UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News

'Blind Side' takes over No. 1

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- It took three weeks but "The Blind Side" knocked "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" out of the No. 1 spot in U.S. theaters, Box Office Mojo said Sunday.

"The Blind Side" took in an estimated $20.44 million this weekend, easily surpassing the $15.7 million logged for "New Moon." But the romantic vampire movie's total take is $255.64 million to just $129.26 million for the feel-good sports story since they both opened three weeks ago.

"Brothers," a war-themed drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman, debuted at No. 3 with an estimated $9.7 million in gate receipts.

"A Christmas Carol (2009)" moved up one spot to fourth at $7.52 million, followed by "Old Dogs" with $6.9 million. "2012" with $6.6 million and another new offering, "Armored," starring Matt Dillon and Jean Reno in a story about an inside plot to rob an armored truck carrying millions of dollars, were in a dead heat at Nos. 6 and 7 with about $6.6 million each.

"Ninja Assassin" is No. 8 with $5.03 million and "Planet 51" was ninth with $4.3 million.

Filling out the Top 10 was the new movie "Everybody's Fine," a comedy featuring Robert De Niro and Drew Barrymore, with $4.03 million.

Dropping out of the top tier were "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" and "The Road."

Sources: Joel's daughter attempts suicide

NEW YORK, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Alexa Ray, daughter of singer Billy Joel and former model Christie Brinkley, was hospitalized after attempting suicide in New York, sources say.

Two unidentified law enforcement sources said it appeared Ray, 23, tried to kill herself by ingesting eight sleeping pills at her New York apartment Saturday, the New York Daily News reported Sunday.

Ray's publicist, Claire Mercuri, said her client was in stable condition at a New York hospital following the incident and another unidentified source told the New York Post Ray was released after medical staff deemed her situation to be non-life-threatening. Her family would not offer specifics regarding the incident, saying only that Ray was in stable condition.

The alleged suicide attempt by Ray comes after the singer blogged online in August about her relationship problems with band mate and former boyfriend Jimmy Riot.

"I don't like dating!!! Wish I could be in a relationship again without having to date," Ray posted online months ago. "I hate going out!!"

The Post said Joel, who has said he attempted suicide when he was in his 20s, and Brinkley were married in 1985 and divorced in 1994.

Singer Michael hints at new material

LONDON, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- British singer George Michael says he is in the studio working on new music, indicating he's mining his troubled past for material.

The Guardian reported Saturday Michael, 46, said his new recordings are focused on his "supposed infamy," likely including his 1988 arrest for lewd behavior in Beverly Hills, Calif., and losing his driver's license in 2007.

"I've got some great stuff, and I don't know whether I should release it or hold on to it. It uses my supposed infamy on my own terms," Michael told The Guardian.

"Let's just say my foreseeable future in musical terms is fairly schizophrenic," the pop singer added.

Michael admitted losing his license in 2007 after being found unconscious in a car in London was the result of his problematic use of sleeping pills.

"I always preface this with, 'I deserved to lose my license, I needed to lose my license,'" Michael told the Guardian. "I had a problem with sleeping pills for about a year and a half, and I (expletive) up really badly. I got in the car twice when I'd forgotten I'd already downed something to try to get me to sleep."

Weezer lead singer injured in bus accident

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Dec. 6 (UPI) -- The lead singer of the rock band Weezer, and another passenger were involved in a bus accident Sunday that put them in a New York hospital, officials said.

Rivers Cuomo, 40, said he experienced rib pain after the accident on a New York highway near Amsterdam, CNN reported.

Cuomo's wife, daughter and a fifth person were also on the bus, but were uninjured, CNN said.

The rear of the bus slid on ice, hit the median, crossed back over the highway, went over the guardrail and landed in a ditch. The roads were wet, but not covered with snow. No alcohol or drugs are suspected to have been involved, CNN reported.

The bus was going from Toronto, Ontario, to Boston for a Monday night performance in Agganis Arena at Boston University, CNN said.

The accident occurred about 7:30 a.m., Sgt. Brian Dollard of the New York State Police said.