Superman Returns grosses $30 million NEW!

Superman Returns grosses $30 million NEW!

MUMBAI: IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced that Bryan Singer's Superman Returns, which has grossed more than $388 million worldwide to date, continues to show strong legs in IMAX theatres through its 13th week. The IMAX 3D release, which has set multiple IMAX box office records, has now earned $22.7 million on 92 IMAX screens domestically and more than $7.5 million on 36 IMAX screens internationally. The IMAX release has now earned a worldwide total of $30 million with an impressive per screen average of $229,000.

"We are very pleased with the longevity of the film's performance in IMAX theatres. The immersive IMAX Experience has helped this terrific film continue to draw crowds thirteen weeks into its run," said Warner Bros. Pictures president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman.

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20th Century Fox sees box office gold in faith

20th Century Fox sees box office gold in faith

The entertainment business has become all about hitting the niches and hitting them hard - targeting works for specific, passionate audiences.

Or, in this case of 20th Century Fox's new venture, a Passionate audience.

After Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ demonstrated that a subtitled, bloody Gospel tale could drum up US$612 million in worldwide box office, Hollywood's studios have been trying to tap further into the Christian market.

Disney marketed The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to churches a la The Passion and reaped a US$292 million domestic gross and US$745 million total worldwide.

Now Fox has announced the creation of an entire film division devoted to Christian content: Fox Faith.

Yes, wags have noted, this is the same Fox whose TV division has brought us The Simple Life, Temptation Island and When Animals Attack.

Yes, the conservative-wary have noted, this is the same Fox whose Fox News Channel is the Bush administration's best media friend.

Yes, movie fans might note, this is the same Fox whose speciality-film division, Fox Searchlight, brought us the excellent Sideways and Little Miss Sunshine and is soon to unleash Richard Linklater's food-industry-scorching Fast Food Nation.

Fox also is about to launch Fox Atomic, a division focusing on teen-oriented films.

Can Fox Barrio, Soul Fox and Fox Oy! be far behind?

Fox Faith actually is spun off from the company's home entertainment division, which distributed the Passion DVD and already had been marketing direct-to-video releases to a growing network of Christian congregations and households.

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Mary Hart celebrates 25 years of chronicling the celeb world

Mary Hart celebrates 25 years of chronicling the celeb world She came to Los Angeles to get into show business. But her first big break, co-hosting a talk show with Regis Philbin, was yanked by the network after just a few months. A new entertainment show asked to interview Hart about what it was like to be a TV-show casualty. The next day, they offered her a job. That show was "Entertainment Tonight," and this year marks Hart's 25th season as its anchor. "It was one of those fortuitous and serendipitous things," Hart says, lingering over an omelet at one of her favorite breakfast spots. "It was definitely not something I foresaw doing for even three years, much less five, 10, 20, 25." As for how long the tenure could stretch, Hart's most recent contract with the show is set to expire this year, but she and "Entertainment Tonight" steered clear of any questions about its renewal.

Entertainment highlights in history

Entertainment highlights in history 1962: Johnny Carson took over as regular host of NBC's "Tonight" show, succeeding Jack Paar. He retired in 1992 after a 29-year reign on late-night television. 1968: The cult horror movie "Night of the Living Dead" had its world premiere in Pittsburgh, where it was filmed. 1970: Singer Janis Joplin was found dead of a heroin overdose at a hotel in Hollywood, Calif. She was 27. 1985: Actor Rock Hudson died at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., after battling AIDS. He was 59. 1992: Singer Sinead O'Connor ripped up a picture of the pope during an after-midnight appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live." 1998: The president of the Philippines banned actress Claire Danes from entering the country. Filipinos were angry that in an interview, Danes had called Manila smelly, weird and full of rats.

Entertainment Buzz

Entertainment Buzz Paris Hilton was charged yesterday with driving under the influence and is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 28 in Superior Court on charges of driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 per cent, said Nick Velasquez, a spokesperson for Los Angeles prosecutors. The socialite was arrested Sept. 7 after being stopped in her Mercedes-Benz SLR. Police said her blood-alcohol level was 0.08 per cent, the minimum to warrant an arrest. Paparazzi swarmed the Hollywood police station after her arrest. Hours later, Hilton told morning radio host Ryan Seacrest that she had been on an early-morning hamburger run. AEROSMITH FRONTMAN LICKS HEP C Steven Tyler says he was diagnosed with hepatitis C three years ago after having the illness for a long time without any symptoms. In an interview with "Access Hollywood," the 58-year-old Aerosmith frontman said the infection was now "non-existent" in his bloodstream after 11 months of treatment, including the drug interferon.

Just another one of clooney's hats

Just another one of clooney's hats This is how one of George Clooney's typical weeks looks. On the day of our interview, he was in Los Angeles. Then he was to fly to New York so he, his father Nick and Nobel Prize-winning author Elie Wiesel could address the UN Security Council on the need for urgent intervention in Darfur. The weekend before, Clooney flew back across the country to Las Vegas, to resume shooting on Ocean's Thirteen. Soon, Clooney will also be promoting two new movies. That's not all. At this point, Clooney is not just an A-list Hollywood actor. He has a burgeoning career as a director and is one of the hottest producers in town. In Clooney's case, his other ventures seem to centre ever more around international politics. Since a trip to Darfur in April, he has become the most visible public face entreating the international community to intervene before the genocide already under way turns into a calamity on the scale of Rwanda in 1994 - or worse.

Genting's casino ace: Universal Studios in Singapore

Genting's casino ace: Universal Studios in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Malaysia's gaming giant Genting International and partners Star Cruises and Universal Parks & Resorts have unveiled a plan to build a US$1 billion (RM3.68 billion) Universal Studios theme park here if it wins the bid for Singapore's second integrated resort on Sentosa Island.

The Universal Studios Singapore theme park, which can draw five million visitors a year, will feature over 20 attractions in six themed areas, of which at least 16 will be custom-designed specially for Singapore, local media reported.

"We see Universal Studios Singapore bringing to life the biggest names in Hollywood," Universal Parks & Resorts' senior vice-president and chief creative officer Mark Woodbury told the Singapore media in Orlando, Florida, yesterday.

Currently, Universal operates three theme parks in Orlando - Universal Studios Orlando, Islands of Adventure, and water theme park Wet & Wild.

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