Harry Potter movie tops box office, again
HOLLYWOOD, June 13 (UPI) -- "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," distributed by Warner Bros., added $35 million this weekend to its $158 million take, topping the U.S. box office.
The Web site boxofficemojo.com reported Sunday the second top ranked movie was Universal's "The Chronicles of Riddick," which grossed $25 million in its premier week.
"Shrek 2," distributed by Dreamworks, added $24 million to its box office of $354 million.
Paramount's "The Stepford Wives" grossed $22 million in its debut week.
In it premier week, "Garfield: The Movie," distributed by Fox, grossed $21.6 million.
Fox's "The Day After Tomorrow" added $14.5 million to its box office of $153 million.
"Raising Helen," distributed by Buena Vista, added $3.8 million to its box office of $31.4 million.
"Troy," distributed by Warner Bros., added $3.5 million to its box office of $126 million.
"Saved!" distributed by United Artists, added $2.6 million to its box office of $3.7 million.
Paramount's "Mean Girls" added $1.5 million to its box office of $81 million.
Batman prequel tells Bruce Wayne story
LOS ANGELES, June 13 (UPI) -- In the new "Batman" movie set for U.S. release in 2005, Bruce Wayne, as a child, sees his parents murdered and he dedicates his life to avenge the crime.
Newsweek reports that the Batman movie will examine how Wayne with no superpowers becomes the top crime fighter.
"How did this guy who has no superpowers acquire all of these capabilities?" Nolan said. "He lives in the real world -- it's sort of New York on steroids, but it's our world."
In contrast to the gothic fantasia of Tim Burton's previous version, Nolan has opted for a gritty urban realism. He pored over 65 years of Batman comics and wrote a storyline that has Wayne returning to Gotham City after a long exile.
Wayne's military subcontracting business, Wayne Enterprises, has been seized by shareholders, who've relegated the company's most ambitious designs and designers to the scrapheap.
Wayne befriends Wayne Enterprises' inventor Lucius Fox, played by Morgan Freeman, and uses his designs to create an alter ego.
Sela Ward: 'The Day After Tomorrow' scary
LOS ANGELES, Colo., June 13 (UPI) -- Actress Sela Ward, who plays Dr. Lucy Hall in the U.S. movie "The Day After Tomorrow," calls the film "scary."
"It's scary because it's based on reality, rather than something pure science-fiction," the former star of the television series' "Once and Again" and "Sisters" told the Ladies' Home Journal.
The special-effects thriller shows New York City streets and landmarks being flooded and is considered by many as the most dramatic warning about global warming.
Said Ward: "The details are possible: The Antarctic Ice Shield breaks up because of global warming, which starts a chain reaction on the entire climate system, I think it will make everyone pause and say, 'Wow, I'm so happy it was just a movie.' And then, 'Okay, what are we going to do to protect the planet?' "
Ellen DeGeneres back on top
LOS ANGELES, June 13 (UPI) -- After her personal life eclipsed her work in 1997, Ellen DeGeneres is on top with an Emmy-winning talk show, successful book and performing in a top film.
"I've worked hard to get back to what I do," she told More magazine.
After DeGeneres' second sitcom, "The Ellen Show" was canceled on CBS in 2001, Jim Paratore, president of Telepictures Productions and vice president of Warner Bros. domestic television production approached her to do a talk show after seeing her on an episode of "Rosie."
"She was not at the height of her career," Patatore said. "But my interest in Ellen wasn't because she was red-hot from a marketing point of view -- it was because I thought she had the ability."
DeGeneres said she knew a talk show hosted by her was going to be a hard sell with some U.S. station managers.
"He was basically listening to people say, 'Nobody wants to see her on the air. She's a lesbian. She's not going to work in daytime," DeGeneres said. "He took a huge gamble."
