Following is a summary of current entertainment news
briefs.
”Dark Knight Rises” ends Batman franchise for Warner
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The release of Warner Bros.’ movie
”The Dark Knight Rises” brings to an end one of Hollywood’s
most enduring franchises, as the studio searches to find a new
one capable of matching Batman’s box office success. Forecasts
for opening weekend ticket sales were thrown into doubt after a
shooting in Colorado on Friday at a midnight screening of the
film. Twelve people were killed.
Katie Holmes gets back to work on Broadway
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Katie Holmes is returning to star on
Broadway for the first time in four years starring in a new
play, ”Dead Accounts,” set to open this fall, Broadway
producers said on Thursday. Holmes, who earlier this month
reached a high profile divorce settlement with actor Tom
Cruise, will star in Theresa Rebeck’s new comedy,
representatives for the show said in a statement.
”Dark Knight Rises” midnight box office hits $30.6 million
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Warner Bros. Film studio on Friday
said its movie ”The Dark Knight Rises” took in $30.6 million at
U.S. and Canadian box offices in screenings just after midnight
on Friday. The movie, director Christopher Nolan’s third film
in his action-packed Batman trilogy, had been widely
anticipated, but its debut was marred by the tragic shooting of
audience members at a Denver suburban theater in the early
morning hours on Friday.
Paris Batman premiere cancelled after U.S. shooting
PARIS (Reuters) – The Paris premiere of the Batman film
”The Dark Knight Rises” was cancelled on Friday following the
mass shooting at a midnight showing of the film in a suburb of
Denver, Colorado which killed 12 people, event organizers said.
Workmen were clearing away barriers that had been set up in
preparation for the premiere at a cinema on the capital’s
Champs Elysees avenue.
Hollywood scrutiny sharpens after ”Dark Knight” shooting
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Hollywood and its storied Warner
Bros. studio on Friday faced sharp scrutiny and the prospect of
seeing blockbuster ”The Dark Knight Rises” sink at box offices
following a killing spree in Colorado that could test fan
appetite for violent films. Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner
Inc , saw its big-budget film take in a near record
$30.6 million in midnight screenings on Friday, but ticket
sales were overshadowed by the shooting. As news spread through
the day, the film’s director, Christopher Nolan, expressed his
”profound sorrow” at the rampage that took the lives of 12
people and injured 58 more.
Kurt Andersen goes 007 in latest book
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Best-selling author Kurt Andersen
isn’t a spy, but that didn’t stop him from writing his latest
novel about a group of friends who hatch a James-Bond-like plot
amid the tumult of the 1960s in the United States. ”True
Believers,” which hit shelves earlier this month, tells the
tale of a celebrated lawyer, Karen Hollander, whose childhood
James Bond games with her friends Chuck and Alex spins into
real-life political intrigue during the politically charged
year of 1968.
New shows join Emmy favorites among nominees
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Drama ”Downton Abbey” and thriller
”American Horror Story” earned the favor of Emmy award voters
on Thursday, joining a list of past favorites including ”Mad
Men” and ”Modern Family” among nominees for the top U.S.
television honors. Both ”Downton Abbey” and ”American Horror
Story” benefited from a twist in the nominating process that
allowed them to shift categories – ”Abbey” to dramas and
”Horror Story” to miniseries.
Comedian, Emmy-winning writer Tom Davis dies
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Tom Davis, who along with Al
Franken formed the comedy duo ”Franken and Davis” and went on
to write for ”Saturday Night Live” and win four Emmy Awards,
died on Thursday at age 59. Davis died of throat and neck
cancer, his wife Mimi Raleigh told the New York Times.
