‘NEW MUTANTS’ SCORES $7M – (08/31/2020)

Only about 62% of U.S. movies are open right now, following a five-month shut-down due to the coronavirus, and judging from box office receipts, moviegoers are still hesitant to head back to theaters. In the theaters that are open, auditoriums maintain 25%-50% capacity to allow for social distancing restrictions. 

Disney/20^th Century Studios’ The New Mutants, starring Maise Williams, snagged $7 million. Next weekend, more theaters are expecting to reopen as Tenet makes its debut. Observers will be watching California as Governor Newsom introduces new reopening plans, and San Francisco and San Diego are potentially going to reopen. 

New Mutants drew 66% males, 34% females with 61% of the audience being 18-34, exactly who Disney expected would show up as cinemas reopen during the pandemic, Deadline reports. The under 18 crowd repped 14%, and those over 25 repped 60%. Imax pulled in $390K off 206 screens repping 5.5% of the domestic opening.

Next up was Unhinged, starring Russell Crowe, in its second week out, with $2.6 million, then Bill & Ted Face the Music, starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, with $1.06 million. 

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AMC MAKES POWER MOVE: AMC became North America’s largest theater owner when it shelled out $1.2 billion four years ago to purchase Carmike; but the chain had to divest theaters in 15 markets to win regulatory approval. Now, as coronavirus threatens the industry, AMC hopes to regain what’s lost by filing a motion in a D.C. federal court seeking permission to take on 10 theaters in nine states. “The degree of economic hardship currently being experienced by AMC, New Vision, and the entire theatre exhibition industry is a unique changed circumstance that could not have been anticipated at the time the Final Judgment was entered,” states the motion, according to The Hollywood Reporter. AMC’s motion is unopposed, meaning the Department of Justice is likely on board. 

ROSIE O’DONNELL WEIGHS IN ELLEN DEGENERES: Rosie O’Donnell told Busy Philipps on her new podcast, Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best, that she feels “compassion” for Ellen DeGeneres following complaints of a toxic workplace environment on the set of her eponymous show. “You can’t fake your essence,” said O’Donnell, who hosted her own daytime talk show from 1996 to 2002. “That’s why I have compassion for Ellen, right? I have compassion, even though, you know, I hear the stories and I understand. I think she has some social awkwardness.”

LIAM PAYNE ENGAGED TO GIRLFRIEND MAYA HENRY: Liam Payne, 26, is engaged to his girlfriend, Maya Henry, after two years of dating. Payne and Henry, 20, were spotted during an outing Thursday in London. Henry was wearing a large diamond ring on her left hand. Payne and Henry were first linked in August 2018 following Payne’s split from ex-wife Cheryl. Payne and Cheryl have a 3-year-old son, Bear. Payne and Henry made their relationship Instagram official in September.

JUSTIN BIEBER AND WIFE HAILEY BUY $25.8 MILLION BEVERLY HILLS HOME: Justin Bieber and wife Hailey have dropped over $25 million for a home in the gated community of Beverly Park that’s also home to celebs including Sofia Vergara, Denzel Washington, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, Rod Stewart and more. The purchase comes 18 months after they bought their current $8.5 million Beverly Hills home. The new house is a major upgrade, with seven bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms and a ton of high-end amenities including a home gym, a soundproof movie theater, a full-size tennis court and an infinity pool.

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