action film explores the origins of Disney’s most iconic villain, Maleficent, and what led her to curse Princess Aurora.”

No further details were available.

Vivienne Jolie-Pitt is the twin sister to brother Knox Leon. They were born in a hospital in Nice, France, on July 12, 2008.

source: interaksyon.com