ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Carrie Fisher fans don't have to worry about the makeshift star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame disappearing ... at least not yet. A rep for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce tells TMZ ... they're inclined to leave the shrine alone so fans of the legendary actress can have a place to mourn. The rep added they'll remove it in a few days, but for now the star on Orange and Hollywood Blvd. stays. It's interesting ... Carrie's fans were stunned to learn she doesn't have a star on Hollywood's iconic sidewalks following news of her death Tuesday. This also happened back in April when Prince died. The rep tells us back then they followed the same protocol -- allow fans to mourn ... but the star was eventually removed. As for a permanent star ... the Chamber says someone needs to nominate Carrie, but now that she's passed, there's a 5-year waiting period before she becomes eligible. (TMZ)
Jennifer Lopez and Drake Fuel Romance Rumors on Instagram. So much for keeping things on the DL. Jennifer Lopez and Drake cuddled up Tuesday night, seemingly confirming their romantic status. The 47-year-old singer and the 30-year-old rapper shared the intimate moment on Instagram. However, neither star included a caption, leading fans to speculate about the duo. Neither star should expect to receive a "like" from Rihanna, as the she's unfollowed them both. J.Lo and Drake, meanwhile, still subscribe to the 28-year-old "Needed Me" singer's Instagram. So...what's going on between Lopez and Drake? The musicians first sparked romance rumors in early December when Drake attended two of Lopez's Las Vegas concerts back-to-back. The "Too Good" rapper later hosted "a super intimate dinner" at Delilah in West Hollywood, and he left the celebrity hotspot with the Latin superstar. Neither Lopez nor Drake has addressed the nature of their relationship. Even so, a source tells E! News, "They are seeing each other." While they are "not exclusive," Drake "is really into her." According to the source, "They have great chemistry." Perhaps the two will ring in the New Year together, as Lopez recently canceled her show at Miami's E11even nightclub. Per her rep, Lopez wanted to focus on "personal and family time." Lopez, who split with choreographer Casper Smart earlier this year, recently took some time to reflect on her personal and professional accomplishments. "I have a ritual every year once everyone is asleep," she wrote on Instagram. "I like to go sit by the tree and think about the year that just went by. Check in on how I feel right in that moment about everything in my life." "The magic of the sparkly tree always takes me away into my thoughts and feelings...and this year I can honestly say my heart is full," the "I Luh Ya Papi" singer wrote on Christmas Eve. "This year had its ups and downs but as I sit here in my living room w my coconuts sleeping soundly upstairs, all of us healthy, a house full of family and friends, I feel surrounded by love and overflowing with gratitude for the many new blessings in my life!!! Merry Christmas everyone." (Eonline)
Gwyneth Paltrow Says Chris Martin Would Still ''Take a Bullet" for Her. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin may have split over two years ago and officially divorced in July, but they've never been too proud to admit they still care about each other very much. In fact, the 44-year-old actress covers the February issue of InStyle magazine and opens up about how the pair co-parent their two children, Apple, 12, and Moses, 10, in a healthy and mature manner. "He's at my house every single day," Paltrow told the publication. "We have our own lives but we still have our family life." She says that even though they're no longer married, the former couple still maintains a strong bond. "To this day, Chris would take a bullet for me, even though I'm not his wife," she revealed. "I honestly think Chris and I have contributed something positive to the culture of divorce." Of course, this incites the question: How does her current boyfriend Brad Falchuk feel about her relationship with Martin? "He has his own version of it, his own family where it's not a couple but it's a family," she said, referencing his split from Suzanne Falchuk with whom he shares two children. Perhaps this confidence in her varying relationships has a lot to do with the confidence she has in herself, which she told InStyle came with age. "When I turned 40, I felt like I got this free software upgrade that I wasn't expecting. It just happened," she explained. "Suddenly I was like, 'Oh, this is fantastic: I don't care! I like myself, and I'm just going to live my life. I'm going to stop worrying and tearing myself down.'" That also provides the perfect explanation about why she doesn't care when people poke fun at her Goop website or her eccentric health and wellness habits. "I've learned how the cycle works," she said. "It used to be that I would talk about something or write about it, and people would be like, 'What the f--k is she talking about? She's a witch!' And then later on it would sort of catch on. So now I just recognize it: OK, I'm going to talk about this, and people will think it's weird, and that's how it goes." Now, she's confident in her role as a trailblazer on wellness issues. "I'm like, this is my role. I'm here to do this," she revealed. "A friend told me if you're a trailblazer, you're the first one through, and you get the cuts because you're hacking the path." Read her full interview with InStyle. (Eonline)
Paul Simon breaks silence on ex-wife Carrie Fisher's death. Paul Simon spoke out about the death of his ex-wife Carrie Fisher on Wednesday. Simon, who has been married to Edie Brickell since 1992, shared his second marriage with Fisher between August 1983 and July 1984. Fisher died Tuesday morning after suffering what was described as a massive heart attack Friday while on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd, confirmed the death on Tuesday. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly," the statement read. Lourd was Fisher's daughter with talent agent Bryan Lourd, whom Fisher referred to as her second husband in interviews, although the two were never officially married. "Yesterday was a horrible day. Carrie was a special, wonderful girl. It's too soon," Simon wrote on Twitter early Wednesday, adding his voice to a chorus of people who knew and loved Fisher during her lifetime, and have shared memories since her death. "No words," Fisher's "Star Wars" co-star Mark Hamill wrote on Twitter shortly after news of her death was confirmed. "Devastated." "Carrie was one-of-a-kind... brilliant, original," Harrison Ford said in a statement. "Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life, bravely." J.J. Abrams posted a hand-written note which read, "You didn't need to meet Carrie Fisher to understand her power. She was just as brilliant and beautiful, tough and wonderful, incisive and funny as you could imagine. What an unfair thing to lose her. How lucky to have been blessed with her at all." (PageSix)
Carrie Fisher's Daughter Billie Lourd Gets Support From Taylor Lautner and Scream Queens Co-Stars After Mother's Death. Carrie Fisher's daughter is receiving support from those closest to her in the wake of tragedy. As the world continues to mourn the loss of the talented actress, Billie Lourd is mourning the loss of her mother, and those who know the young celeb are offering their condolences in hopes of adding some love and light during this dark time. Rumored love interest Taylor Lautner took to Instagram to share a photo of the pair with the words, "This girl is one of the strongest, most fearless individuals I've ever met. Absolutely beautiful inside and out. I'm lucky to know you @praisethelourd ... [heart emoji], me." Many of her other Scream Queens co-stars also took to social media to share their grief over Fisher's death and kind words for their friend and colleague. Fisher passed away on Tuesday after she suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. She was 60 years old. Speaking on behalf of her daughter Billie Lourd, the family's spokesman Simon Halls announced the news. "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," he told E! News in a statement. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers." (Eonline)
Carrie Fisher's Sister Joely on Actress' ''Unfathomable'' Death: "How Dare You Take Her Away From Us?" Joely Fisher is speaking out following the tragic passing of her big sister. In the hours following Carrie Fisher's death Tuesday morning, the actress took to Twitter with a heartbreaking dedication to the Star Wars icon. "Breaking my silence with a broken heart...the Unfathomable loss...the earth is off its axis today...how dare you take her away from us," Joely wrote alongside a photo of the pair embracing each other. During Fisher's subsequent hospitalization after suffering a heart attack while aboard a flight heading from London to Los Angeles Friday, Joely continued to thank fans for their ongoing support. "Fisher Girls... Your love and prayers are deeply felt..." Joely, 49, tweeted after news of Carrie's health scare surfaced. At the time, Joely, who currently stars in the Laguna Playhouse's production of Sleeping Beauty, shared she would perform in an afternoon matinee as scheduled, then return to Carrie's bedside. As for other members of the actress' immediate family, mom Debbie Reynolds publicly reacted to Carrie's passing via Facebook: "Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter. I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop." Fisher's 24-year-old daughter and Scream Queens starlet Billie Lourd confirmed the news in a statement to E! News that read, "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers." In the wake of Carrie's death, members of her Star Wars family and fellow Hollywood A-listers have shared just how much she impacted their personal lives and careers. Harrison Ford told E! News in a statement, "Carrie was one-of-a-kind... brilliant, original. Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life, bravely." A tribute from George Lucas, who cast Fisher as Princess Leia, read in part, "Carrie and I have been friends most of our adult lives. She was extremely smart; a talented actress, writer and comedienne with a very colorful personality that everyone loved." Likewise, co-star Daisy Ridley shared with us, "Devastated at this monumental loss. How lucky we all are to have known her, and how awful that we have to say goodbye." (Eonline)
The woman who plays "Supergirl" is super over her marriage ... and just filed to divorce the former "Glee" star she married back in 2013 ... TMZ has learned. Melissa Benoist just filed court docs seeking to end her 4 year marriage to Blake Jenner ... who played Ryder Lynn on "Glee" after winning the role on Oxygen's "The Glee Project." Both 28-year-old Melissa and 24-year-old Blake later got roles on CW's "Supergirl" -- where Melissa plays the main superhero ... and Blake appeared on 2 episodes. In the court docs, Melissa cites "irreconcilable differences" for the split -- and wants to block the court's ability to dish out spousal support to either of them. They have no kids ... so no issues there. One last thing, she wants to change her legal name back to Melissa Benoist ... and drop the Jenner thing for good. Seems to be the only person in Hollywood who doesn't want to be a Jenner these days. (TMZ)
Queen Latifah Carjacked at Atlanta Gas Station. Queen Latifah's car was stolen in Atlanta on Dec. 20, FOX-5 -- Atlanta reported Wednesday. Fulton County Police said someone else was driving the 46-year-old actress' 2015 Mercedes Benz S63 at the time of the incident. The driver was pumping gas when a white BMW pulled up beside him, according to the report. He heard the ignition start, then saw Latifah's car drive off. The ordeal happened at the Shell gas station on Fulton Industrial Boulevard. Police later discovered the stolen vehicle at an apartment complex on McDaniels Street. Security said it saw three males near the car, in addition to a white BMW and a Dodge Charger. Fulton County Police were in touch with Latifah throughout the investigation. Soon after her Mercedes was recovered, the former talk show host searched inside the vehicle. According to the police report, she discovered lemonade and fruit punch bottles that the thieves left behind. The carjackers remain at large. Latifah (real name: Dana Williams) has not commented on via her social media accounts. This wasn't the first time Latifah had been carjacked. Twenty-two years ago in Harlem, her BMW 740i was stolen and her bodyguard Sean Moon was shot and critically wounded. Two teenagers, Rashin Fortune and Ricardo Rodriguez, were later charged with attempted murder. Latifah currently stars in Fox's Star as Carlotta Brown, the owner of an Atlanta beauty salon. (Eonline)
Marc Anthony has filed for divorce from his third wife, Shannon De Lima. Marc filed legal docs, first obtained by TheDirty, which should be pretty simple to process. They have no kids and married just 2 years ago. According to the docs, Anthony says the marriage is "irretrievably broken." They've already divided up the property in a confidential settlement. They say the split is amicable. The couple announced their separation last month, one day after J Lo and Marc kissed on the lips at the Latin Grammys. (TMZ)
T.I.'s Wife Tiny Files for Divorce After 6 Years of Marriage. Another Hollywood couple has called it quits. T.I..'s wife Tiny has filed for divorce from the rapper after six years of marriage, E! News can confirm. The two have three children together, King Harris, Major Harris and Heiress Harris. Tiny, who was born Tameka Cottle, also has an older daughter, Zonnique Pullins, from a previous relationship. Cottle has three stepchildren from her marriage to T.I., born Clifford Harris Jr., named Messiah, Domani and Deyjah Harris. A source tells E! News that they have been having ups and downs in their relationship for some time now and that "arguments and disagreements over some issues led them to split." Ultimately, our insider tells us, the two want to "still be friends for the kids and family." The former couple documented their lives on the hit VH1 series T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, which debuted back in December 2011. Tiny first made a name for herself in the music industry when she was a member of the uber-successful R&B group Xscape. She also won a Grammy Award for her work as a writer on the TLC hit single "No Scrubs." Neither Tiny nor T.I. have spoken out about their split on social media yet, although based on their Instagram accounts, it appears that the former duo spent the holidays together as a family with their children. TMZ first reported the news. (Eonline)
The man arrested in connection with the death of an actress from "Step Up" has officially been charged with murder. 29-year-old Adrian Johnson was just slapped with a first degree murder charge Tuesday after Tricia Lynn McCauley was found dead in her car in Washington D.C. the same morning. The medical examiner's office reportedly determined she died from asphyxia -- strangulation. As we reported ... cops say Johnson and McCauley did not know each other. It could be a carjacking ... cops say Johnson was seen driving Tricia's car. Tricia was a stand-in for Jenna Dewan Tatum in "Step Up" in 2006, as well as a yoga instructor in the D.C. area. She was 46. (TMZ)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Carrie Fisher's heart failure aboard a United jet is the latest fatal incident in what has become a real problem on commercial airliners. Several EMTs who work LAX tell us ... they frequently encounter passengers with heart problems, and a number of the fatalities are preventable. Passengers on long flights who experience chest pain, shortness of breath and other signs of distress often tell themselves they can wait it out until the plane lands, losing precious time. As one EMT put it, "They think, 'only one hour to go' and they can just bite the bullet." And the EMTs say passengers often assume no one on board is capable of dealing with heart issues, but they add flight attendants have training and there are often passengers on board with medical training. Another problem ... people frequently don't take critical meds during long flights ... they just lose any sense of time. We're told male passengers tend to be more stubborn than females ... ignoring signs of trouble. As for Carrie, we did some checking and there's no obvious evidence she was in distress before her heart stopped. Family sources tell us they received no texts from her during the flight complaining of ill health. (TMZ)
Kate Beckinsale Spills on Why She Can't Quit Her ''Incredibly Punishing" Fitness and Diet Regimen. Kate Beckinsale works hard for her bod. The 43-year-old actress appears on the cover of Shape magazine's January/February 2017 issue, looking more toned than ever in a barely-there, colorblock bikini. As for how Kate prepped for her physically-demanding role in Underworld: Blood Wars, she attributes those rock solid abs to celeb fitness guru Gunnar Peterson for pushing her to the limit. "I work out hard with Gunnar five or six times a week," Beckinsale revealed, adding, "I do circuit training interspersed with brutal cardio, such as crazy things on a nonmotorized treadmill. That part is torture. But the thing I like about circuit training is that you're never doing one thing for very long. You get to the point where you almost can't bear it, and it changes to something else." Kate wasn't always such a dedicated fitness freak, but that all changed when she recognized the benefits working out had on her mental health. "I start out absolutely dreading it, do an incredibly punishing workout, bitch about it the whole time, and end up feeling 100 percent better when I leave. Working out is basically nature's antidepressant," Beckinsale added. The brunette beauty explained that although she loves practicing yoga, "Hard-core workouts have really made a big difference in my life. I have a lot of internal energy, and intense exercise helps me channel that energy. I find balance by doing a workout that makes me pour sweat. I never was that girl before, but I am now." As for Kate's nutrition plan, let's just say cheat days are few and far between. A longtime vegetarian, Beckinsale began introducing meat into her diet for extra energy while filming Pearl Harbor. She explained, "[My 17-year-old daughter] Lily and I eat clean -- we have a lot of sauteed vegetables like brussels sprouts and broccoli and chicken and fish." "Also, I don't drink alcohol," she continued. "I feel [its effects] very quickly, so I've never actually had an entire glass of anything alcoholic." For more from Kate, pick up the latest issue of Shape when it hits newsstands Jan. 3. (Eonline)
The face on Carrie Fisher's pooch says it all. Family and friends gathered Tuesday at the legendary actress' Bev Hills home to mourn her passing ... and Gary was right there with them too. We broke the story ... Carrie's daughter, Billie, will take custody of the beloved French bulldog. (TMZ)
Carrie Fisher's cherished dog -- a 4-year-old pooch named Gary -- will now be cared for by Carrie's daughter ... TMZ has learned. Family friends are telling us Billie Lourd will take custody of the French bulldog, which was by Carrie's side on the plane from London to LAX when Carrie's heart stopped. The pooch also visited Carrie at UCLA Medical Center. Billie already has a French bulldog named Tina, that's best friends with Gary. We're told she wants to make sure the 2 get along in the long term and she's able to handle the added responsibility. A family source told TMZ, Carrie always wanted Billie to take Gary if something happened to her. If, for some reason, Billie can't care for Gary for the long haul, the dog will remain in the family. The dog was like a child to Carrie, who carted her best friend almost everywhere she went ... even interviews. Gary was adopted as a service pet to help Carrie with her bipolar disorder. (TMZ)
It's out with the old and in with the new for Korean Air ... and all probably thanks to Richard Marx. The airline's decided to loosen its Taser usage policy ... 1 week after the '80s hitmaker was forced to subdue an unruly passenger who proved too much for crew members to handle on their own. The new policy will reportedly allow for a "more active use" of Tasers. Employees will also add on more security gear training, and the male-to-female ratio of flight crews will be under review. The old policy meant Tasers could only be used when lives or the physical safety of passengers and cabin crew was threatened. As we reported ... Richard and his wife, Daisy Fuentes, railed on the airline for its lax response to the out-of-control passenger who kicked and spat at crew members while he was tied to his seat. Daisy referred to the crew as "completely ill trained." (TMZ)
Music
Garth Brooks Scores 18th Top 10 Album on Billboard 200. "The Ultimate Collection" climbs 13-6. Plus, Jon Pardi notches his third Hot Country Songs top 10. Garth Brooks banks his 18th top 10 album on the Billboard 200, as his 10-CD box set, The Ultimate Collection, vaults 13-6 in its second week (on the chart dated Jan. 7, 2017). The set surges by 75 percent to 64,000 equivalent units (all from traditional album sales) in the week ending Dec. 22, according to Nielsen Music. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). inReadNow with 18 top 10s, Brooks breaks a tie with Tim McGraw (17) for the second-most top 10s among core country acts in the Billboard 200's 60-year history. George Strait leads with 20. (Among all artists, The Rolling Stones boast a record 37 top 10s.) Concurrently, The Ultimate Collection leads Top Country Albums for a second week, where it's Brooks' 16th No. 1. The set was released as a Target exclusive Nov. 11; it has sold 390,000 copies to date. Notably, the package was not eligible for Billboard's charts for its first four weeks as, per chart policy, its price ($29.99) fell below the minimum price for it to chart ($3.49 for a single disc, or $3.49 times the amount of discs in a multi-disc box set, in a title's first four weeks of release). As The Ultimate Collection remains at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, Brooks occupies the top 10 with four titles for a second straight week: Christmas Together, with his wife, Trisha Yearwood, declines 2-4 (23,000 sold, down 8 percent); the Christmas Together/Gunslinger bundle, available exclusively at Walmart, pushes 8-6 (15,000, up 18 percent); and the stand-alone Gunslinger, Brooks' new studio album, rises 10-7 (15,000, up 30 percent). (Gunslinger is also included as one of the 10 CDs in The Ultimate Collection.) Meanwhile, Brooks adds his 85th and 86th Country Airplay chart entries (a sum second only to Strait's 98, dating to the chart's Jan. 20, 1990, inception), as "Baby, It's Cold Outside," with Yearwood, and "Ugly Christmas Sweater" debut at Nos. 49 and 52, respectively. Both are from Christmas Together. "Baby, Let's Lay Down and Dance," the lead single from Gunslinger, ranks at No. 24 after debuting and peaking at No. 19. STEPPING UP: Jon Pardi's "Dirt on My Boots" ascends to the Hot Country Songs top 10, kicking 13-10. The track jumps 7-3 on Country Digital Song Sales (a new best rank for Pardi on the chart) with 16,000 downloads sold (up 11 percent). It rises 19-17 on Country Airplay (14 million audience impressions, down 3 percent) and 20-18 on Country Streaming Songs (1.7 million U.S. streams, up 3 percent). "Boots" is Pardi's third Hot Country Songs top 10, following the No. 4-peaking "Head Over Boots" (August 2016) and "Up All Night" (No. 10, February 2014). (Billboard)
Neil Diamond Shines With 38th Adult Contemporary Chart Top 10. The icon's "The Christmas Medley (Acoustic Christmas)" climbs 11-10. Pop legend Neil Diamond lands his 38th top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart, as "The Christmas Medley (Acoustic Christmas)" rises 11-10 (on the survey dated Jan. 7, 2017). Diamond moves within one of Elton John's record for the most top 10s since the chart premiered in the Billboard issue dated July 17, 1961 (see list, below). "Medley" is from Diamond's recently-released album Acoustic Christmas. The set hits a new high on the Jan. 7-dated Holiday Albums chart, rising 8-6, and boasts the highest weekly sales of its eight weeks on the ranking (16,000, up 8 percent, in the week ending Dec. 22, according to Nielsen Music). Diamond earns his first AC top 10 since his last entry on the chart, fellow carol "Cherry Cherry Christmas," hit No. 4 on Jan. 2, 2010. He links his first pair of consecutive top 10s since 1989, when "This Time" and "The Best Years of Our Lives" reached Nos. 9 and 7, respectively. Among Diamond's 38 AC top 10s are eight No. 1s. He led the list the longest with his first No. 1, "Song Sung Blue," which ruled for seven weeks in 1972. Diamond is set to begin his 50 Year Anniversary World Tour April 7 in Fresno, California. He first hit the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1966 with "Solitary Man." "People have been loyal and listening for years, so you just want to give them everything," Diamond recently said. "Let it all wash over them, and make sure everybody has a great time." Here is an updated ranking of the acts with the most top 10s in the AC chart's 55-year history: (Hollywood Reporter)
Pentatonix's 'Christmas' Album Hits No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart. Vocal group Pentatonix scores its second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as A Pentatonix Christmas jumps from No. 2 to No. 1 on the latest list, earning 206,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Dec. 22 (up 32 percent), according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 185,000 were in traditional album sales (up 33 percent). It's the first holiday album at No. 1 in five years, since Michael Buble's Christmas ruled the tally for five consecutive weeks on the charts dated Dec. 10, 2011, through Jan. 7, 2012. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Jan. 7, 2017-dated chart (where Pentatonix rises to No. 1) will be posted in full to Billboard's websites on Wednesday, Dec. 28 (one day later than normal, due to the Christmas holiday on Dec. 25). inReadPentatonix previously led the list with its self-titled album, which debuted atop the list in 2015. A Pentatonix Christmas was released through RCA Records on Oct. 21. It debuted at No. 3 on the Nov. 12-dated chart, and has never ranked lower than No. 6 on the list in its nine weeks on the chart. The album benefits from not only holiday-fueled purchases (after all, it is a Christmas album) as well as a sale price in the iTunes Store (for just $7.99), but also a number of TV appearances from the group during the tracking week. The act's Dec. 7 performance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! repeated on Dec. 16; NBC's A Pentatonix Christmas Special (which premiered on Dec. 14) received an encore airing on Dec. 17; they sang on NBC's America's Got Talent Holiday Spectacular on Dec. 19; and they performed on Fox News' Fox & Friends on Dec. 21 and the syndicated Rachael Ray Show on Dec. 22. A Pentatonix Christmas is the group's sixth top 10 album overall, and third holiday effort to reach the region, following 2014's No. 2-peaking That's Christmas to Me, and the 2013 PTXmas EP, which climbed to No. 7. Pentatonix's latest No. 1 also earns the largest sales week for a holiday album in two years, since Pentatonix's previous holiday set, That's Christmas to Me, sold 203,000 copies in the week ending Dec. 21, 2014. In fact, the last acts that weren't Pentatonix to sell more in a single week with a holiday album were Michael Buble and Justin Bieber during the week ending Dec. 25, 2011. That week, Buble sold 467,000 copies of Christmas, while Bieber moved 225,000 copies of his Under the Mistletoe. Further, A Pentatonix Christmas is the first album to earn its first week at No. 1 by climbing there -- as opposed to debuting or re-entering at No. 1-- since Rihanna's Anti vaulted from No. 27 to No. 1 in its second chart week, on the Feb. 20-dated list. Also notable, since A Pentatonix Christmas reaches No. 1 in its ninth week on the list, it logs the slowest continuous climb to No. 1 (thus excepting re-entries at No. 1 from Prince's The Very Best of Prince and Chris Stapleton's Traveller) since the March 16, 2013-dated list, when Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox reached No. 1 in its 12th week. Speaking of Mars, back on the new Billboard 200 chart, his 24K Magic rises two spots to No. 2 with 114,000 units (up 54 percent) while The Weeknd's Starboy stays steady at No. 3 with 101,000 units (down 7 percent). The previous week's No. 1, J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only, dips 1-4 with 90,000 units (down 82 percent). Pentatonix's That's Christmas to Me holds at No. 5 with 78,000 units (up 20 percent). Garth Brooks' new boxed set, The Ultimate Collection, jumps 13-6 in its second chart week (64,000 units -- up 75 percent), granting the superstar his 18th top 10 album. Among country acts, Brooks is now solely in second place with the most top 10s, behind only George Strait, who has 20 top 10s. (Brooks was previously tied with Tim McGraw, who has 17 top 10s.) As for the rest of the new top 10, the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton is a non-mover at No. 7 with 58,000 units (up 21 percent), Metallica's Hardwired... To Self-Destruct ascends 11-8 with 53,000 units (up 30 percent), The Rolling Stones' Blue & Lonesome rises 10-9 with 52,000 units (up 21 percent), and the Moana soundtrack dips 8-10 with 51,000 units (though it's up 7 percent). (Billboard)
Movies
'Rogue One' Box Office Nears $350M in U.S.; 'Sing' Croons Loudly on Tuesday. 'Sing' and 'Passengers' hold at No. 2 and No. 3, while 'Hidden Figures' continues to impress in limited debut. Lucasfilm's and Disney's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story continues to rule the year-end holidays, earning an estimated $22.5 million Tuesday from 4,157 theaters as the stand-alone prequel prepares to cross the $350 million mark at the North American box office Wednesday. And by the end of New Year's weekend, the stand-alone Star Wars prequel should clear $400 million domestically, a feat accomplished by only two other 2016 releases, Disney/Pixar's Finding Dory ($486.3 million) and Disney/Marvel's Captain America: Civil War ($408.1 million). Rogue One finished Tuesday with $340.6 million domestically and $615.9 million globally. The stretch between Christmas Day and New Year's weekend can be the most lucrative corridor at the box office with many kids out of school and many adults off from work. Illumination's and Universal's new animated holiday offering Sing is the other big player after Rogue One. The music-themed animated film, easily holding at No. 2, took in $17.4 million Tuesday from 4,022 theaters for a total $93 million, meaning it will clear $100 million sometime Wednesday. Morten Tyldum's Passengers, the sci-fi space romance starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, continues to come in at No. 3, grossing an estimated $6 million Tuesday for a domestic total of roughly $36 million. The Sony movie got off to a soft start but hopes to make up ground this week after seeing a big jump from Saturday to Christmas Day. In another win for Disney, Thanksgiving animated film Moana jumped Dec. 21 entries Why Him? and Assassin's Creed on Tuesday with an estimated $4 million from 2,687 theaters and putting the movie's domestic total at $189 million. The movie's staying power, along with Sing, underscores the strength family titles have enjoyed this year. The troubled big-budget video game adaptation Assassin's Creed, starring Michael Fassbender, narrowly beat R-rated comedy Why Him? to come in the No. 5 spot with $3.5 million for a total $25.3 million. Assassin's Creed is proving to be a major disappointment, considering its $125 million budget. New Regency financed the film, with Fox handling distribution duties. From Fox proper, Why Him?, starring Bryan Cranston and James Franco, placed No. 6 with $3.4 million for a total $19 million. The comedy opened Dec. 23. Denzel Washington's Broadway play adaptation Fences, expanding nationwide Christmas Day, placed No. 6 with an estimated $3.1 million from 2,233 theaters for a three-day total of $14.9 million. Fences, from Paramount, placed No. 7, followed by fellow awards contender, La La Land. The musical, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, expanded Christmas Day into a total of 724 theaters. La La Land grossed an estimated $2.6 million Tuesday for a total $19.7 million. Among other award contenders making a play over the year-end holidays, Fox 2000's and Chernin Entertainment's Hidden Figures continues to impress after opening in 25 theaters Christmas Day. The historical drama earned an estimated $212,319 Tuesday for a per-theater average of $8,493 -- the best of any film. It also crossed the $1 million mark to end the day with a total $1.1 million. Hidden Figures, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae as NASA mathematicians who helped launch men into space, opened in 15 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston -- home of NASA's Johnson Space Center -- and Hampton, Va., where the movie is set. Peter Berg's and Mark Wahlberg's Boston Marathon bombing drama Patriots Day -- which opened Dec. 23 in seven theaters in Boston, Los Angeles and New York -- grossed another $49,946 Tuesday for a location average of $7,135 and total $382,418. Martin Scorsese's Silence, bowing in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 23, grossed an estimated $22,306 Tuesday for a location average of $5,577 and total $185,924. Paramount, Scorsese's home studio, is releasing the film, starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson. Ben Affleck's Live by Night, a late awards entry, is faring poorly so far in comparison to his other directorial outings. The movie, opening Christmas Day in Los Angeles and New York, earned $8,369 Tuesday for a location average of $2,091 and total $57,000. (Hollywood Reporter)
2016's International Box-Office Surprises. Korea loves 'La La Land,' 'Now You See Me 2' killed in China and 'Bridget Jones's Baby" made $188 million overseas. The list of 2016 global box-office hits is made up of many expected titles: a lot of Disney -- Finding Dory, Captain America: Civil War, Zootopia, The Jungle Book and, of course Rouge One: A Star Wars Story -- plus the usual suspects among the studio tentpoles: Warner Bros.' Superman v. Batman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; and Universal's The Secret Life of Pets. Fox's anti-superhero movie Deadpool, which grossed $783 million worldwide, is the only major upset in the top 10 list this year. But drop a bit further down and the 2016 foreign box office reveals a surprisingly diverse international audience, whose choices in Hollywood entertainment range widely and don't always match up with those in America. Take Bridget Jones's Baby, the third, and likely final, entry in the Renee Zellweger-fronted chick-lit franchise. The movie earned just $24 million for Universal in the U.S. but enjoyed a $188 million bonanza internationally, fully 89 percent of its total box-office take. The British focus of the film -- based on Helen Fielding's London-set books -- obviously helped its performance in Blighty, where it earned a whopping $61 million, as well as in the rest of Europe where the film outperformed relative to the U.S. Tiny Holland was the standout. With a total gross of $11.5 million, Bridget Jones's Baby was the number-one film of the year in the Netherlands. The lowlands have long had a tradition of female-focused comedies -- see the hit Gooische Women franchise headed by local superstar Linda de Mol -- which helps to explain the appeal of Bridget Jones. Another femme-focused rom-com, Warner Bros.' Me Before You, nearly tripled its $56 million domestic take on the international market, earning fully 81 percent of its gross outside North America. Here, the success was also a matter of clear counter-programming. Warner bowed Thea Sharrock's debut feature, starring Emilia Clarke as a caregiver tending to Sam Claflin, a former banker paralyzed by a motorcycle accident, in the summer during the European Soccer Championships when most studios had pulled more male-focused features from their schedules. The tactic worked. Me Before You performed best in soccer-mad territories such as Germany ($20 million), Brazil ($17 million) and Mexico ($11.6 million), where the film had little in the way of competition. In Norway, another big soccer nation, Me Before You was the top-grossing title of 2016. The Nordic appeal likely had a lot to do with Clarke, a huge star in Northern Europe thanks to her starring role in HBO's Game of Thrones, a major hit in the region. Sony's animated The Angry Birds Movie also did particularly well in Scandinavia, thanks in part to local loyalties. The original mobile game on which the film is based was invented by Rovio, a Finnish company. That explains why the movie earned $3.7 million in Finland, making it the country's number-one movie of 2016. La La Land, Lionsgate's awards-season musical, is only just starting its international rollout but already its gross in South Korea ($9.3 million) has surpassed that of North America ($7.2 million). Here the success of Damien Chazelle's sophomore feature has to do with the Korean love of all things musical. The massive K-pop industry has primed South Koreans to come out for music-themed films. Korea was the number-two market for Chazelle's debut, Whiplash, with a $11.4 million gross, behind only the U.S. with $13 million. John Carney's music-themed romance Begin Again grossed $25.9 million in South Korea, compared to $16 million domestically. Carney's Dublin-set follow-up, Sing Street has earned $3.8 million in Korea against $1.8 million in North America. Recently, South Korean has seen major success with re-releasing older Hollywood films, with musicals such as Chicago and The Phantom of the Opera among the biggest draws. Elsewhere in Asia, Sully, Clint Eastwood's real-life aviation adventure tale starring Tom Hanks, wowed in Japan, where the film has earned $12 million, outperforming all other international territories. Warner gave the film the more universal title Hudson-kawa no Kiseki, "Miracle on the Hudson River," for its Japanese launch, but the movie's appeal had as much to do with the Japanese audience's love of the everyman hero -- epitomized by Hanks' "Sully" Sullenberger -- which tends to be more popular in the territory than superhero types. Eastwood has also been a favorite in Japan since his well-received war drama Letters From Iwo Jima. China's slowing, but still booming box office came to rescue of several Hollywood titles this year, including Ang Lee's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. The Iraq war drama, which earned just $1.7 million domestically, grossed $24 million on Chinese release, thanks to Bona Film Group, one of the financial backers of the Fox title who helped roll out the film in China. Lee's name also helped in China, where the Taiwan-born filmmaker is something of national treasure. Indeed, Billy Lynn actually earned more in Taiwan ($3.2 million) than it did in North America. An even bigger Chinese success story was Now You See Me 2, the magic-themed thriller from Jon M. Chu, the sequel to Louis Leterrier's 2013 hit. The film earned $97 million in China, substantially more than the $65 million it took in North America. Opening head-to-head against Independence Day: Resurgence, it actually outperformed Roland Emmerich's sci-fi blockbuster, which earned $75 million in China. Key to the film's Chinese success was clever use of the Chinese casino enclave of Macau as a shooting location for the sequel and the casting of Taiwanese mega-star Jay Chou in a key supporting role. Past Hollywood productions have seen their efforts to woo Chinese fans backfire but Chou, well-known for his offscreen love of magic tricks, was ideally cast. Leomus Pictures, the Chinese group that, together with Hunan TV, has partnered with Lionsgate on a $375 million film slate, also insisted that Chou have a place on the movie's international poster. Lionsgate and Leomus are now planning a Chinese spinoff of the franchise and exploring the possibility of producing Escape Plan 2 as a China co-production. (Eonline)
TV
Carrie Fisher's TV Presence Will Be Felt With Family Guy, Catastrophe and More. The world may have lost an icon when Carrie Fisher passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at the age of 60, but viewers haven't seen the last of her just yet. In addition to the upcoming Star Wars Episode VIII where Fisher will reprise her star-making role of General Leia Organa, Fisher has quite a few TV roles in the can. Fisher, who has recurred on Family Guy as Angela, Peter Griffin's boss, since 2005, will be heard in two more episodes of the Fox animated comedy, according to Variety. "Carrie Fisher was smart, funny, talented, surprising, and always a hell of a fun time to be around. Family Guy will miss her immensely," Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane tweeted after news of Fisher's passing broke. In terms of non-animated work, Fisher will return to Amazon's Catastrophe opposite Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan. The flight where she suffered her cardiac arrest was her return to the United States from filming the comedy in the United Kingdom. Horgan and Fisher were posting selfies of each other (and dogs) in late December as they filmed. "Carrie was my friend. It took me three series but I got her in the end. She was the most generous, fun, gifted, smart, kind, funny funny funny person I've ever met," Horgan wrote on Instagram with a photo. "She certainly wasn't ready to go. I'm so glad we became pals. I'm so devastated at her loss. I want to write about her more but I can't process yet." Fisher re-teamed with her famous mom, Debbie Reynolds, for a documentary that premiered at Cannes in September. Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds will air on HBO in 2017. No premiere date was officially announced. Fisher had a number of small screen roles over her extensive career. She received an Emmy nomination for an episode of 30 Rock and another for the televised version of her one-woman show, Wishful Drinking. "Carrie Fisher meant a lot to me. Like many women my age, Princess Leia occupies about sixty percent of my brain at any given time," Tina Fey told Time about Fisher. "But Carrie's honest writing and her razor-sharp wit were an even greater gift." (Eonline)
Bones Final Season Premiere: Will the Team Be Able to Save an Abducted Brennan?! Get ready for Taken, Bones-style. Bones' final season is almost here (Jan. 3) and it's jumping right back into the drama from the finale, with the team desperately trying to find Brennan (Emily Deschanel) after she was abducted by ex-squintern Zack (Eric Millegan). In E! News' exclusive sneak peek from the season 12 premiere, Cam (Tamara Taylor) and Angela (Michaela Conlin) are reviewing security footage from the lab to find out just how Zach was able to take Brennan. "The problem is Zach was able to remotely turn off some of the cameras," Angela says, going on to say she wasn't able to find any exterior cameras that were turned off. Wait, so does that mean Brennan is actually still inside the Jeffersonian?! Hey, isn't it true you always find what you are looking for right in front of you most of the time? Fans can expect the final season of the longrunning hit to "celebrate the inventive series and bring the storylines of Brennan, Booth (David Boreanaz) and the Jeffersonian-FBI team to a close, allowing the show's loyal fans to say goodbye to these indelible characters," Fox said. Plus, the network promised "the return of fan-favorite guest stars and squinterns, as well as an old flame from one of the team's past." Oh, and a wedding will be going down before the series' end! Bones' final season premieres on Jan. 3, 2017, at 9 p.m. on Fox. (Eonline)
Leah Remini Turns Spotlight on FBI in Scientology Docuseries. "Now we answer the question why the FBI hasn't done anything," Remini tweeted during Tuesday's episode of her A&E docuseries, 'Scientology and the Aftermath.' Leah Remini is taking on the Church of Scientology with each episode of her docuseries, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, currently airing on A&E, and Tuesday night, she turned the spotlight on the FBI. In the episode, the fifth of eight in the series, Remini, who broke from the Church in 2013, and her co-host, former Scientologist Mike Rinder, traveled to Denver to meet two former executives of the Church, Marc and Claire Headley. The couple were high-ranking Sea Organization members before escaping the Church and becoming "suppressive persons" in 2005. During the sitdown with the married couple, Claire Headley recounts to Remini how she was allegedly coerced into having an abortion during her younger years in the Church. Members of the Sea Organization, like the Headleys and Remini when she was a member, sign a billion-year contract to join the organization, which does not allow children. "If you were in the Sea Organization and you got pregnant you were expected to have an abortion," said Rinder, adding that the Church claims pressuring women to have an abortion either has never happened or doesn't happen anymore. "The truth of the matter is, it is a mortal sin to get pregnant as a Sea Org member because that means you will have to leave the Sea Organization and therefore 'break' your billion-year contract." A tearful Claire Headley, who now has three children with her husband, said, "Some wounds you can't heal" Adding, "It doesn't make it any easier to deal with it. Ever." It was experiencing and witnessing such abuse that ultimately led the couple to decide to leave the Church, or "defect," after being members for 30 years. The final straw came when Church leader David Miscavige "went off" on Marc Headley over a snide comment. "He started punching me and slugging me and pushed me against a desk unit," he claims. "At that point I sort of realized, 'Ok, the Pope of Scientology just beat the shit out of me.' For me, that was it." The pair detailed each of their dangerous but successful escapes, which happened in 2005. They are now "suppressive persons," which means none of their family members in the Church can communicate with them again. When Remini asks if they relayed these alleged abuses to the authorities and the FBI, the Headleys say they have "in depth." They filed lawsuits individually and together and though Marc Headley says the Church admitted to what happened, it was ruled as part of the Church's religious right and the Headleys' religious practice. "Religions in the United States under the First Amendment basically have free rein to do whatever they want to do and your option is: Leave the religion, go somewhere else," explains Rinder. "The First Amendment says, effectively, the government or any branch of government, including courts, may not entangle themselves in making decisions about the ecclesiastical or the religious practices of any religion." A title card reveals the Headleys lost their lawsuit against the Church, but feel that speaking out and "exposing the practice of coerced abortions has made it harder for this abuse to continue." During the episode, the actress took to Twitter to say, "Now we answer the question why the FBI hasn't done anything #ScientologyTheAftermath." Remini admits that she doesn't know exactly what legal steps can be taken to help, but vows that she will find ways to bring justice to these victims and prevent these instances from happening again. The A&E series, which premiered Nov. 29, follows the actress' memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, and years of interviews and public statements she has made in hopes of exposing the truth about the Church. In both her memoir and in the series, Remini speaks to other former Scientologists who allege similar experiences of abuse and harassment during and after leaving the Church. The Church released a lengthy response to the premiere of Remini's show, which can be read in full here. Ahead of each segment, Scientology and the Aftermath airs a title card declaring the Church "challenges the credibility" of the series. During the episode, Remini and Rinder realized twice that they were being followed by two separate private investigators. "It doesn't intimidate me, it makes me want to retaliate because I'm not going to f -- ing stand for it," she says, revealing the underlying motive behind her series. "This cult or another cult, I don't want people to feel powerless because something seems more powerful than you," she later says, encouraging everyone watching to "do something. You can do something." (Hollywood Reporter)
Jennifer Lopez and Drake Fuel Romance Rumors on Instagram. So much for keeping things on the DL. Jennifer Lopez and Drake cuddled up Tuesday night, seemingly confirming their romantic status. The 47-year-old singer and the 30-year-old rapper shared the intimate moment on Instagram. However, neither star included a caption, leading fans to speculate about the duo. Neither star should expect to receive a "like" from Rihanna, as the she's unfollowed them both. J.Lo and Drake, meanwhile, still subscribe to the 28-year-old "Needed Me" singer's Instagram. So...what's going on between Lopez and Drake? The musicians first sparked romance rumors in early December when Drake attended two of Lopez's Las Vegas concerts back-to-back. The "Too Good" rapper later hosted "a super intimate dinner" at Delilah in West Hollywood, and he left the celebrity hotspot with the Latin superstar. Neither Lopez nor Drake has addressed the nature of their relationship. Even so, a source tells E! News, "They are seeing each other." While they are "not exclusive," Drake "is really into her." According to the source, "They have great chemistry." Perhaps the two will ring in the New Year together, as Lopez recently canceled her show at Miami's E11even nightclub. Per her rep, Lopez wanted to focus on "personal and family time." Lopez, who split with choreographer Casper Smart earlier this year, recently took some time to reflect on her personal and professional accomplishments. "I have a ritual every year once everyone is asleep," she wrote on Instagram. "I like to go sit by the tree and think about the year that just went by. Check in on how I feel right in that moment about everything in my life." "The magic of the sparkly tree always takes me away into my thoughts and feelings...and this year I can honestly say my heart is full," the "I Luh Ya Papi" singer wrote on Christmas Eve. "This year had its ups and downs but as I sit here in my living room w my coconuts sleeping soundly upstairs, all of us healthy, a house full of family and friends, I feel surrounded by love and overflowing with gratitude for the many new blessings in my life!!! Merry Christmas everyone." (Eonline)
Gwyneth Paltrow Says Chris Martin Would Still ''Take a Bullet" for Her. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin may have split over two years ago and officially divorced in July, but they've never been too proud to admit they still care about each other very much. In fact, the 44-year-old actress covers the February issue of InStyle magazine and opens up about how the pair co-parent their two children, Apple, 12, and Moses, 10, in a healthy and mature manner. "He's at my house every single day," Paltrow told the publication. "We have our own lives but we still have our family life." She says that even though they're no longer married, the former couple still maintains a strong bond. "To this day, Chris would take a bullet for me, even though I'm not his wife," she revealed. "I honestly think Chris and I have contributed something positive to the culture of divorce." Of course, this incites the question: How does her current boyfriend Brad Falchuk feel about her relationship with Martin? "He has his own version of it, his own family where it's not a couple but it's a family," she said, referencing his split from Suzanne Falchuk with whom he shares two children. Perhaps this confidence in her varying relationships has a lot to do with the confidence she has in herself, which she told InStyle came with age. "When I turned 40, I felt like I got this free software upgrade that I wasn't expecting. It just happened," she explained. "Suddenly I was like, 'Oh, this is fantastic: I don't care! I like myself, and I'm just going to live my life. I'm going to stop worrying and tearing myself down.'" That also provides the perfect explanation about why she doesn't care when people poke fun at her Goop website or her eccentric health and wellness habits. "I've learned how the cycle works," she said. "It used to be that I would talk about something or write about it, and people would be like, 'What the f--k is she talking about? She's a witch!' And then later on it would sort of catch on. So now I just recognize it: OK, I'm going to talk about this, and people will think it's weird, and that's how it goes." Now, she's confident in her role as a trailblazer on wellness issues. "I'm like, this is my role. I'm here to do this," she revealed. "A friend told me if you're a trailblazer, you're the first one through, and you get the cuts because you're hacking the path." Read her full interview with InStyle. (Eonline)
Paul Simon breaks silence on ex-wife Carrie Fisher's death. Paul Simon spoke out about the death of his ex-wife Carrie Fisher on Wednesday. Simon, who has been married to Edie Brickell since 1992, shared his second marriage with Fisher between August 1983 and July 1984. Fisher died Tuesday morning after suffering what was described as a massive heart attack Friday while on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd, confirmed the death on Tuesday. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly," the statement read. Lourd was Fisher's daughter with talent agent Bryan Lourd, whom Fisher referred to as her second husband in interviews, although the two were never officially married. "Yesterday was a horrible day. Carrie was a special, wonderful girl. It's too soon," Simon wrote on Twitter early Wednesday, adding his voice to a chorus of people who knew and loved Fisher during her lifetime, and have shared memories since her death. "No words," Fisher's "Star Wars" co-star Mark Hamill wrote on Twitter shortly after news of her death was confirmed. "Devastated." "Carrie was one-of-a-kind... brilliant, original," Harrison Ford said in a statement. "Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life, bravely." J.J. Abrams posted a hand-written note which read, "You didn't need to meet Carrie Fisher to understand her power. She was just as brilliant and beautiful, tough and wonderful, incisive and funny as you could imagine. What an unfair thing to lose her. How lucky to have been blessed with her at all." (PageSix)
Carrie Fisher's Daughter Billie Lourd Gets Support From Taylor Lautner and Scream Queens Co-Stars After Mother's Death. Carrie Fisher's daughter is receiving support from those closest to her in the wake of tragedy. As the world continues to mourn the loss of the talented actress, Billie Lourd is mourning the loss of her mother, and those who know the young celeb are offering their condolences in hopes of adding some love and light during this dark time. Rumored love interest Taylor Lautner took to Instagram to share a photo of the pair with the words, "This girl is one of the strongest, most fearless individuals I've ever met. Absolutely beautiful inside and out. I'm lucky to know you @praisethelourd ... [heart emoji], me." Many of her other Scream Queens co-stars also took to social media to share their grief over Fisher's death and kind words for their friend and colleague. Fisher passed away on Tuesday after she suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. She was 60 years old. Speaking on behalf of her daughter Billie Lourd, the family's spokesman Simon Halls announced the news. "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," he told E! News in a statement. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers." (Eonline)
Carrie Fisher's Sister Joely on Actress' ''Unfathomable'' Death: "How Dare You Take Her Away From Us?" Joely Fisher is speaking out following the tragic passing of her big sister. In the hours following Carrie Fisher's death Tuesday morning, the actress took to Twitter with a heartbreaking dedication to the Star Wars icon. "Breaking my silence with a broken heart...the Unfathomable loss...the earth is off its axis today...how dare you take her away from us," Joely wrote alongside a photo of the pair embracing each other. During Fisher's subsequent hospitalization after suffering a heart attack while aboard a flight heading from London to Los Angeles Friday, Joely continued to thank fans for their ongoing support. "Fisher Girls... Your love and prayers are deeply felt..." Joely, 49, tweeted after news of Carrie's health scare surfaced. At the time, Joely, who currently stars in the Laguna Playhouse's production of Sleeping Beauty, shared she would perform in an afternoon matinee as scheduled, then return to Carrie's bedside. As for other members of the actress' immediate family, mom Debbie Reynolds publicly reacted to Carrie's passing via Facebook: "Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter. I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop." Fisher's 24-year-old daughter and Scream Queens starlet Billie Lourd confirmed the news in a statement to E! News that read, "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers." In the wake of Carrie's death, members of her Star Wars family and fellow Hollywood A-listers have shared just how much she impacted their personal lives and careers. Harrison Ford told E! News in a statement, "Carrie was one-of-a-kind... brilliant, original. Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life, bravely." A tribute from George Lucas, who cast Fisher as Princess Leia, read in part, "Carrie and I have been friends most of our adult lives. She was extremely smart; a talented actress, writer and comedienne with a very colorful personality that everyone loved." Likewise, co-star Daisy Ridley shared with us, "Devastated at this monumental loss. How lucky we all are to have known her, and how awful that we have to say goodbye." (Eonline)
The woman who plays "Supergirl" is super over her marriage ... and just filed to divorce the former "Glee" star she married back in 2013 ... TMZ has learned. Melissa Benoist just filed court docs seeking to end her 4 year marriage to Blake Jenner ... who played Ryder Lynn on "Glee" after winning the role on Oxygen's "The Glee Project." Both 28-year-old Melissa and 24-year-old Blake later got roles on CW's "Supergirl" -- where Melissa plays the main superhero ... and Blake appeared on 2 episodes. In the court docs, Melissa cites "irreconcilable differences" for the split -- and wants to block the court's ability to dish out spousal support to either of them. They have no kids ... so no issues there. One last thing, she wants to change her legal name back to Melissa Benoist ... and drop the Jenner thing for good. Seems to be the only person in Hollywood who doesn't want to be a Jenner these days. (TMZ)
Queen Latifah Carjacked at Atlanta Gas Station. Queen Latifah's car was stolen in Atlanta on Dec. 20, FOX-5 -- Atlanta reported Wednesday. Fulton County Police said someone else was driving the 46-year-old actress' 2015 Mercedes Benz S63 at the time of the incident. The driver was pumping gas when a white BMW pulled up beside him, according to the report. He heard the ignition start, then saw Latifah's car drive off. The ordeal happened at the Shell gas station on Fulton Industrial Boulevard. Police later discovered the stolen vehicle at an apartment complex on McDaniels Street. Security said it saw three males near the car, in addition to a white BMW and a Dodge Charger. Fulton County Police were in touch with Latifah throughout the investigation. Soon after her Mercedes was recovered, the former talk show host searched inside the vehicle. According to the police report, she discovered lemonade and fruit punch bottles that the thieves left behind. The carjackers remain at large. Latifah (real name: Dana Williams) has not commented on via her social media accounts. This wasn't the first time Latifah had been carjacked. Twenty-two years ago in Harlem, her BMW 740i was stolen and her bodyguard Sean Moon was shot and critically wounded. Two teenagers, Rashin Fortune and Ricardo Rodriguez, were later charged with attempted murder. Latifah currently stars in Fox's Star as Carlotta Brown, the owner of an Atlanta beauty salon. (Eonline)
Marc Anthony has filed for divorce from his third wife, Shannon De Lima. Marc filed legal docs, first obtained by TheDirty, which should be pretty simple to process. They have no kids and married just 2 years ago. According to the docs, Anthony says the marriage is "irretrievably broken." They've already divided up the property in a confidential settlement. They say the split is amicable. The couple announced their separation last month, one day after J Lo and Marc kissed on the lips at the Latin Grammys. (TMZ)
T.I.'s Wife Tiny Files for Divorce After 6 Years of Marriage. Another Hollywood couple has called it quits. T.I..'s wife Tiny has filed for divorce from the rapper after six years of marriage, E! News can confirm. The two have three children together, King Harris, Major Harris and Heiress Harris. Tiny, who was born Tameka Cottle, also has an older daughter, Zonnique Pullins, from a previous relationship. Cottle has three stepchildren from her marriage to T.I., born Clifford Harris Jr., named Messiah, Domani and Deyjah Harris. A source tells E! News that they have been having ups and downs in their relationship for some time now and that "arguments and disagreements over some issues led them to split." Ultimately, our insider tells us, the two want to "still be friends for the kids and family." The former couple documented their lives on the hit VH1 series T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, which debuted back in December 2011. Tiny first made a name for herself in the music industry when she was a member of the uber-successful R&B group Xscape. She also won a Grammy Award for her work as a writer on the TLC hit single "No Scrubs." Neither Tiny nor T.I. have spoken out about their split on social media yet, although based on their Instagram accounts, it appears that the former duo spent the holidays together as a family with their children. TMZ first reported the news. (Eonline)
The man arrested in connection with the death of an actress from "Step Up" has officially been charged with murder. 29-year-old Adrian Johnson was just slapped with a first degree murder charge Tuesday after Tricia Lynn McCauley was found dead in her car in Washington D.C. the same morning. The medical examiner's office reportedly determined she died from asphyxia -- strangulation. As we reported ... cops say Johnson and McCauley did not know each other. It could be a carjacking ... cops say Johnson was seen driving Tricia's car. Tricia was a stand-in for Jenna Dewan Tatum in "Step Up" in 2006, as well as a yoga instructor in the D.C. area. She was 46. (TMZ)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Carrie Fisher's heart failure aboard a United jet is the latest fatal incident in what has become a real problem on commercial airliners. Several EMTs who work LAX tell us ... they frequently encounter passengers with heart problems, and a number of the fatalities are preventable. Passengers on long flights who experience chest pain, shortness of breath and other signs of distress often tell themselves they can wait it out until the plane lands, losing precious time. As one EMT put it, "They think, 'only one hour to go' and they can just bite the bullet." And the EMTs say passengers often assume no one on board is capable of dealing with heart issues, but they add flight attendants have training and there are often passengers on board with medical training. Another problem ... people frequently don't take critical meds during long flights ... they just lose any sense of time. We're told male passengers tend to be more stubborn than females ... ignoring signs of trouble. As for Carrie, we did some checking and there's no obvious evidence she was in distress before her heart stopped. Family sources tell us they received no texts from her during the flight complaining of ill health. (TMZ)
Kate Beckinsale Spills on Why She Can't Quit Her ''Incredibly Punishing" Fitness and Diet Regimen. Kate Beckinsale works hard for her bod. The 43-year-old actress appears on the cover of Shape magazine's January/February 2017 issue, looking more toned than ever in a barely-there, colorblock bikini. As for how Kate prepped for her physically-demanding role in Underworld: Blood Wars, she attributes those rock solid abs to celeb fitness guru Gunnar Peterson for pushing her to the limit. "I work out hard with Gunnar five or six times a week," Beckinsale revealed, adding, "I do circuit training interspersed with brutal cardio, such as crazy things on a nonmotorized treadmill. That part is torture. But the thing I like about circuit training is that you're never doing one thing for very long. You get to the point where you almost can't bear it, and it changes to something else." Kate wasn't always such a dedicated fitness freak, but that all changed when she recognized the benefits working out had on her mental health. "I start out absolutely dreading it, do an incredibly punishing workout, bitch about it the whole time, and end up feeling 100 percent better when I leave. Working out is basically nature's antidepressant," Beckinsale added. The brunette beauty explained that although she loves practicing yoga, "Hard-core workouts have really made a big difference in my life. I have a lot of internal energy, and intense exercise helps me channel that energy. I find balance by doing a workout that makes me pour sweat. I never was that girl before, but I am now." As for Kate's nutrition plan, let's just say cheat days are few and far between. A longtime vegetarian, Beckinsale began introducing meat into her diet for extra energy while filming Pearl Harbor. She explained, "[My 17-year-old daughter] Lily and I eat clean -- we have a lot of sauteed vegetables like brussels sprouts and broccoli and chicken and fish." "Also, I don't drink alcohol," she continued. "I feel [its effects] very quickly, so I've never actually had an entire glass of anything alcoholic." For more from Kate, pick up the latest issue of Shape when it hits newsstands Jan. 3. (Eonline)
The face on Carrie Fisher's pooch says it all. Family and friends gathered Tuesday at the legendary actress' Bev Hills home to mourn her passing ... and Gary was right there with them too. We broke the story ... Carrie's daughter, Billie, will take custody of the beloved French bulldog. (TMZ)
Carrie Fisher's cherished dog -- a 4-year-old pooch named Gary -- will now be cared for by Carrie's daughter ... TMZ has learned. Family friends are telling us Billie Lourd will take custody of the French bulldog, which was by Carrie's side on the plane from London to LAX when Carrie's heart stopped. The pooch also visited Carrie at UCLA Medical Center. Billie already has a French bulldog named Tina, that's best friends with Gary. We're told she wants to make sure the 2 get along in the long term and she's able to handle the added responsibility. A family source told TMZ, Carrie always wanted Billie to take Gary if something happened to her. If, for some reason, Billie can't care for Gary for the long haul, the dog will remain in the family. The dog was like a child to Carrie, who carted her best friend almost everywhere she went ... even interviews. Gary was adopted as a service pet to help Carrie with her bipolar disorder. (TMZ)
It's out with the old and in with the new for Korean Air ... and all probably thanks to Richard Marx. The airline's decided to loosen its Taser usage policy ... 1 week after the '80s hitmaker was forced to subdue an unruly passenger who proved too much for crew members to handle on their own. The new policy will reportedly allow for a "more active use" of Tasers. Employees will also add on more security gear training, and the male-to-female ratio of flight crews will be under review. The old policy meant Tasers could only be used when lives or the physical safety of passengers and cabin crew was threatened. As we reported ... Richard and his wife, Daisy Fuentes, railed on the airline for its lax response to the out-of-control passenger who kicked and spat at crew members while he was tied to his seat. Daisy referred to the crew as "completely ill trained." (TMZ)
Music
Garth Brooks Scores 18th Top 10 Album on Billboard 200. "The Ultimate Collection" climbs 13-6. Plus, Jon Pardi notches his third Hot Country Songs top 10. Garth Brooks banks his 18th top 10 album on the Billboard 200, as his 10-CD box set, The Ultimate Collection, vaults 13-6 in its second week (on the chart dated Jan. 7, 2017). The set surges by 75 percent to 64,000 equivalent units (all from traditional album sales) in the week ending Dec. 22, according to Nielsen Music. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). inReadNow with 18 top 10s, Brooks breaks a tie with Tim McGraw (17) for the second-most top 10s among core country acts in the Billboard 200's 60-year history. George Strait leads with 20. (Among all artists, The Rolling Stones boast a record 37 top 10s.) Concurrently, The Ultimate Collection leads Top Country Albums for a second week, where it's Brooks' 16th No. 1. The set was released as a Target exclusive Nov. 11; it has sold 390,000 copies to date. Notably, the package was not eligible for Billboard's charts for its first four weeks as, per chart policy, its price ($29.99) fell below the minimum price for it to chart ($3.49 for a single disc, or $3.49 times the amount of discs in a multi-disc box set, in a title's first four weeks of release). As The Ultimate Collection remains at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, Brooks occupies the top 10 with four titles for a second straight week: Christmas Together, with his wife, Trisha Yearwood, declines 2-4 (23,000 sold, down 8 percent); the Christmas Together/Gunslinger bundle, available exclusively at Walmart, pushes 8-6 (15,000, up 18 percent); and the stand-alone Gunslinger, Brooks' new studio album, rises 10-7 (15,000, up 30 percent). (Gunslinger is also included as one of the 10 CDs in The Ultimate Collection.) Meanwhile, Brooks adds his 85th and 86th Country Airplay chart entries (a sum second only to Strait's 98, dating to the chart's Jan. 20, 1990, inception), as "Baby, It's Cold Outside," with Yearwood, and "Ugly Christmas Sweater" debut at Nos. 49 and 52, respectively. Both are from Christmas Together. "Baby, Let's Lay Down and Dance," the lead single from Gunslinger, ranks at No. 24 after debuting and peaking at No. 19. STEPPING UP: Jon Pardi's "Dirt on My Boots" ascends to the Hot Country Songs top 10, kicking 13-10. The track jumps 7-3 on Country Digital Song Sales (a new best rank for Pardi on the chart) with 16,000 downloads sold (up 11 percent). It rises 19-17 on Country Airplay (14 million audience impressions, down 3 percent) and 20-18 on Country Streaming Songs (1.7 million U.S. streams, up 3 percent). "Boots" is Pardi's third Hot Country Songs top 10, following the No. 4-peaking "Head Over Boots" (August 2016) and "Up All Night" (No. 10, February 2014). (Billboard)
Neil Diamond Shines With 38th Adult Contemporary Chart Top 10. The icon's "The Christmas Medley (Acoustic Christmas)" climbs 11-10. Pop legend Neil Diamond lands his 38th top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart, as "The Christmas Medley (Acoustic Christmas)" rises 11-10 (on the survey dated Jan. 7, 2017). Diamond moves within one of Elton John's record for the most top 10s since the chart premiered in the Billboard issue dated July 17, 1961 (see list, below). "Medley" is from Diamond's recently-released album Acoustic Christmas. The set hits a new high on the Jan. 7-dated Holiday Albums chart, rising 8-6, and boasts the highest weekly sales of its eight weeks on the ranking (16,000, up 8 percent, in the week ending Dec. 22, according to Nielsen Music). Diamond earns his first AC top 10 since his last entry on the chart, fellow carol "Cherry Cherry Christmas," hit No. 4 on Jan. 2, 2010. He links his first pair of consecutive top 10s since 1989, when "This Time" and "The Best Years of Our Lives" reached Nos. 9 and 7, respectively. Among Diamond's 38 AC top 10s are eight No. 1s. He led the list the longest with his first No. 1, "Song Sung Blue," which ruled for seven weeks in 1972. Diamond is set to begin his 50 Year Anniversary World Tour April 7 in Fresno, California. He first hit the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1966 with "Solitary Man." "People have been loyal and listening for years, so you just want to give them everything," Diamond recently said. "Let it all wash over them, and make sure everybody has a great time." Here is an updated ranking of the acts with the most top 10s in the AC chart's 55-year history: (Hollywood Reporter)
Pentatonix's 'Christmas' Album Hits No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart. Vocal group Pentatonix scores its second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as A Pentatonix Christmas jumps from No. 2 to No. 1 on the latest list, earning 206,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Dec. 22 (up 32 percent), according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 185,000 were in traditional album sales (up 33 percent). It's the first holiday album at No. 1 in five years, since Michael Buble's Christmas ruled the tally for five consecutive weeks on the charts dated Dec. 10, 2011, through Jan. 7, 2012. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Jan. 7, 2017-dated chart (where Pentatonix rises to No. 1) will be posted in full to Billboard's websites on Wednesday, Dec. 28 (one day later than normal, due to the Christmas holiday on Dec. 25). inReadPentatonix previously led the list with its self-titled album, which debuted atop the list in 2015. A Pentatonix Christmas was released through RCA Records on Oct. 21. It debuted at No. 3 on the Nov. 12-dated chart, and has never ranked lower than No. 6 on the list in its nine weeks on the chart. The album benefits from not only holiday-fueled purchases (after all, it is a Christmas album) as well as a sale price in the iTunes Store (for just $7.99), but also a number of TV appearances from the group during the tracking week. The act's Dec. 7 performance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! repeated on Dec. 16; NBC's A Pentatonix Christmas Special (which premiered on Dec. 14) received an encore airing on Dec. 17; they sang on NBC's America's Got Talent Holiday Spectacular on Dec. 19; and they performed on Fox News' Fox & Friends on Dec. 21 and the syndicated Rachael Ray Show on Dec. 22. A Pentatonix Christmas is the group's sixth top 10 album overall, and third holiday effort to reach the region, following 2014's No. 2-peaking That's Christmas to Me, and the 2013 PTXmas EP, which climbed to No. 7. Pentatonix's latest No. 1 also earns the largest sales week for a holiday album in two years, since Pentatonix's previous holiday set, That's Christmas to Me, sold 203,000 copies in the week ending Dec. 21, 2014. In fact, the last acts that weren't Pentatonix to sell more in a single week with a holiday album were Michael Buble and Justin Bieber during the week ending Dec. 25, 2011. That week, Buble sold 467,000 copies of Christmas, while Bieber moved 225,000 copies of his Under the Mistletoe. Further, A Pentatonix Christmas is the first album to earn its first week at No. 1 by climbing there -- as opposed to debuting or re-entering at No. 1-- since Rihanna's Anti vaulted from No. 27 to No. 1 in its second chart week, on the Feb. 20-dated list. Also notable, since A Pentatonix Christmas reaches No. 1 in its ninth week on the list, it logs the slowest continuous climb to No. 1 (thus excepting re-entries at No. 1 from Prince's The Very Best of Prince and Chris Stapleton's Traveller) since the March 16, 2013-dated list, when Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox reached No. 1 in its 12th week. Speaking of Mars, back on the new Billboard 200 chart, his 24K Magic rises two spots to No. 2 with 114,000 units (up 54 percent) while The Weeknd's Starboy stays steady at No. 3 with 101,000 units (down 7 percent). The previous week's No. 1, J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only, dips 1-4 with 90,000 units (down 82 percent). Pentatonix's That's Christmas to Me holds at No. 5 with 78,000 units (up 20 percent). Garth Brooks' new boxed set, The Ultimate Collection, jumps 13-6 in its second chart week (64,000 units -- up 75 percent), granting the superstar his 18th top 10 album. Among country acts, Brooks is now solely in second place with the most top 10s, behind only George Strait, who has 20 top 10s. (Brooks was previously tied with Tim McGraw, who has 17 top 10s.) As for the rest of the new top 10, the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton is a non-mover at No. 7 with 58,000 units (up 21 percent), Metallica's Hardwired... To Self-Destruct ascends 11-8 with 53,000 units (up 30 percent), The Rolling Stones' Blue & Lonesome rises 10-9 with 52,000 units (up 21 percent), and the Moana soundtrack dips 8-10 with 51,000 units (though it's up 7 percent). (Billboard)
Movies
'Rogue One' Box Office Nears $350M in U.S.; 'Sing' Croons Loudly on Tuesday. 'Sing' and 'Passengers' hold at No. 2 and No. 3, while 'Hidden Figures' continues to impress in limited debut. Lucasfilm's and Disney's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story continues to rule the year-end holidays, earning an estimated $22.5 million Tuesday from 4,157 theaters as the stand-alone prequel prepares to cross the $350 million mark at the North American box office Wednesday. And by the end of New Year's weekend, the stand-alone Star Wars prequel should clear $400 million domestically, a feat accomplished by only two other 2016 releases, Disney/Pixar's Finding Dory ($486.3 million) and Disney/Marvel's Captain America: Civil War ($408.1 million). Rogue One finished Tuesday with $340.6 million domestically and $615.9 million globally. The stretch between Christmas Day and New Year's weekend can be the most lucrative corridor at the box office with many kids out of school and many adults off from work. Illumination's and Universal's new animated holiday offering Sing is the other big player after Rogue One. The music-themed animated film, easily holding at No. 2, took in $17.4 million Tuesday from 4,022 theaters for a total $93 million, meaning it will clear $100 million sometime Wednesday. Morten Tyldum's Passengers, the sci-fi space romance starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, continues to come in at No. 3, grossing an estimated $6 million Tuesday for a domestic total of roughly $36 million. The Sony movie got off to a soft start but hopes to make up ground this week after seeing a big jump from Saturday to Christmas Day. In another win for Disney, Thanksgiving animated film Moana jumped Dec. 21 entries Why Him? and Assassin's Creed on Tuesday with an estimated $4 million from 2,687 theaters and putting the movie's domestic total at $189 million. The movie's staying power, along with Sing, underscores the strength family titles have enjoyed this year. The troubled big-budget video game adaptation Assassin's Creed, starring Michael Fassbender, narrowly beat R-rated comedy Why Him? to come in the No. 5 spot with $3.5 million for a total $25.3 million. Assassin's Creed is proving to be a major disappointment, considering its $125 million budget. New Regency financed the film, with Fox handling distribution duties. From Fox proper, Why Him?, starring Bryan Cranston and James Franco, placed No. 6 with $3.4 million for a total $19 million. The comedy opened Dec. 23. Denzel Washington's Broadway play adaptation Fences, expanding nationwide Christmas Day, placed No. 6 with an estimated $3.1 million from 2,233 theaters for a three-day total of $14.9 million. Fences, from Paramount, placed No. 7, followed by fellow awards contender, La La Land. The musical, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, expanded Christmas Day into a total of 724 theaters. La La Land grossed an estimated $2.6 million Tuesday for a total $19.7 million. Among other award contenders making a play over the year-end holidays, Fox 2000's and Chernin Entertainment's Hidden Figures continues to impress after opening in 25 theaters Christmas Day. The historical drama earned an estimated $212,319 Tuesday for a per-theater average of $8,493 -- the best of any film. It also crossed the $1 million mark to end the day with a total $1.1 million. Hidden Figures, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae as NASA mathematicians who helped launch men into space, opened in 15 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston -- home of NASA's Johnson Space Center -- and Hampton, Va., where the movie is set. Peter Berg's and Mark Wahlberg's Boston Marathon bombing drama Patriots Day -- which opened Dec. 23 in seven theaters in Boston, Los Angeles and New York -- grossed another $49,946 Tuesday for a location average of $7,135 and total $382,418. Martin Scorsese's Silence, bowing in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 23, grossed an estimated $22,306 Tuesday for a location average of $5,577 and total $185,924. Paramount, Scorsese's home studio, is releasing the film, starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson. Ben Affleck's Live by Night, a late awards entry, is faring poorly so far in comparison to his other directorial outings. The movie, opening Christmas Day in Los Angeles and New York, earned $8,369 Tuesday for a location average of $2,091 and total $57,000. (Hollywood Reporter)
2016's International Box-Office Surprises. Korea loves 'La La Land,' 'Now You See Me 2' killed in China and 'Bridget Jones's Baby" made $188 million overseas. The list of 2016 global box-office hits is made up of many expected titles: a lot of Disney -- Finding Dory, Captain America: Civil War, Zootopia, The Jungle Book and, of course Rouge One: A Star Wars Story -- plus the usual suspects among the studio tentpoles: Warner Bros.' Superman v. Batman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; and Universal's The Secret Life of Pets. Fox's anti-superhero movie Deadpool, which grossed $783 million worldwide, is the only major upset in the top 10 list this year. But drop a bit further down and the 2016 foreign box office reveals a surprisingly diverse international audience, whose choices in Hollywood entertainment range widely and don't always match up with those in America. Take Bridget Jones's Baby, the third, and likely final, entry in the Renee Zellweger-fronted chick-lit franchise. The movie earned just $24 million for Universal in the U.S. but enjoyed a $188 million bonanza internationally, fully 89 percent of its total box-office take. The British focus of the film -- based on Helen Fielding's London-set books -- obviously helped its performance in Blighty, where it earned a whopping $61 million, as well as in the rest of Europe where the film outperformed relative to the U.S. Tiny Holland was the standout. With a total gross of $11.5 million, Bridget Jones's Baby was the number-one film of the year in the Netherlands. The lowlands have long had a tradition of female-focused comedies -- see the hit Gooische Women franchise headed by local superstar Linda de Mol -- which helps to explain the appeal of Bridget Jones. Another femme-focused rom-com, Warner Bros.' Me Before You, nearly tripled its $56 million domestic take on the international market, earning fully 81 percent of its gross outside North America. Here, the success was also a matter of clear counter-programming. Warner bowed Thea Sharrock's debut feature, starring Emilia Clarke as a caregiver tending to Sam Claflin, a former banker paralyzed by a motorcycle accident, in the summer during the European Soccer Championships when most studios had pulled more male-focused features from their schedules. The tactic worked. Me Before You performed best in soccer-mad territories such as Germany ($20 million), Brazil ($17 million) and Mexico ($11.6 million), where the film had little in the way of competition. In Norway, another big soccer nation, Me Before You was the top-grossing title of 2016. The Nordic appeal likely had a lot to do with Clarke, a huge star in Northern Europe thanks to her starring role in HBO's Game of Thrones, a major hit in the region. Sony's animated The Angry Birds Movie also did particularly well in Scandinavia, thanks in part to local loyalties. The original mobile game on which the film is based was invented by Rovio, a Finnish company. That explains why the movie earned $3.7 million in Finland, making it the country's number-one movie of 2016. La La Land, Lionsgate's awards-season musical, is only just starting its international rollout but already its gross in South Korea ($9.3 million) has surpassed that of North America ($7.2 million). Here the success of Damien Chazelle's sophomore feature has to do with the Korean love of all things musical. The massive K-pop industry has primed South Koreans to come out for music-themed films. Korea was the number-two market for Chazelle's debut, Whiplash, with a $11.4 million gross, behind only the U.S. with $13 million. John Carney's music-themed romance Begin Again grossed $25.9 million in South Korea, compared to $16 million domestically. Carney's Dublin-set follow-up, Sing Street has earned $3.8 million in Korea against $1.8 million in North America. Recently, South Korean has seen major success with re-releasing older Hollywood films, with musicals such as Chicago and The Phantom of the Opera among the biggest draws. Elsewhere in Asia, Sully, Clint Eastwood's real-life aviation adventure tale starring Tom Hanks, wowed in Japan, where the film has earned $12 million, outperforming all other international territories. Warner gave the film the more universal title Hudson-kawa no Kiseki, "Miracle on the Hudson River," for its Japanese launch, but the movie's appeal had as much to do with the Japanese audience's love of the everyman hero -- epitomized by Hanks' "Sully" Sullenberger -- which tends to be more popular in the territory than superhero types. Eastwood has also been a favorite in Japan since his well-received war drama Letters From Iwo Jima. China's slowing, but still booming box office came to rescue of several Hollywood titles this year, including Ang Lee's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. The Iraq war drama, which earned just $1.7 million domestically, grossed $24 million on Chinese release, thanks to Bona Film Group, one of the financial backers of the Fox title who helped roll out the film in China. Lee's name also helped in China, where the Taiwan-born filmmaker is something of national treasure. Indeed, Billy Lynn actually earned more in Taiwan ($3.2 million) than it did in North America. An even bigger Chinese success story was Now You See Me 2, the magic-themed thriller from Jon M. Chu, the sequel to Louis Leterrier's 2013 hit. The film earned $97 million in China, substantially more than the $65 million it took in North America. Opening head-to-head against Independence Day: Resurgence, it actually outperformed Roland Emmerich's sci-fi blockbuster, which earned $75 million in China. Key to the film's Chinese success was clever use of the Chinese casino enclave of Macau as a shooting location for the sequel and the casting of Taiwanese mega-star Jay Chou in a key supporting role. Past Hollywood productions have seen their efforts to woo Chinese fans backfire but Chou, well-known for his offscreen love of magic tricks, was ideally cast. Leomus Pictures, the Chinese group that, together with Hunan TV, has partnered with Lionsgate on a $375 million film slate, also insisted that Chou have a place on the movie's international poster. Lionsgate and Leomus are now planning a Chinese spinoff of the franchise and exploring the possibility of producing Escape Plan 2 as a China co-production. (Eonline)
TV
Carrie Fisher's TV Presence Will Be Felt With Family Guy, Catastrophe and More. The world may have lost an icon when Carrie Fisher passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at the age of 60, but viewers haven't seen the last of her just yet. In addition to the upcoming Star Wars Episode VIII where Fisher will reprise her star-making role of General Leia Organa, Fisher has quite a few TV roles in the can. Fisher, who has recurred on Family Guy as Angela, Peter Griffin's boss, since 2005, will be heard in two more episodes of the Fox animated comedy, according to Variety. "Carrie Fisher was smart, funny, talented, surprising, and always a hell of a fun time to be around. Family Guy will miss her immensely," Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane tweeted after news of Fisher's passing broke. In terms of non-animated work, Fisher will return to Amazon's Catastrophe opposite Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan. The flight where she suffered her cardiac arrest was her return to the United States from filming the comedy in the United Kingdom. Horgan and Fisher were posting selfies of each other (and dogs) in late December as they filmed. "Carrie was my friend. It took me three series but I got her in the end. She was the most generous, fun, gifted, smart, kind, funny funny funny person I've ever met," Horgan wrote on Instagram with a photo. "She certainly wasn't ready to go. I'm so glad we became pals. I'm so devastated at her loss. I want to write about her more but I can't process yet." Fisher re-teamed with her famous mom, Debbie Reynolds, for a documentary that premiered at Cannes in September. Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds will air on HBO in 2017. No premiere date was officially announced. Fisher had a number of small screen roles over her extensive career. She received an Emmy nomination for an episode of 30 Rock and another for the televised version of her one-woman show, Wishful Drinking. "Carrie Fisher meant a lot to me. Like many women my age, Princess Leia occupies about sixty percent of my brain at any given time," Tina Fey told Time about Fisher. "But Carrie's honest writing and her razor-sharp wit were an even greater gift." (Eonline)
Bones Final Season Premiere: Will the Team Be Able to Save an Abducted Brennan?! Get ready for Taken, Bones-style. Bones' final season is almost here (Jan. 3) and it's jumping right back into the drama from the finale, with the team desperately trying to find Brennan (Emily Deschanel) after she was abducted by ex-squintern Zack (Eric Millegan). In E! News' exclusive sneak peek from the season 12 premiere, Cam (Tamara Taylor) and Angela (Michaela Conlin) are reviewing security footage from the lab to find out just how Zach was able to take Brennan. "The problem is Zach was able to remotely turn off some of the cameras," Angela says, going on to say she wasn't able to find any exterior cameras that were turned off. Wait, so does that mean Brennan is actually still inside the Jeffersonian?! Hey, isn't it true you always find what you are looking for right in front of you most of the time? Fans can expect the final season of the longrunning hit to "celebrate the inventive series and bring the storylines of Brennan, Booth (David Boreanaz) and the Jeffersonian-FBI team to a close, allowing the show's loyal fans to say goodbye to these indelible characters," Fox said. Plus, the network promised "the return of fan-favorite guest stars and squinterns, as well as an old flame from one of the team's past." Oh, and a wedding will be going down before the series' end! Bones' final season premieres on Jan. 3, 2017, at 9 p.m. on Fox. (Eonline)
Leah Remini Turns Spotlight on FBI in Scientology Docuseries. "Now we answer the question why the FBI hasn't done anything," Remini tweeted during Tuesday's episode of her A&E docuseries, 'Scientology and the Aftermath.' Leah Remini is taking on the Church of Scientology with each episode of her docuseries, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, currently airing on A&E, and Tuesday night, she turned the spotlight on the FBI. In the episode, the fifth of eight in the series, Remini, who broke from the Church in 2013, and her co-host, former Scientologist Mike Rinder, traveled to Denver to meet two former executives of the Church, Marc and Claire Headley. The couple were high-ranking Sea Organization members before escaping the Church and becoming "suppressive persons" in 2005. During the sitdown with the married couple, Claire Headley recounts to Remini how she was allegedly coerced into having an abortion during her younger years in the Church. Members of the Sea Organization, like the Headleys and Remini when she was a member, sign a billion-year contract to join the organization, which does not allow children. "If you were in the Sea Organization and you got pregnant you were expected to have an abortion," said Rinder, adding that the Church claims pressuring women to have an abortion either has never happened or doesn't happen anymore. "The truth of the matter is, it is a mortal sin to get pregnant as a Sea Org member because that means you will have to leave the Sea Organization and therefore 'break' your billion-year contract." A tearful Claire Headley, who now has three children with her husband, said, "Some wounds you can't heal" Adding, "It doesn't make it any easier to deal with it. Ever." It was experiencing and witnessing such abuse that ultimately led the couple to decide to leave the Church, or "defect," after being members for 30 years. The final straw came when Church leader David Miscavige "went off" on Marc Headley over a snide comment. "He started punching me and slugging me and pushed me against a desk unit," he claims. "At that point I sort of realized, 'Ok, the Pope of Scientology just beat the shit out of me.' For me, that was it." The pair detailed each of their dangerous but successful escapes, which happened in 2005. They are now "suppressive persons," which means none of their family members in the Church can communicate with them again. When Remini asks if they relayed these alleged abuses to the authorities and the FBI, the Headleys say they have "in depth." They filed lawsuits individually and together and though Marc Headley says the Church admitted to what happened, it was ruled as part of the Church's religious right and the Headleys' religious practice. "Religions in the United States under the First Amendment basically have free rein to do whatever they want to do and your option is: Leave the religion, go somewhere else," explains Rinder. "The First Amendment says, effectively, the government or any branch of government, including courts, may not entangle themselves in making decisions about the ecclesiastical or the religious practices of any religion." A title card reveals the Headleys lost their lawsuit against the Church, but feel that speaking out and "exposing the practice of coerced abortions has made it harder for this abuse to continue." During the episode, the actress took to Twitter to say, "Now we answer the question why the FBI hasn't done anything #ScientologyTheAftermath." Remini admits that she doesn't know exactly what legal steps can be taken to help, but vows that she will find ways to bring justice to these victims and prevent these instances from happening again. The A&E series, which premiered Nov. 29, follows the actress' memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, and years of interviews and public statements she has made in hopes of exposing the truth about the Church. In both her memoir and in the series, Remini speaks to other former Scientologists who allege similar experiences of abuse and harassment during and after leaving the Church. The Church released a lengthy response to the premiere of Remini's show, which can be read in full here. Ahead of each segment, Scientology and the Aftermath airs a title card declaring the Church "challenges the credibility" of the series. During the episode, Remini and Rinder realized twice that they were being followed by two separate private investigators. "It doesn't intimidate me, it makes me want to retaliate because I'm not going to f -- ing stand for it," she says, revealing the underlying motive behind her series. "This cult or another cult, I don't want people to feel powerless because something seems more powerful than you," she later says, encouraging everyone watching to "do something. You can do something." (Hollywood Reporter)
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