Global record for The Force Awakens
The final figures for Star Wars: The Force Awakens showed that the movie has set a global opening weekend record, smashing past the previous record holder Jurassic World to bring in US$529 million (S$744 million), Disney said on Monday.
That figure includes ticket takings of "all-time industry-high US$248 million domestically" in the United States and Canada, Disney said. Jurassic World reached US$524.9 million earlier this year.
The Force Awakens garnered the biggest opening weekend both domestically and internationally, and pushed Disney's 2015 box-office gross past the US$5-billion mark.
Korean actor's paternity test positive
The DNA of Korean star Kim Hyun Joong matches that of his former girlfriend's child, according to a paternity test by Seoul National University Hospital.
"It is almost certain that the two are father and son biologically," said a university official on Monday, confirming the 99.999 per cent certainty.
Kim's ex-girlfriend, identified by her surname Choi, gave birth to the child in September and had him tested on Dec 9 at a hospital designated by a Seoul court. Kim, 29, said he would take "full responsibility for the newborn " if the paternity test identified him as the father.
Morrissey sings Peruvian folk song in Lima
Former The Smiths frontman Morrissey delighted an audience in Peru with a cover of Andean folk tune El Condor Pasa, as he closed his Latin American tour. He played before 5,000 fans in the Park of the Exposition in Lima last Saturday.
Early in the set, he sang El Condor Pasa, written in 1913 by Peruvian composer Daniel Alomia Robles and based on a traditional instrumental melody in Peru. The song's inclusion could be taken by fans as a mark of reconciliation by the famously moody Morrissey, who in 2013 called off two shows in Lima amid other cancellations due to health concerns.
Gallery seats opened for Zubin Mehta concert
Gallery seats behind the stage are being made available for a Jan 7 performance by conductor Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in the Esplanade Concert Hall due to overwhelming response. The additional tickets are going for $150 each and are available from Sistic.
Quentin Tarantino, 52, and his girlfriend, costume designer Courtney Hoffman, 30, pose on the film-maker's star after he was honoured on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood on Monday, ahead of the United States opening of his movie, The Hateful Eight, on Jan 1. The movie has received lukewarm reviews and was recently snubbed by the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, considered a bellwether for the Oscars.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
