Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 13 March 2017
A31

‘Kong’ outmuscles ‘Logan’ to become king of the box office

LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It was
a battle of the beasts at the
box office this weekend,
and King Kong emerged
as the definitive victor over
Wolverine.
According to studio esti-
mates Sunday, “Kong: Skull
Island” amassed $61 million
in its first weekend in the-
aters, surpassing expecta-
tions and easily beating
out “Logan,” which is now
in its second weekend.
Warner Bros. and Legend-
ary’s “Kong: Skull Island”
stars Tom Hiddleston, Brie
Larson and Samuel L. Jack- This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows a scene from, “Kong: Skull Island.”
son. It’s the second in the Associated Press
planned “monster uni-
verse” following the latest off soon for spring break. tifiable hit,” said Paul Der- three weeks. out of the red, too, and
“Godzilla,” which grossed “The world of mouth is really garabedian, senior media With a price tag of only $4.5 even at this early date,
$529.1 million worldwide in kicking in,” Goldstein said. analyst for box office track- million, the movie is a certifi- Dergarabedian thinks the
2014. Costing a reported $185 er comScore. able hit for Blumhouse and box office might be head-
Jeff Goldstein, Warner million to produce, “Kong” Fox’s “Logan” took second Universal and continues to ed for yet another record
Bros.’ head of domestic still has work to be done, place, down around 58 remain prominently in the year based on the number
distribution, said the week- however, to reach profit- percent from its first week- conversation up against of releases.
end “far exceeded every- ability, and much of that end with $37.9 million. films with much larger pro- Next week shows no sign
one’s expectations,” and will depend on internation- The R-rated pic, which sees duction and marketing of slowing, either, with Dis-
he predicts Monday actu- al earnings. Hugh Jackman reprising his budgets behind them. ney’s “Beauty and the
als might come in higher This weekend it topped in- role as the X-Men charac- Rounding out the top five Beast” poised to earn well
than the estimated $61 mil- ternational charts as well ter Wolverine, has earned were the faith-based mov- over $100 million out of the
lion. with $81.6 million from 66 $152.7 million in total. ie “The Shack,” with $10.1 gate.
The film, which earned a B territories. In third place, “Get Out,” million, and “The Lego Bat- “It’s a March of
CinemaScore overall, was “They had a solid week- the buzzy horror film direct- man Movie” with $7.8 mil- beasts for sure,” said
graded stronger by young- end. But they’re going to ed by Jordan Peele, add- lion. Dergarabedian.q
er audiences, many of be looking for a half-billion ed $21.1 million, pushing its The strong weekend
whom will have extra days worldwide to make it a cer- sum to $111 million in just nudged the year to date
Joni Sledge, member of Sister Sledge, dies at 60

NEKESA MUMBI MOODY formed the Sister Sledge in became a top 10 hit in May But their biggest hit would ebrated their familial con-
AP Entertainment Writer 1971 in Philadelphia, their 1979. (It would sampled come a month later with nection with the refrain,
NEW YORK (AP) — hometown, but struggled years later for Will Smith’s hit the title track, an infectious “We are family, I got all
Joni Sledge, who with her for years before success “Getting Jiggy Wit It.”) dance anthem that cel- my sisters with me.” While
sisters recorded the endur- came. it celebrated their sister-
ing dance anthem “We “The four of us had been in hood, the 1979 hit so also
Are Family,” has died, the the music business for eight became an anthem for fe-
band’s representative said years and we were frustrat- male empowerment and
Saturday. ed. unity. It would become
She was 60. We were saying: ‘Well, their signature hit, and was
Sledge was found dead maybe we should go to nominated for a Grammy.
in her home by a friend in college and just become Both the song and album
Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, lawyers or something other sold more than one million
the band’s publicist, Biff than music, because it re- copies.
Warren, said. ally is tough,’” Joni told The The women also had a hit
A cause of death has not Guardian in an interview with a cover of the Mary
been determined. He said last year. Wells song “My Guy” in
she had not been ill. But then they met Bernard 1982, but would never du-
“On yesterday, numbness Edwards and Nile Rodg- plicate the success they
fell upon our family. We ers of the hit group Chic, had in the 1970s. Still, Sis-
welcome your prayers as and their breakout soon ter Sledge continued;
we weep the loss of our came. The pair wrote and This Aug. 14, 2006 file photo shows Joni Sledge, one of the orig- while sister Kathy left the
sister, mother, aunt, niece produced their album “We inal members of “Sister Sledge,” second from left, posing with group for a solo career,
and cousin,” read a family Are Family,” and soon the Rodney Jerkins, second from right, her niece Camille Sledge, the trio of sisters continued
statement. women had their first ma- left, and her cousin Amber Sledge at the “We Are Family 2006 to perform and record, in-
Sledge and her sisters jor hit with disco jam “The - All-Star Katrina Benefit CD and Documentary DVD Launch” in cluding a performance for
Century City, Calif.
Debbie, Kim and Kathy Greatest Dancer,” which Associated Press Pope Francis in 2015. q