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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 25 February 2019
'How to Train Your Dragon' tops Oscar weekend with $55.5M

By JAKE COYLE a cameo supporting per-
Associated Press formance from Dwayne
LOS ANGELES (AP) — "How Johnson, an executive pro-
to Train Your Dragon: The ducer on the film. With an
Hidden World" breathed $11 million budget, it's a far
some fire into a slumping smaller film than Johnson is
box office with a franchise- typically a part of.
best $55.5 million debut There was little of an Oscar
over Oscar weekend. bump for the Academy
Writer-director Dean DeB- Awards nominees heading
lois' third and supposedly into Sunday's show. Alfonso
final installment in the "How Cuaron's "Roma" is tied for
to Train Your Dragon" series the most nominations with
notched the best opening 10 but, as a Netflix release, it
of the year in U.S. and Ca- has been mostly streamed.
nadian theaters. This image released by Universal Pictures shows characters Astrid, voiced by America Ferrera, Netflix has declined to give
left, and Valka, voiced by Cate Blanchett, in a scene from DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train
Going into the weekend, Your Dragon: The Hidden World." box-office figures for its the-
overall ticket sales for 2019 Associated Press atrical release. The major
were down 18 percent, theater operators have re-
according to Comscore, (an A CinemaScore) to out "The Hidden World" million internationally over fused to screen Netflix films
throwing cold water on the exceed the $43.7 million abroad first. It's been in re- the weekend, boosted by since they don't adhere to
record box office of 2018. opening of the 2010 origi- lease internationally since Fox's biggest opening ever the traditional 90-day the-
But as Hollywood was set nal (which ultimately made January, earning $216.9 in China. It was the no. 1 atrical exclusivity window.
to gather for the Academy $494.9 million worldwide) million through Sunday. film there with $62.3 million Of the nominees still in the-
Awards on Sunday, "The and the $49 million opening Last week's top film, "Alita: in ticket sales. MGM's "Fight- aters, Peter Farrelly's "Green
Hidden World" lent the in- of the 2014 sequel (which Battle Angel," dropped ing With My Family," about Book" fared the best, gross-
dustry some good news — amassed $621.5 million). steeply in its second week- professional wrestling star ing $2.1 million on its 15th
albeit not a hint at all of the The latest installment, which end with $12 million. That's Saraya "Paige" Bevis, was weekend. The best picture-
magnitude of what that similarly features the voices a slide of 58 percent, and the only other new film in nominated interracial road
was in theaters last Oscar of Jay Baruchel, America further trouble for the 20th wide release. It expanded trip drama has grossed
weekend when "Black Pan- Ferrera and Cate Blanch- Century Fox release from to 2,711 theaters after a lim- $69.6 million through Sun-
ther" was the top film. ett, is the first DreamWorks producer James Cameron ited release last weekend, day, including $27.1 mil-
Made for $129 million, "The Animation release under and director Robert Rodri- grossing a modest $8 mil- lion since Oscar nomina-
Hidden World" rode good the Comcast-owned Uni- guez. The sci-fi film cost a lion. Directed by Stephen tions were announced.
reviews (91 percent fresh versal, which bought Jef- hefty $170 million to make. Merchant, "Fighting With That dwarfs the post-nom-
on Rotten Tomatoes) and frey Katzenberg's company But "Alita" is doing better My Family" stars Florence inations hauls of all other
warm audience reaction in 2016. Universal trotted overseas. It grossed $92.4 Pugh as Bevis and features contenders.q

UK's Yola sings vintage country-soul on

debut album

of an album, its strings,
harpsichords, steel guitars,
electric pianos and harmo-
niums evoking the sophisti-
cated country and soul of
the late '60s of Dusty Spring-
field or, more recently, Nick
Lowe.
The record's style is also
the work of Dan Auerbach
(Black Keys), who lately
has done similarly success-
ful vintage productions for
Dr. John, Robert Finley and
Shannon Shaw.
Recorded in Auerbach's
Easy Eye Sound Nashville
studio with aces (Gene
Chrisman, Bobby Wood,
Billy Sanford, Russ Pahl)
whose resumes include a

This album cover released by Easy Eye Sound shows "Walk genuine roster of music leg-
Through Fire," a release by Yola. ends, the songs achieve a
Associated Press natural dose of authentic-
ity, even though they're
By PABLO GORONDI (Easy Eye Sound) originals written by Yola
Associated Press Yola's "Walk Through Fire" is and Auerbach, with Wood
Yola, "Walk Through Fire" a scrumptious period piece and other collaborators.q