Sideshow:
Britney's back! Britney Spears popped up Friday in Las Vegas with a show that looks a lot like the eye-popping Cirque du Soleil productions on the Strip (acrobatics, confetti, ring of fire), plus frenetic costume changes, her live band, and herself, often airborne.
Britney's back!
Britney Spears popped up Friday in Las Vegas with a show that looks a lot like the eye-popping Cirque du Soleil productions on the Strip (acrobatics, confetti, ring of fire), plus frenetic costume changes, her live band, and herself, often airborne.
The debut of her 50-show-a-year 2014-15 Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino gig kept a young-for-Vegas audience of 4,500 on its feet for 90 minutes. Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Katy Perry were there to lend support to the 32-year-old Spears, who handled the physically grueling nonstop movement with aplomb and musical polish.
Less than desolate
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug remained the top film in U.S. and Canadian theaters for a third weekend as 2013 sales neared an annual record. The second in Peter Jackson's Hobbit series generated $29.9 million for Warner Bros. and MGM Holdings Inc. Disney's animated Frozen took the No. 2 position, with $28.9 million; its total take was $248.4 million since opening in late November.
Paramount comedies held two top-five slots. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues was No. 3 with $20.2 million, and The Wolf of Wall Street snagged No. 5, earning $19 million after opening at No. 2 on Christmas Day. At No. 4, Sony's American Hustle earned $19.6 million.
The strong lineup of weekend films is carrying sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters toward the $10.8 billion annual record set last year, according to Rentrak Corp.