- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Oil extends gains, jobs report lifts Wall Street
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Top EU court finds against FIFA in key transfer market ruling
- Oil extends gains, Hong Kong stocks resume rally
- 'A man provides': Ukrainian miners send families away as Russia advances
- EU states greenlight extra tariffs on EVs from China
- Hong Kong stocks resume rally, oil dips after Middle East-fuelled surge
- Crude stable after Israel-Iran surge, Hong Kong stocks resume gains
- Hera spacecraft to probe asteroid deflected by defence test
- US dockworkers to head back to work after tentative deal
- After Helene's destruction, North Carolina starts to rebuild
- Dockers end three-day strike at Montreal port
- What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?
- Israel-Hamas war causes 86-percent dive in Gaza GDP: IMF
- Milan's Morata moves house after Inter-fan town mayor 'violates' privacy
- 'Devastating' storm hits Augusta National but Masters will go on
- Relief in Brazil, Asia over delay to EU deforestation rules
- Oil prices jump, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Biden says 'discussing' possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
- Oil prices rise, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Oil rallies, stocks mostly retreat on Middle East tensions
- Phasing out teen smoking could save 1.2 mn lives: study
- 'Welcome relief': Asia producers hail EU deforestation law delay
- Japan PM slated to announce plans for 'happiness index'
- Turkish inflation falls less than expected in September at 49.4%
- Easing inflation lifts profit at UK supermarket Tesco
- Skiing calls on UN climate science to combat melting future
- China wine industry looks to breed climate resilience
- Tokyo rallies on weak yen, Hong Kong drops after surge
- Dutch airline KLM unveils 'firm' cost-cutting measures
- Carpe diem: the Costa Rican women turning fish into fashion
- Senegal looks to aquaculture as fish stocks dwindle
- Will AI one day win a Nobel Prize?
- Climate change, economics muddy West's drive to curb Chinese EVs
- Argentina's Milei vetoes university budget after huge protests
- TotalEnergies plans to grow oil and gas production until 2030
- 2024 Nobels offer glimmer of hope as global crises mount
- Tokyo rallies on weak yen, Hong Kong reverses after surge
- Tunisia readies for vote as incumbent Saied eyes victory
- High childcare costs in US weigh on women's employment
- US voters seek help with crushing childcare costs
'Don't worry' tops box office amid reported cast conflict
It turns out that, all the noise aside, Olivia Wilde didn't need to worry. The actor/director's new film "Don't Worry Darling" topped the North American box office this weekend, taking in an estimated $19.2 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
It was unclear whether middling reviews and reports of off-screen cast dissension -- including between the director and actress Florence Pugh -- had helped or hindered ticket sales.
Regardless, the Warner Bros. film had "a very good opening, above average for an original romantic mystery," according to analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
Last weekend's top film, Sony's "The Woman King," sold $11.1 million in tickets but saw a 42 percent drop-off from its opening to place second. Oscar winner Viola Davis stars in the history-based tale of an all-female army of African warriors.
In third was the re-release of super-hit "Avatar" from director James Cameron. The 20th Century film took in an estimated $10 million -- most of it on big Imax screens -- for the Friday-through-Sunday period.
Gross said that was only a "fair" opening, but he noted that the film was a slow starter in 2009 before going on to set an all-time record of $2.8 billion in global ticket sales.
The studio hopes the re-release will build a head of interest big enough to offset the huge $250 million budget of highly anticipated sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water," due in December.
Fourth place went to another 20th Century film, "Barbarian," at $4.8 million. The horror film stars Georgina Campbell and Bill Skarsgard.
And in fifth was A24's blood-soaked slasher film "Pearl," at $1.9 million. Mia Goth stars.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"See How They Run" ($1.9 million)
"Bullet Train" ($1.8 million)
"DC League of Super-Pets" ($1.8 million)
"Top Gun: Maverick" ($1.6 million)
"Minions: The Rise of Gru" ($1 million)
L.Peeters--CPN