Entertainment

Joker sequel suffers $33m collapse at box office

Published

9 months ago

October 14, 2024

editor

Joker: Folie à Deux has plunged from the top of the North American box office, suffering a massive 80% drop from last weekend’s chart-topping debut of $40m (£30.65m) to just $7.1m.

That is a record collapse for a comic-book film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It was knocked off its perch by indie horror film Terrifier 3, which took an estimated $18.2m over the weekend.

The Joker sequel was also beaten into third spot by animated film The Wild Robot, which held on to second place, taking $13.4m.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice fell one spot to fourth, taking $7m.

Film critics have offered a range of views about Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, calling it “bleak and daring” but also “depressingly dull and plodding”.

Rounding out the North American top five was comedy-drama Piece by Piece, which uses Lego animation and features a stellar voice cast including Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake and Busta Rhymes.

Meanwhile, The Apprentice, a film about Donald Trump, managed only to open in the number-10 spot, with $1.6m.

The film will have its UK premiere as part of the London Film Festival on Tuesday.

It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, in May, attracting mostly good reviews from critics but a legal threat from the former president.

The biopic traces the US presidential candidate’s origin story as an ambitious young property developer in 1970s and 80s New York.

His spokesman has described the film, which features a scene where Trump is seen raping his first wife, Ivana, as “garbage”, “pure fiction” and “election interference by Hollywood elites”.

The film begins with a disclaimer that many of its events are fictionalised.

(BBC News)

Entertainment

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley dies aged 87

Published

2 days ago

July 4, 2025

editor

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died after contracting Covid and developing pneumonia, his agent has announced

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died at the age of 87, his agent has announced.

The film and television performer is best known for starring in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as Admiral Piett, an imperial officer in command of Darth Vader’s flagship.

He died peacefully at his home in Ashford, Kent, on Monday after contracting Covid and developing pneumonia, his agent Julian Owen said in a statement.

“Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years,” Mr Owens said.

“Ken continually worked on stage, film and television playing a vast array of characters, from Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian to evil and eccentric characters in Ken Russell films, and the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure for the BBC.”

The statement said Colley had been admitted to hospital with an injured arm after a fall, but he quickly contracted Covid which developed into pneumonia.

He died with friends at his bedside, it added.

In later years, Colley reprised his role of Admiral Piett when he voiced the character in the 2012 animated Lego production, Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.

He also had parts in international productions including Clint Eastwood’s Firefox and the Second World War series War and Remembrance.

Mr Owen said Colley’s paticipation in Star Wars led him to being invited to conventions and fan events all over the world.

“Ken also loved his garden, art collecting and had a passion for fast cars,” he added.

Colley is also known for playing Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian alongside John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Michael Palin.

(BBC News)

Entertainment

‘Diddy’ denied bail after being cleared of most serious charges

Published

3 days ago

July 3, 2025

editor

A judge has denied bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs after a jury convicted the hip-hop mogul of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him of the most serious charges: racketeering and sex-trafficking.

Lawyers for the recording artist had argued he posed no flight risk, pointing out his jet is being chartered in Hawaii.

But Judge Arun Subramanian cited Combs’ history of violence as he ruled the rapper must remain behind bars until sentencing later this year when he faces up to 20 years in prison.

In the nearly two-month federal trial in New York City, prosecutors accused Combs of using his celebrity status and business empire to run a criminal enterprise to sex traffic women.

A panel of 12 jurors deliberated for 13 hours before acquitting Combs of three of the most serious five charges.

He will continue to be held at the same federal jail in Brooklyn where he has been detained since last September.

The sentencing was tentatively scheduled for 3 October.

(BBC News)

Entertainment

SRK confirmed as special guest at “City of Dreams” launch

Published

4 days ago

July 2, 2025

editor

It has been officially announced that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will indeed be joining the grand opening of the “City of Dreams Sri Lanka” on Aug. 02 as a special guest.

The “City of Dreams Sri Lanka” has confirmed this in a statement on Facebook.