‘Wicked’ movie soundtrack makes history on ‘Billboard’ charts
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Wicked is defying sales records left and right.
The soundtrack for the film debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, making it the all-time highest debut for a film adaptation of a stage musical.
It was blocked from the top spot by Kendrick Lamar‘s surprise album, GNX, which earned the singer his fifth consecutive #1 album.
The Wicked soundtrack also scored the top spot on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales, Soundtracks and Vinyl Albums charts.
Wicked released in theaters on Nov. 22 and became the highest-grossing movie based on a Broadway musical at the domestic box office over the Thanksgiving weekend. It stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. By Sunday, Dec. 1, the movie had earned a total of $263.1 million.
In a matchup some called the “battle of the clowns” at the box office, Terrifier‘s Art the Clown knocked out Joker.
The threequel and the flop sequel to the Oscar-winning original went head-to-head in theaters over the weekend: Terrifier 3 took the top slot at the box office, with an $18.3 million debut to Joker: Folie à Deux‘s $7.1 million second weekend.
What’s more, according to ratings aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Terrifier 3 has a 76% from critics and is “Verified Hot” with an overall score of 89%.
The Joker sequel earned a “splat” from the site: It has a 33% from critics and a 32% from moviegoers.
For his part, David Howard Thornton, who plays Art the Clown, tells ABC Audio “it’s been quite the ride” watching the character take off from its micro-budgeted beginnings.
He says it’s “surreal” to find out his alter-ego has such famous fans. “Someone showed me a picture when Jeff Bezos … dressed up as Art the Clown. I was like, ‘Are you kidding? One of the richest men in the world? Can you fund us? Send me free Amazon stuff, please, man,'” he added with a laugh.
Jason Patric, his co-star in the new movie, also dressed up as Art, and Joey Fatone is also a fan, Thornton says, which left him “stunned.”
Of the Christmas-set third film, Thornton teases, “It’s gonna give everyone a silent night but violent night,” laughing that it’s a “fun … family picture — just bad things happen to these families.”
Of Art, he insists “he’s a jolly guy. He certainly enjoys slaying.”
Harry Potter fans have just gotten an update about Warner Bros.’ planned TV series about the boy wizard.
Varietyreports that while speaking at Mipcom in Cannes, Warner Bros. TV Group Chairman and CEO Channing Dungey shared some tidbits about what to expect, and it seems the show plans to delve into the Potter world even more than the movies did.
Dungey said that being part of the series is an “unbelievable dream, honestly … and as somebody who is a huge fan of the books, the opportunity to get to explore them in a little bit more in-depth that you can in just a two-hour film … that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey.”
As for what stage the project is in, Dungey shared that the “writing staff was in place and they’re doing what they need to do, and casting calls have opened up in the U.K. and Ireland, so the process is moving along.”
Dungey also offered an update on the future of Ted Lasso, noting, “We are in conversations about season four, and they are very exciting conversations, but it’s still early days.”
Earlier reports said Warner Bros. TV had picked up the options for series regulars Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift, and it sounds like star Jason Sudeikis could be returning as well in some capacity.
“We had always been clear that we there wasn’t going to be more Ted Lasso if Jason [Sudeikis] and team weren’t feeling excited about it,” Dungey said, “and I can tell you firsthand that he’s in a place where he’s feeling really excited and feels good about it”
Joan Vassos‘ suitors reunited on Wednesday night for a heartfelt “Men Tell All” episode of the Golden Bachelorette.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the men reminisced about their journey on the show in front of an audience and revisited some of the hilarious memories they shared.
“The bromance here was just absolutely unbelievable,” Gary said about the group of men. Host Jesse Palmer also highlighted how the men supported each other despite the fact they were all vying for the heart of Vassos.
The audience was moved to tears when Jonathan, the 61-year-old shipping consultant from Oakland, Iowa, read a sweet message that Mark left him one morning on a post-it note.
Fan favorite Charles L. also spoke about the friendship he has with all the men and how the The Golden Bachelorette experience has given him the confidence to start dating again.
“I was worried [about] what my daughters would think about me, to date again … and also I was not sure what my relatives would think about me [dating] due to my cultural background,” he said. “But the support I received, the love I received from my daughters and my family and relatives — that worry is gone.”
An audience member then suggested that Charles should be the next “Golden Bachelor.”
After Pascal‘s dramatic exit in last week’s episode, the 69-year-old salon owner from Chicago, Illinois, took the hot seat to discuss his “difficult decision” to say goodbye to her in Tahiti.
“I hope I didn’t hurt her,” Pascal said, adding, “She’s a wonderful woman and now I’m watching and I see her say that she’s not worthy of love — she’s totally wrong. I think she is worthy of love, I just wasn’t able to give her what she was looking for at the time.”
When it finally came time to talk to Vassos, Pascal said he hoped him leaving the show led to Vassos finding the right person. She said she has no hard feelings towards him, and that she wants “nothing but the best” for him.
Vassos also told all the men that she wanted to remain friends with them.
Next week, we’ll see how Vassos’ journey as the Golden Bachelorette ends in part two of the season finale, as she heads to Bora Bora with Chock and Guy.
