NO AIRS: Queen Latifah SUPER SUCCESS: Spider-Man 2 starring Andrew Garfield is expected to rank as one of the year’s highest-grossing films.

Spider-Man 2 catches $92mn to kick off summer movie season. By Lisa Richwine and Chris Michaud

The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a sequel about the web-slinging superhero, snared $92mn in US and Canadian ticket sales over the weekend, taking the top spot on movie box office charts at the start of Hollywood’s lucrative summer blockbuster season.

The big-budget, effects-filled movie starring Andrew Garfield is expected to rank as one of the year’s highest-grossing films. With international sales, it has rung up nearly $370mn around the globe through Sunday, distributor Sony Corp said.

The Other Woman, a comedy about three women out for  revenge on a cheating husband, finished a distant second on domestic (US) charts with $14.2mn, according to estimates from tracking firm Rentrak. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, another superhero sequel and previous box office champ, landed in the No. 4 slot with $7.8mn from Friday through Sunday, behind Heaven Is for Real, a faith-based drama and Sony release which grabbed third place with $8.7mn for a $65mn box office total in just its third week of release.

The performance of Spider-Man 2 could not quite match the strong domestic opening for Captain America in April, when the Marvel Studios film took in $95mn over its first three days. Ahead of the weekend, box office forecasters projected Spider-Man would collect $85mn to $95mn.

In the Spider-Man sequel, Garfield returns as the masked hero who swings through the streets and skyscrapers of New York, battling new villains including the formidable Electro played by Jamie Foxx. Garfield’s real-life girlfriend, Emma Stone, portrays Gwen Stacy, the on-screen love interest of Spidey alter ego Peter Parker.

“This was a really fantastic result,” said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures Entertainment, adding that the opening bodes well for Sony “not only meeting our goals, but exceeding them.”

The film is Sony’s biggest bet this year, with a production cost of roughly $200mn, according to movie website IMDB.

Last summer, the studio suffered from two major bombs, thrillers After Earth and White House Down. Spider-Man leads a parade of action-packed superhero and monster movies that will reach theaters by August. They include Godzilla on May 16, X-Men: Days of Future Past on May 23, and Transformers: Age of Extinction on June 27. Hollywood earns about 40% of ticket sales from the first weekend in May through Labor Day in September.

Bruer said Sony was well-positioned going forward, saying “It’s nice to be going into next weekend with no outrageous competition. That will give us a chance to build.”

The Amazing Spider-Man, which Sony released in 2012, took in more than $750mn worldwide according to the website boxofficemojo, and Bruer said the studio hoped to equal or exceed that total.

Captain America starring Chris Evans as the patriotic superhero, got a head start on the summer releases and generated blockbuster sales. Through Sunday, the film had earned $680mn globally, distributor Walt Disney Co said.

The Other Woman, in its second week of release, brought its domestic total to $47mn. The movie stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton as women who are dating the same married man. Leslie Mann plays his wife.

Rounding out the top five, animated sequel Rio 2, about a family of rare Brazilian birds, collected $7.6mn to bring its box office total to $106mn. The Other Woman and Rio 2 were released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of Twenty-First Century Fox. — Reuters    

 

Barrymore keen on films with Sandler

Actress Drew Barrymore wants to star opposite comedian Adam Sandler in more films. The 39-year-old, who starred alongside the comedian in 1998 film The Wedding Singer followed by 50 First Dates in 2004 and is currently playing the mother of his children in Blended, said that it would be fun to work with Sandler again, reports contactmusic.com

“When we did 50 First Dates, I was so confused about love but he was about to marry Jackie (Sandler). I was like, ‘how do you make a relationship work and stay’,” said Barrymore. “When we did The Wedding Singer, we were such young kids with barely a care in the world, there was that joy. So it will be interesting to see what our next film together will be. Parenting teenagers next, I think,” she added. — IANS

 

Paltrow-Martin spotted together, again

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Chris Martin announced their split in March, but it seems they are giving their relationship another chance. They’ve been spotted together again. According to sources, they were seen smiling and laughing as they left a popular eatery with friends here, reports radaronline.com. Last month they reunited at actor Robert Downey Jr’s star-studded birthday party. The two even took a vacation together immediately after announcing their separation on March 25. He had earlier said that his “own issues” had contributed to their marital woes but he insisted they hadn’t had a marriage “breakdown”. — IANS

 

Emma Stone joins fight against cancer

Actress Emma Stone joined the fight against cancer at the Entertainment Industry Foundation Revlon Run/Walk for Women. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 co-hosted the event with Andy Cohen on Saturday, reports eonline.com. The event is especially close to Stone’s heart because her mother Krista Stone was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2008. The first EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women was held in 1994 and the events have raised more than $70mn. The money goes toward research, treatment and financial support for women facing cancer. — IANS

 

Queen Latifah not a typical celebrity

Singer-actress Queen Latifah insists she lives a normal life and spends most of her time caring for her mother, who has an incurable autoimmune disease. The chat show host’s mother Rita Owen was diagnosed with scleroderma, an incurable autoimmune disease that may cause scar tissue to build up on the lungs, last year, reports contactmusic.com.

“There’s nothing Hollywood about me when it comes to my family. I didn’t hire people. I’m very involved with mom’s care. I talk to the doctors, I talk to the nurses, we discuss the findings, we discuss options,” she said.

“I love that lady. We’ve gotten so close this year, with everything we’ve been going through. She takes care of me. And now I can take care of her. I’m really thankful I can be there,” she added. — IANS