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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 30 January 2017
‘A Dog’s Purpose’ opens to $18.4 million amid controversy

LINDSEY BAHR movie that cost only $22
AP Film Writer million to produce.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Open- Representatives of Univer-
ing in theaters amid con- sal Pictures, which distrib-
troversy over animal treat- uted the Amblin-produced
ment on set and calls for a film starring Dennis Quaid,
boycott, “A Dog’s Purpose” say the opening was in line
still managed to earn $18.4 with their hopes.
million, according to studio Audiences gave the film
estimates Sunday. an “A’’ CinemaScore, indi-
Tracking expectations had cating that word of mouth
pegged the family film to should be positive going
open in the mid $20-million forward.
range, but it had a healthy “It’s a great start for what I
debut nonetheless for a think is going to be a long-

This image released by Universal studios shows Bryce Gheisar in a scene from “A Dog’s Purpose.”
Associated Press
term playout on the title,” mestically after earning its press junket and pre-
said Nick Carpou, Univer- 14 Oscar nominations that miere but still proceeded
sal’s president of domestic helped fuel its earnings. with releasing the film in
distribution. “They definitely got a nice over 3,000 locations as
First place at the box of- boost,” comScore senior planned.
fice went again to M. Night media analyst Paul Der- Carpou acknowledged
Shyamalan’s multiple per- garabedian said. “They’re that the video, which he
sonality thriller “Split.” It riding that perfect wave and the filmmakers have
grossed $26.3 million in its of Oscar attention with the said is “highly edited,” sur-
second weekend in the- perfect release pattern.” faced at “a very inoppor-
aters — a relatively minus- But even with the newly tune moment in the build-
cule 34 percent drop from anointed Oscar nomi- up to the release of our
its first weekend, which is nees and the sleeper hit movie” and they knew that
nearly unheard of for a hor- of “Split,” many eyes were it would have some effect.
ror thriller. on “A Dog’s Purpose” this And yet, Carpou said, “It’s
Rounding out the top five weekend. On Jan. 18, TMZ very difficult to qualify what
were “Hidden Figures” in released a video of a fright- is a success for this film by
third with $14 million, new ened dog from “A Dog’s trying to quantify negative
opener “Resident Evil: The Purpose” that apparently result because of some
Final Chapter” in fourth was forced into rushing wa- controversy.”
with $13.9 million, and “La ter during the making of Other industry observers,
La Land” in fifth place with the film. The footage quick- like Dergarabedian, note
$12.1 million. ly went viral. that the video and the re-
Damien Chazelle’s candy PETA called for a boycott sulting media attention ac-
colored musical crossed of the film, while the studio tually heightened aware-
the $100 million mark do- and filmmakers canceled ness about the movie.q
Decades-old slaying of Righteous

Brothers singer’s ex solved

MICHAEL BALSAMO regained consciousness. enforcement officials have
Associated Press She died a few days later argued the technique can
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Inves- at the hospital. provide valuable leads to
tigators used a controver- The sheriff’s department investigators.
sial DNA testing method said Friday that the case A sheriff’s spokeswoman
to solve the decades-old “was solved through the would not say Friday eve-
killing of the ex-wife of Righ- use of familial DNA, which ning whether investigators
teous Brothers singer Bill identified the killer,” but had formally made an ar-
Medley, the Los Angeles provided no other details. rest in the case and de-
County Sheriff’s Depart- The technique, which has clined to identify the sus-
ment said. Karen Klaas was raised ethical issues in the pect. Los Angeles County
attacked Jan. 30, 1976 as forensics community, allows Sheriff Jim McDonnell, Dis-
she returned to her home investigators to search law trict Attorney Jackie Lacey
in Hermosa Beach. The enforcement databases and other officials are ex-
32-year-old was sexually to identify likely relatives of pected to release addi-
assaulted, strangled with the person who may have tional information at a news
her pantyhose and never committed the crime. Law conference Monday.q