'Star Wars' Passes 'Avatar' For North America Box Office Record

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" soared past "Avatar" on Wednesday to become the top-grossing movie of all time in North America, the Disney studio announced.

Disney said the seventh film in the "Star Wars" saga had grossed $758.2 million through Tuesday, when it took in $8 million, and surpassed on Wednesday the $760.5 million earned by James Cameron's Oscar-winning futuristic sci-fi epic "Avatar."

"This afternoon, with early box office results in, 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' became the highest-grossing film of all time in the domestic market," Disney said in a statement, without providing figures.

The company thanked its fans for helping it reach the milestone saying that without them "there is no Star Wars."

"There has indeed been an awakening -- and it's all thanks to you," it said.

At $1.56 billion in global earnings, "The Force Awakens" still has some work ahead to overtake "Avatar" ($2.79 billion) or another Cameron blockbuster, "Titanic" ($2.19 billion).

It is now fourth in all-time worldwide revenues, also trailing "Jurassic World" ($1.67 billion).

But many observers expect the film ultimately to challenge for the top spot.

"'Star Wars' has always been one of the most beloved franchises in all of filmdom...it was just a matter of finally having a deserving sequel to the original trilogy that tipped the scales and topped 'Avatar,'" said Jeff Bock, of industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The upcoming release on Saturday in the huge Chinese market of the film directed by J.J. Abrams could help give it a further push to warp speed.

The success of "The Force Awakens" -- detailing the adventures of classic "Star Wars" characters Princess Leia and Han Solo as well as new heroes like Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron -- helped propel the overall American box office to a record $11.1 billion last year, the Rentrak website reported.

Robert Thompson, a professor of popular culture at Syracuse University in New York, said the hype and marketing surrounding the latest "Star War" had helped ensure its success but so was the fact that it is a good movie.

"Had the film been a disappointment, the numbers after the first weekend would have been a very different story," he told AFP. "My prediction is that Avatar will retain its global crown, but I could certainly be wrong on that."

Disney, which purchased Lucasfilm from "Star Wars" creator George Lucas for $4 billion in 2012, plans two more films in the space saga and a spinoff.

James Cameron is also planning three sequels to "Avatar," which should ensure that the two franchises will continue battling it out for the top spot at the box office.

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'Too Old' Gyllenhaal, 37, Sparks Hollywood Sexism Debate

AFP News - Oscar-nominated US actress Maggie Gyllenhaal was told she was too old at 37 to play the lover of a 55-year-old man, she said in comments published Thursday which went viral online.

"There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood that surprise me all the time," she said in an interview with TheWrap Magazine.

"I'm 37 and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad and then it made feel angry, and then it made me laugh."

The remarks immediately trended on Twitter and Facebook, with salon.com commenting that the incident "lays bare just how delusional and hilariously sexist Hollywood truly is."

Earlier this month the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called for government action to confront "widespread exclusion of women directors" in the US film and television industries.

In letters to federal and California state civil rights authorities, it said women directors face "a systematic pattern and practice of discrimination and exclusion" that cannot be allowed to stand.

In 2014, it said, women accounted for only seven percent of directors on the year's top 250 grossing films, down two percentage points from 1998. Gyllenhaal, the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal, was nominated for an Academy Award for 2009's "Crazy Heart." Her brother won an Oscar nod for 2005's "Brokeback Mountain."

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Vienna Hosts Europe's Biggest AIDS Research Charity Event

VIENNA (AP) -- Vienna's central City Hall Square was transformed Saturday into a mythical world of pagan rites and fantastic spectacle as the city hosted its biggest annual party of the year.

The occasion, Europe's biggest charity event, was serious: raising money for AIDS and HIV research. But as in previous years, the 23rd Life Ball was also a free-for all gala with an emphasis on diversity.

This year's theme revolved around the ancient celebration of spring as the giver of life, and organizers pulled out all the stops. The normally somber neo-Gothic City hall was turned into a structure glowing with light, and its square a huge stage of blazing fire, dance, song - and of music ranging from Beethoven and Stravinsky to Trevor Jackson singing "Love Child."

Tens of thousands of spectators pushed against barriers to ogle paying guests in formal dress rubbing shoulders with celebrities, party-goers dressed in little more than body paint and cross-dressers in wild costumes.

Top tickets go for 750 euros ($850) - a price that entitles holders to an all-night party inside the ornate City Hall chambers, complete with champagne and tantalizing delicacies.

For those not in tuxedoes, the color of the evening was gold, and many of the costumes glittered correspondingly. Markus Zenner and Gerhard Grein came as fairy princes because at a party open to all "high nobility also has to be represented."

Others, like Julia, settled for little more than golden body paint. As the evening chill settled in, the 26-year old laughingly conceded that she was cold, while her near-bare partner added: "We're waiting for the party to heat up." Both declined to give full names, saying they could get in trouble with their employers.

Actress Charlize Theron was among the celebrities in attendance and took the stage to urge continued support both for her South African AIDS charity organization and the world-wide fight against HIV - a message backed by her partner, Sean Penn.

Also there were singers Paula Abdul, Mary J. Blige and Kelly Osbourne, burlesque artist Dita Von Teese - and of course Conchita Wurst, the Austrian cross-dressing winner of last year's Eurovision song contest.

Hailing the event as "one of the best nights of my life," Osbourne said: "I will do anything for this cause because it's so beautiful."

Wurst, who has become a poster person for tolerance since her song contest triumph, belted out her new torch song "You Are Unstoppable," to prolonged cheers from the crowd.

She later exchanged her simple ankle-length white skirt and skimpy top to sing "Fire Storm," another new single, in a black-and-white ball gown with a trailing cape designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for an opulent fashion show by the famed French designer.

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Lucian Freud Painting Sells For $56.2 Milli0n At Auction

NEW YORK (AP) -- In the past three days, Christie's in New York City has sold over $1 billion worth of art, a frenzied spectacle that showcases the world's rising class of uber-wealthy and its appetite for trophy art.

Wednesday's bidding was spirited at Christie's contemporary art auction highlighted by iconic works by Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and others.

The evening sale featured Freud's "Benefits Supervisor Resting," which is considered one of the British artist's most celebrated works. It depicts the ample figure of a reclining woman, every fold, curve and blemish of her naked form revealed. It sold for $56.2 million, including buyer's premium.

Another painting from the series, "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping," brought $33.6 million at Christie's in 2008. At the time, it was the most expensive painting by a living artist sold at auction. Freud died in 2011.

Another painting of a nude, this one by Bacon, sold for $47.8 million. "Portrait of Henrietta Moraes" depicts a seductive nude of the artist's close friend and model reclining on a mattress. It has been in the same private collection for nearly 30 years. It was created in 1963, the same year of the artist's retrospective at London's Tate Gallery and Bacon's first major American exhibition at New York's Guggenheim Museum.

Cy Twombly's "Untitled," an abstract work created in 1969 with oil-based house paint, wax crayon and lead pencil, sold for $42.7 million. An untitled work from 1970 last year set a record for the artist when it sold for $69.6 million at Christie's.

Another work that created excitement was Andy Warhol's 1963 large-scale silkscreen, "Colored Mona Lisa." Exhibited in many major exhibitions, it also sold for $56.2 million.

Works by Willem de Kooning, Martin Kippenberger, Franz Kline and Jean-Michel Basquiat and others also were up for sale.

Wednesday's auction netted over $658 million, Christie's said.

At Christie's on Monday, a vibrant, multi-hued painting from Pablo Picasso set a world record for artwork at auction, selling for $179.4 million, and a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti set a record for most expensive sculpture, at $141.3 million.

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APNewsBreak: Mischa Barton Sues Mother Over Lost Earnings

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mischa Barton has sued her mother, alleging she stole money that the former star of the television series "The O.C." earned throughout her career and made endorsement deals that damaged the actress's reputation.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles also accuses Nuala Barton of kicking her daughter out of a multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills home that was purchased with money earned while Mischa Barton was a child actress.

Mischa Barton was 17 when she began working on "The O.C." and already had appeared in the films "Notting Hill" and "The Sixth Sense."

Nuala Barton served as her daughter's manager throughout her career. The lawsuit accuses Nuala Barton of bullying her daughter, and states she has been fired from her management role.

"While Barton was busy perfecting her craft and turning her acting dreams into reality, her mother, defendant Nuala Barton, was secretly scheming to exploit Barton's bourgeoning career for her benefit," the lawsuit states.

A message left at a phone number listed for Nuala Barton was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit also claims the mother is withholding royalties and lied about the amount the actress was paid for a 2013 film so she could pocket the difference, in addition to her 10 percent management fee.

Mischa Barton said after her character was killed off "The O.C." in its third season, she wanted to focus on movie roles. She has appeared in several small films and a short-lived CW series but has garnered no high-profile roles.

She has been a fixture in the fashion world, appearing at shows for top designers in New York and Paris, and has endorsed beauty products and collaborated on her own line of fashion accessories.

The lawsuit contends some of the endorsements were entered without the actress's permission, and she wasn't properly paid for the use of her name and likeness in connection with a handbag line and a London boutique.

"Nuala did not compensate Barton for the use of her name, image and likeness, nor did she share in any of the profits from these ventures with Barton," the lawsuit states. "This is all despite the fact that the businesses were built solely on Barton's fame and popularity."

Barton's mother bought a $7.8 million home in Beverly Hills in 2006 using her daughter's earnings and gave herself an ownership interest in the property, the lawsuit states. Mischa Barton is no longer allowed at the home, according to the lawsuit.

The actress encountered a rough period after her role ended on "The O.C."

She was arrested in late 2007 on suspicion of drunken driving and later pleaded no contest to driving under the influence and driving without a valid license. She was sentenced to three years of probation and alcohol treatment and completed the case without incident.

Mischa Barton was removed from her home by Los Angeles police in 2009 and was hospitalized for two weeks, but officers and her publicist declined to say why.

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Amanda Knox Faces Extradition Battle If Italy Upholds Murder Conviction

Italy's top court will review American Amanda Knox's conviction Wednesday in the gory murder of a British student, potentially opening the door to a fierce extradition battle in a case that has riveted the world.

The court will examine the verdict that found so-called "Foxy Knoxy" and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito guilty of killing Meredith Kercher in the university city of Perugia in 2007, and will either uphold it or send the case back to the appeals court.

Kercher was found in a pool of blood in a student house that she shared with Knox in November 2007, half-naked and with her throat slashed. She had been stabbed 47 times in what prosecutors immediately dubbed a satanic rite.

The pair were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for the murder, but were acquitted on appeal in 2011 after four years in jail.

Knox, 27, returned to the United States a free woman, but the couple were found guilty again in a shock about-turn in January last year after judges supported prosecutors' theory that Kercher was killed during a sex game gone wrong.

The Seattle native was handed 28 years in prison, while Sollecito was given 25 and had his passport confiscated.

The Italian, who faces immediate imprisonment if the guilty verdict is upheld, said he would be present in court.

"Not being present at the hearing would be like hiding in a corner of the house during a tsunami. You'd be swept away anyway," he said in a recent interview.

"I have not had a life for eight years," Sollecito, 30, said.

Knox, who was reported last month to be engaged to a childhood friend, will not be present, saying in a recent interview that she would have to be dragged “kicking and screaming”.

Public opinion in the US has long felt the case against Knox was flawed and that Italian detectives made mistakes -- such as using dirty gloves to collect evidence -- which mean the case should have been thrown out years ago.

US authorities may try to argue she has been a victim of double jeopardy -- being tried twice for the same crime -- but the extradition treaty acknowledges that there is no limit on the number of times cases can be appealed under the Italian legal system.

- Difficult to resist extradition -

The US might say returning Knox to Italy's notoriously overcrowded prisons would be a breach of her human rights, and offer to see her serve time back home. A pregnancy could also make it less likely for the US to hand her over.

Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz told AFP he believes "she will be extradited if it's (the guilty verdict) upheld."

"The Italian legal system, though I don't love it, is a legitimate legal system and we have a treaty with Italy so I don't see how we would resist," he said.

The appeals court found the pair guilty based on DNA proof that three people were at the murder scene: Knox, Sollecito and a third person, Ivory Coast-born drifter Rudy Guede, who is the only person still in prison for the crime.

Both Sollecito and Knox protest their innocence, arguing that the crime scene was contaminated and any DNA collected was therefore not viable.

But prosecutors say the stab wounds show more than one person was involved, and insist Knox and Sollecito fatally slashed Kercher while Guede held her down after she refused to take part in a drug-fuelled erotic game.

The appeals court also placed a lot of importance on a written confession Knox made under police questioning, in which she said she had been in the house and had heard the murder, but had not taken part.

She later retracted the statement, claiming it had been made under duress. Sollecito's legal team has said if it is used as proof against Knox, it should also be used to clear his name -- because in it Knox said he was not there that night.

While the pair have provided each other with alibis, claiming they smoked marijuana and slept together at another apartment on the night of the crime, Sollecito admitted last year that he could not remember if Knox was present all the time.

Kercher's family, who have waited patiently for a definitive verdict since the trial began in 2009, have said they want Knox to be extradited if her conviction is upheld.

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Kerry Washington To Play Anita Hill In HBO Movie

LOS ANGELES (AP) — HBO says "Scandal" star Kerry Washington will play Anita Hill in a film about Clarence Thomas' 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

The film will be titled "Confirmation," and Washington is also among its executive producers.

Hill's sexual harassment allegations against Thomas put the issue at the center of a fierce national debate. Hill became a hero and a target, while Thomas was confirmed as an associate justice.

Last year saw the release of "Anita," a documentary by the Oscar-winning filmmaker Freida Mock about the Brandeis University law professor.

HBO didn't give other casting details or an airdate for "Confirmation" in its announcement Thursday.

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Rapper Big Sean Beats Kid Rock To Top Of Billboard 200 Chart

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Big Sean topped the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday for the first time, beating out rocker Kid Rock.

Big Sean's "Dark Sky Paradise" sold 139,000 album copies, 218,000 songs and was streamed more than 17 million times, tallying 172,000 total units in its debut on the chart, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

Kid Rock's "First Kiss" entered at No. 2 with 146,000 total album units, while the soundtrack to Universal Pictures' steamy hit film "Fifty Shades of Grey" remained steady at No. 3 with 108,000 copies sold.

The only other new entry in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart, which tallies album sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album), was "Fan of a Fan: The Album," by rappers Chris Brown and Tyga at No. 7, selling 67,000 units.

Last week's chart-toppers, alt-rockers Imagine Dragons' "Smoke + Mirrors," dropped to No. 9 this week.

On the Digital Songs chart, which measures online song sales, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' upbeat "Uptown Funk!" held steady at No. 1 with 240,000 downloads in the past week.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Alan Crosby)

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Emotional OITNB Stars, Regina King Among Essence Honorees

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood Award is a guarantee of big stars and lots of tears.

Thursday kept to tradition as Oprah Winfrey, Lupita Nyong'o, director Ava DuVernay and others presided over an emotional luncheon that gave awards and affirmations to standout black women including members of the cast of "Orange is the New Black," actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw and actress-director Regina King.

"I promised my sister I was going to keep it together. I lied," quipped a misty King — whose vast credits include "Southland," "Shameless," ''Boyz in the Hood," ''Ray" and "Jerry McGuire" — as she accepted the Fierce and Fearless Award.

The Essence luncheon, which will be televised for the first time Saturday by the OWN network, has become one of Oscar week's most prestigious events. It started eight years ago to recognize the achievements of black women — key in an industry where they are underrepresented in mainstream roles, from acting to directing. Most of the honorees shed tears, as did some in the audience.

One of last year's honorees, Academy Award winner Nyong'o, came back this year to pay tribute to the black actresses of "Orange is the New Black," which has been lauded for the rich roles for all kinds of women. It's the first time Essence has honored a group instead of an individual.

As Emmy winner Uzo Aduba and castmates Laverne Cox, Lorraine Toussaint, Samira Wiley and Vicky Jeudy looked on, Danielle Brooks — who plays Tastee on the show — summed up why being singled out for the Vanguard award meant so much to them. "It's really challenging to be a 'blacktress,'" said Brooks, who talked about the rejection black actresses often face. "There are not a lot of roles for us."

She praised the creators of the show for allowing the women to explore complex characters and said she learned something as well: "We are enough just the way we are and don't need to change for us."

Mbatha-Raw, who had breakout roles last year in the period piece "Belle" and in the musical drama "Beyond the Lights," was honored by "Selma" star David Oyelowo. He brought out his own toddler daughter, who is biracial, to thank Mbatha-Raw for presenting a positive image of biracial women.

Mbatha-Raw, who is British, acknowledged the challenges of being both black and white in Hollywood.

"I think I always felt, 'Black Women in Hollywood' — do I even qualify to be here?" she said, to which someone shouted "Yes!"

"To be embraced so joyously means so much to me," she added.

She spoke of a harrowing experience of being mugged at gunpoint while filming "Beyond the Lights" and credited it for helping her live a more rewarding life.

"What it gave me was a sense of letting go of the fears that stop us from doing what I want to do," she said.

King, who started in acting as a child on the sitcom "227" and has added directing to her resume, talked about the power of Essence and how as a child, it shaped her future, affirming that she could be a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer: "I decided to be an actress so I can be all of those."

DuVernay, whose "Selma" is nominated for best picture at Sunday's Academy Awards, honored costume designer Ruth Carter with the Visionary Award.

Carter is nominated for her work on "Selma" this year. She said when she dressed Winfrey for "Lee Daniel's The Butler," Winfrey told her art was prayer, and God speaking through her. She thanked Winfrey for opening her eyes.

"I have been seeking a deeper spiritual connection all my life and I didn't know I was already doing it," she said.

Among those in attendance were John Legend and Common, who performed their Oscar-nominated song "Glory"; model Chanel Iman; "Selma" star Carmen Ejogo; and TV powerhouse Shonda Rimes.

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Lady Gaga Engaged To 'Chicago Fire' Actor Taylor Kinney

NEW YORK (AP) — Lady Gaga is no longer caught in a bad romance: She's engaged to actor Taylor Kinney.

The pop star shared the news on her Instagram account Monday. She posted a photo of a ring on her finger and wrote: "He gave me his heart on Valentine's Day, and I said YES!"

Lady Gaga and Kinney met on the set of her "You & I" video in 2011. Kinney stars in the NBC series "Chicago Fire" and had a role in the film "Zero Dark Thirty."

Lady Gaga's hits include "Poker Face," ''Bad Romance" and "Applause." She recently won her sixth Grammy Award, for her "Cheek to Cheek" album with Tony Bennett. She's scheduled to perform at Sunday's Academy Awards.

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Victoria Beckham To Expand Fashion Line To Asia

Cheered by her famous family, Victoria Beckham brought a sexy vision of fall/winter to an intimate New York runway show on Sunday and confided plans to open a second store in Asia.

The one-time pop star, mother of four and wife of retired English football superstar David Beckham, has won plaudits in the fashion industry for designing beautiful collections that flatter women's bodies.

David sat front row holding three-year-old daughter Harper on his lap and chatted to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour after arriving with sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz all dressed in sharp black outfits.

Harper, dressed in a black frock with white cuffs and peter-pan collar, tried to capture the catwalk show with her own camera, perhaps inspired by the phalanx of photographers and delighting her doting father and Wintour.

Brooklyn, 15, chewing gum and dressed in black leather trousers looked effortlessly cool as he and his brother Romeo, who had modeled for Burberry, appeared to film the show discreetly from their cell phones.

Beckham summed up her collection backstage as sexy, liberating and full of bounce, after showcasing dresses with full skirts, textured knits with high necks, oversized coats with swinging bodies.

"It's very important that all of these clothes can be worn. They can go straight from the catwalk onto one of my ladies," she said. "It feels sexy this season in those dresses with the plunging necklines that are fitted with the little drapes," she said.

She said that 2015 would see her spend a lot of time in Asia, where she plans to open a second store after the success of her Dover Street boutique in London.

- Hong Kong, Beijing visit -

She told AFP bashfully that she "can't say" where the shop would be, but that she was flying to Hong Kong and Beijing in a few weeks. "I'm really looking forward to it," she said. "I love the women there they really understand fashion and style, they're beautiful. So why not Asia?"

She said her choice of bouncy, light-weight wearable fabric was also influenced by varied climates and her increasingly global market. "I'm selling my clothes, not just in New York and London, I'm selling clothes all around the world so I have to take into account the weight of fabric," she said.

A more intimate catwalk show than many at Fashion Week, Beckham treated guests to steaming glasses of Earl Grey tea, handed as they came in from minus 9 Celsius (16 Fahrenheit) temperatures outside.

Held in the imposing surrounds of Cipriani on Broadway, the 65-foot (20 meter) high ceilings of the 1921 building, soaring marble columns, inlaid floors and murals handed a neo-Renaissance elegance to proceedings.

Beckham, who was praised backstage by fashion journalists for a flattering and beautiful collection, said she was delighted with the growing success of her eponymous label.

"I'm really enjoying building the business, I'm really enjoying having the shop. It's great. I'm very happy. I feel very lucky to do something I love," she said, chatty and charming backstage.

"I love having them here. They're so supportive of what I do. We all support each other," she gushed of the family. Here are the other highlights of New York Fashion Week, day four:

50 SHADES OF BROWN

Brown dominated at Derek Lam's collection that paid homage to the timeless elegance and individuality of actresses Diane Keaton, Mia Farrow and Katharine Hepburn.

Lam summed up his look as warm woolens and cashmeres that are "luxurious but a bit more warm and cozy" and said he loved his muses' "cut-to-the-chase kind of sensibility."

"Like New York City, it's complicated, it's messy but these women have been able to create an identity in this kind of chaos and do it kind of with warmth and courage," he said.

The sharpness of his tailoring and the texture of the clothes accentuated the tiny frame of the waif-thin catwalk models. "What I like to think is that my clothes and especially the tailoring gives that silhouette to women. "Yes, the runway is one thing, but the way the pants are tailored, the jackets are tailored you can have that kind of idealized silhouette."

HIGH NECKS, BUTTONS AND ORANGE

Both Beckham and Lam featured high necklines and large buttoned coats and dresses in their collections, which were also spiced up by burnt orange.

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Disney Has Magical 1st Quarter On 'Frozen', Parks Revenue

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Disney might be lapping the hugely successful theatrical release of "Frozen," but magic lives on in its media networks and parks and resorts.

Revenue from Disney parks and resorts rose 9 percent to $3.9 billion in the last three months of 2014, as more people visited its California and Florida properties than in any quarter and spent more money there.

In an interview with CNBC, CEO Bob Iger said the entertainment company is seeing no discernible impact on attendance or bookings from the measles outbreak linked last month to Disney's Southern California parks. Iger did say parents with children under the age of inoculation should be cautious about bringing them to any large public place like Disneyland, including mass transportation and movie theaters.

Strong results from the parks, Disney Channels and sales of "Frozen" merchandise drove earnings up 19 percent. The Walt Disney Co.'s profit and revenue topped expectations for the first quarter. Shares rose over 4 percent in aftermarket trading.

Even a year after "Frozen" was released, sales of toys and other merchandise drove a 22 percent jump in consumer products sales to $1.4 billion. Revenue from the company's media networks was another strong point, jumping 11 percent to $5.86 billion on strength from cable networks such as Disney Channels and ABC Family. Broadcasting revenue rose on sales of shows including "Criminal Minds" and "Scandal." ESPN revenue fell, hurt by higher rates to broadcast NFL games and lower ratings for certain programs.

Movie studios, TV networks and cable and satellite providers alike are grappling with a changing media industry as more people watch TV and movies online and via streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Dish last month launched a streaming-only option, Sling TV, that bundles Disney's ESPN sports network with the Disney Channel and a handful of other cable networks.

Iger said in a call with analysts that he doesn't have data yet on how many customers Dish has sold Sling TV to, and whether those customers are switching from cable or previously had no service. The company could consider selling a Disney-branded streaming-only option directly to customers, such as its ESPN channel, a Marvel "type product" or even Star Wars. But the time isn't now, he said.

"If we see that market dynamics are changing in such a way that it's better for us as a company to take the product out directly, and to not only improve our margins by taking out the middleman but create a closer relationship with the consumer that can be mined for other revenue-generating purposes, then we'll do that," Iger said. "We think if we were to do that now it would be precipitous of us."

Theatrically, Disney's "Big Hero 6" film couldn't match the performance of "Frozen" in the year-ago period, which had also included the release of Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World."

But the company has some mega-movies on the horizon to help make up for that. Its live-action Cinderella movie debuts in March. And the widely anticipated "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" debuts Dec. 18.

Iger pointed out that "Frozen" isn't the only blockbuster franchise under Disney's belt. The company has 11 franchises with more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales.

The Burbank, California-based company earned $2.24 billion, or $1.27 per share, topping the $1.08 per share average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research.

Revenue rose 9 percent to $13.39 billion in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts of $12.85 billion, according to Zacks.

Shares rose $3.65, or 3.9 percent, to $97.75 during aftermarket trading after closing up 2.4 percent at $94.10 before the report. The stock has been trading near its all-time high of $96.43.

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Katy Perry's Super Bowl Promise: Lion, Sharks And Live Singing

(Reuters) - Pop singer Katy Perry on Thursday teased a lion, sharks and at least some live singing during her Super Bowl halftime performance, the most-watched dozen minutes annually on U.S. television.

The "Roar" singer wouldn't divulge much about her Sunday gig at the NFL title game but did say to expect an unnamed "old school" female singer as a surprise performer in addition to rocker Lenny Kravitz.

"I think I'm going to play on my strengths, which are humor, incredible joy. ... I just hope at the end of the day that over 100 million people are smiling in unison," Perry told a news conference at the Phoenix Convention Center.

The 30-year-old pop star, known for her colorful costumes and songs about female empowerment, would not say how much of her singing would be pre-recorded, often an issue that has earned criticism for singers performing at big events. "I think a lot of it will be live," said Perry, who boasts Twitter's largest following.

Two years ago, the run-up to Beyonce's halftime performance was overshadowed by her lip-synched performance at President Barack Obama's inauguration.

Perry will perform her hits at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, at the Super Bowl match-up of the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.

Last year's halftime show, headlined by singer Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers, attracted a record 115.3 million TV viewers, slightly more than the game itself averaged.

A performance at the Super Bowl is considered the music industry's top promotional platform.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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New Harry Potter Park 5 First Impressions

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Universal Orlando Resort opened its new, richly detailed Harry Potter-themed area to media and other travel industry insiders on Wednesday night.

The new park zone, called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley, will delight fans of the hit book and movie series with a marquee ride, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

But Diagon Alley is also heavy on experiential retail, with stores so entertaining and visually stimulating that you almost forget you're shopping.

The attraction doubles the size of the Harry Potter footprint on Universal's property. Diagon Alley opens to the public July 8 at Universal Studios. A train called the Hogwarts Express connects the new area to the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction, called Hogsmeade, which opened in 2010 on the other side of the theme park at Universal's Islands of Adventure.

If fans want to see both Harry Potter areas, a two-park ticket is required. For adults, a two-park ticket for one day costs $136; for children, it's $130. Helena Bonham Carter, Matthew Lewis and Domhnall Gleeson were among the actors from Potter films walking a red carpet at Universal Wednesday night.

Here are five first impressions of Universal's new Diagon Alley, which was inspired by the fictional London location famous for wizarding supplies in the Harry Potter series:

WINDOW SHOPPING

The level of detail in Diagon Alley is amazing, and nowhere are the features more fun and true to the novels and movies than in shop windows. There are lots of things for sale, but others are simply great decorations. Books play a central role in the decor; window-shoppers will see animatronic versions of "The Monster Book of Monsters," a tome with teeth, along with self-knitting needles and Harry Potter's snowy owl, Hedwig.

UNIQUE GIFTS

With seven shops in Diagon Alley, there's plenty to buy. (There are five shops in Hogsmeade, Universal's original Harry Potter attraction.) Among the offerings: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes (chattering teeth, expandable ears), Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions ($250 for a wizard's robe), Quality Quidditch Supplies (everything for playing the real-life sport based on the game in the series) and Scribbulus (implements for paper, pen and ink lovers). Magical Menagerie sells cute stuffed animals (pygmy puffs are popular), while Borgin and Burkes — located off Diagon Alley in the book, on Knockturn Alley — is a "dark arts" shop that sells skulls, black T-shirts and Death Eater masks. Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment sells telescopes and binoculars.

INTERACTIVE WANDS

For $35, guests can buy interactive wands at Ollivanders Wand Shop, located in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. When wand-wielding guests see a medallion symbol in either area, they can wave the wand and cast spells. The wands make trolls dance, light lamps and chandeliers, and silence some shrunken heads, among other things. Maps of the medallion areas are available, but Universal says there are also some hidden spell areas for guests to discover.

WIZARD WARDROBES

In addition to robes, fans can buy capes and preppy button-down cardigans inspired by the four houses where Harry and his fellow students lived at Hogwarts school. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions also has on display a wedding dress and two costumes that aren't for sale: an intimidating black-beaded cape ensemble worn in a promo for the new attraction, and a costume worn by Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart in the "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" movie. The wedding dress is white with white feathers at the hem and softly twinkling lights within the skirt.

PHOTO OPS

As you enter Diagon Alley, look toward Gringotts Bank — which is the entrance to the centerpiece thrill ride, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. A dragon is perched atop the bank, and it breathes fire — an instant Facebook photo or Instagram. Once you enter the bank, while in queue for the ride, don't miss the three enormous glass chandeliers. Finally, find 12 Grimmauld Place where Kreacher the House Elf peers eerily from a window.

___

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tamaralush

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YouTube To Launch Paid Music Service

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc's YouTube said on Tuesday that it plans to launch a paid streaming music service, amid criticism that its existing, free video website might block the music videos of labels that do not agree to its terms.

YouTube has partnered with "hundreds of major and independent" music labels for the new service, the company said in a statement, confirming long-running rumors that the world's most popular online video website will offer a paid music service.

The news comes as some music trade groups have criticized YouTube's plans to potentially block the content of certain labels from appearing on YouTube's free, ad-supported Website unless they sign deals to participate in the new, subscription streaming music service. The deals that YouTube is offering are on "highly unfavorable, and non-negotiable terms," according to a news release issued by the Worldwide Independent Music Industry Network last month.

YouTube declined to comment on the terms of the deals, but said in a statement that the new service would provide new revenue for the music industry.

"We’re adding subscription-based features for music on YouTube with this in mind - to bring our music partners new revenue streams in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars YouTube already generates for them each year," YouTube said in a statement.

YouTube has already signed deals for the paid service with 95 percent of the music labels that it previously had deals with for its existing, ad-supported music video webiste, a person familiar with the matter said. Blocking certain music labels' videos from appearing on YouTube's free website might be necessary in order to provide a consistent user experience for the paid service, the person said.

The YouTube service is expected to launch at the end of the summer and will allow users to listen to music without any ads, according to a person familiar with the situation. Among the other features expected are the ability to listen to music offline and the ability to listen to an artist's entire album instead of just individual songs, as is currently the case on YouTube, the person said.

Streaming music services such as Spotify and Pandora are becoming increasingly popular among consumers, as digital music downloads decline. Apple Inc announced plans to acquire streaming music service and premium headphone maker Beats for $3 billion last month.

Google launched the $9.99-per-month Play All Access subscription music service in 2013. The forthcoming YouTube paid music service could potentially work in coordination with the Play service so that consumers aren't forced to subscribe to two separate services, the person familiar with the situation said.

(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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JLo Won't Perform In World Cup Opener In Brazil

SAO PAULO (AP) — Jennifer Lopez won't perform the World Cup's official song alongside fellow artists Pitbull and Claudia Leitte during the tournament's opening ceremony in Brazil, FIFA officials said Sunday.

Soccer's governing body said Lopez cannot perform at Thursday's event as earlier planned because of unspecified "production issues."

The singer's representatives didn't explain the reason why Lopez wouldn't be joining the act. They only confirmed the announcement in an emailed response, saying "regretfully Jennifer Lopez will not be attending this year's World Cup opening ceremonies."

FIFA said in a news release that Cuban-American rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte will sing the official tune "We Are One" before Brazil takes on Croatia at Thursday's opening game in Sao Paulo.

The song has let down many Brazilians who complain that it sounds too generic for the nation's Bossa Nova-crazed audiences and that it features foreign musicians singing mostly in English and Spanish. Leitte sings only a few seconds at the end of the song in her native Portuguese.

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Monaco's Princess Charlene Is Pregnant

PARIS (AP) — Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco announced Friday that they are expecting their first child, who will be heir to the tiny principality.

The 36-year-old South African former Olympic swimmer and her 56-year-old husband, whom she married in 2011, issued a statement expressing their "immense joy."

The short statement said the birth is expected before the end of the year. Although it did not elaborate, this implies that the princess is at least three months pregnant.

The news is sure to please the palace and end recent tabloid speculation that's dogged Charlene — why, after nearly three years of marriage to Albert, she had not yet provided an heir to the jet-set European principality. Britain's Kate Middleton became pregnant with Prince George around a year and a half after she married Prince William in April, 2011.

Until the baby is born, the throne of Monaco, a tiny fiefdom smaller than New York's Central Park, would pass to Princess Caroline, Albert's older sister. The constitution had been changed to allow Caroline a claim during Prince Albert's tenure because subjects were nervous he wouldn't produce an heir — after years of high-profile rendez-vous with the beautiful and famous, said to include Brooke Shields, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell.

Albert has already acknowledged two children, born out of wedlock and thus excluded from the succession: his daughter Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, and his son Alexandre Coste.

Albert's years of stepping out added fuel to the tabloid rumors, which hardly died down once he settled upon the former Charlene Wittstock. In a 2010 interview, he acknowledged that part of the role of the royal family was to be in the public eye.

This baby news is sure to consolidate the couple's place in the public eye — in ways they would want — and is likely to set off a frenzy in the fashion press as to how she will dress her bump.

Demure Princess Charlene is known for her elegant fashion style, patronizing designers such as Giorgio Armani, who designed her couture wedding dress.

Since her marriage, Charlene is styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco. The previous holder of the style was her husband's mother, Grace Kelly, who died in 1982.

__ Thomas Adamson can be followed at http://Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP

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Kim And Kanye Marry In Romantic Florence

Los Angeles (AFP) - Curvy reality TV diva Kim Kardashian tied the knot with her rapper husband Kanye West in the Italian city of Florence on Saturday, Kardashian's publicist confirmed.

"Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were married in a private ceremony in the presence of family and friends in Florence, Italy," publicist Ina Treciokas told AFP, giving no other details.

Screaming fans were seen mobbing 16th-century Fort Belvedere in Florence on Saturday as hundreds of guests gathered for Kim and Kanye's sumptuous wedding party, but it was not immediately publicly confirmed they had been officially married there, with some reports saying they may have been married earlier.

The couple was married by Rich Wilkerson Jr., a pastor at the non-denominational Trinity Church in Miami at the 16th century Forte di Belvedere in Florence, according to US celebrity media.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli sang "Con te Partiro" as 1970s US Olympic star Bruce Jenner -- Kim's stepfather -- walked the bride down the aisle, People magazine reported.

Kim's mother Kris and sisters Khloe and Kourtney were at the event, as well as the couple's 11-month-old daughter North West, according to the E! network, which carries the reality TV show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians".

Security at the event was tight, and guests were required to hand over their cell phones and any cameras, according to E!

Guests at the "Kimye" wedding included Hollywood tennis star Serena Williams, actor Will Smith's son Jaden Smith, and "12 Years as a Slave" director Steve McQueen, according to celebrity media.

"It was funny how nervous (Kanye) was," a person identified as an onlooker told People magazine. "He clearly knew the gravity of what he was about to do. This morning he was all smiles, but as it got closer, you could see that the nerves were kicking in."

The wedding is the first for West, 36, and the third for Kardashian, 33.

Kim and Kanye flew into Florence aboard private jets after kicking off their marathon wedding celebrations with a party in the Versailles palace late Friday.

The marathon wedding event could earn the couple up to $21 million (15 million euros) thanks to sponsors and through the sale of exclusive photos of the ceremony, according to press reports.

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Captain America, Tops Box Office For Third Week

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Captain America continues to vanquish box office foes, triumphing in ticket sales for the third consecutive week and dominating over megastar Johnny Depp's new movie.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" added another $26 million to its coffers, according to studio estimates Sunday, while Depp's sci-fi thriller, "Transcendence," opened in fourth place with $11 million.

Directed by longtime Christopher Nolan cinematographer Wally Pfister, the Warner Bros. film is Depp's third consecutive box office disappointment. He played Tonto in last summer's "The Lone Ranger" — one of the biggest flops of 2013 — and starred in 2012's comedy-horror dud, "Dark Shadows."

"As we approach the summer movie season, box-office drawing power becomes more about the concept of the movie rather than its star," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. "It may not have been so much (about) Johnny Depp, but audiences right now like brands that they know."

That doesn't bode well for original ideas, such as "Transcendence," penned by first-time screenwriter Jack Paglen. Dergarabedian notes that 12 sequels are expected this summer alone.

Another new movie, the religious-themed "Heaven Is for Real," debuted in third place over Easter weekend, while another sequel, "Rio 2," held on to the second spot.

Faith-based films are performing well, Dergarabedian said, with four releases in the domestic top 20.

"The Winter Soldier" set a box-office record as the biggest April release ever when it opened with more than $96 million domestically. Starring Chris Evans as comic book hero Capt. America and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, the Disney release has earned more than $200 million to date in North America — the 12th Marvel film to do so.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday:

1. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," $26.6 million ($35.3 million international).

2. "Rio 2," $22.5 million ($48 million international).

3. "Heaven is for Real," $21.5 million.

4. "Transcendence," $11.2 million ($17.4 million international).

5. "A Haunted House 2," $9.1 million.

6. "Draft Day," $5.9 million.

7. "Divergent," $5.75 million ($18.1 million international).

8. "Oculus," $5.2 million.

9. "Noah," $5 million ($21.6 million international).

10. "God's Not Dead," $4.8 million.

___ Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "Rio 2," $48 million.

2. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," $47 million.

3. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," $35.3 million.

4. "Noah," $21.6 million.

5. "Divergent," $18.1 million.

6. "Transcendence," $17.4 million.

7. (tie) "Frozen," $7.6 million.

1. (tie) "The Lego Movie," $7.6 million.

1. "The Grand Budapest Hotel," $6 million.

2. "The Other Woman," $5.3 million.

3. "Mr. Peabody and Sherman," $2.2 million.

___ Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

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CBS Comedy 'How I Met Your Mother' Ends

NEW YORK (AP) — In its 208th and final episode on Monday, the CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother" finally revealed the mystery contained in its title and then ended with a twist designed to reward longtime fans.

Actor Josh Radnor's character Ted meets the mom, played by actress Cristin Milioti, on a rainy train platform after his friends Barney and Robin are married.

But that marriage doesn't last, and neither does Ted's — because Milioti's character Tracy dies after the couple has two children together. And at the end of the one-hour episode, the romance that seemed natural at the show's beginning, between Ted and Robin, is rekindled.

Creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas say they knew the plot for the final episode when the series premiered nine years ago. Success kept them stringing along the story, even though part of Monday's finale was filmed in 2006 for fear that the teen-aged actors who played Ted's children would become unrecognizable.

The series has been a solid if not spectacular performer for CBS, and its average of 9.8 million viewers this season means it will likely be its most-watched ever. It has never averaged below 8.25 million viewers in a season, the Nielsen company said, and its success in syndication means reruns will likely be seen for many years to come.

Most of the last season has been set in one weekend: Robin and Barney's wedding, where Tracy was the bass player in the wedding band. The final episode skips through several years, where we learn that the marriage of Robin and Barney (played by Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris) splits up because of her success as a television correspondent. Barney has a baby through a one-night stand and Marshall and Lily (played by Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan) have three kids and he becomes a judge.

Ted and Tracy get married after a long engagement and the kids, but she gets sick and dies, a development that many fans speculated upon in recent weeks because of a foreshadowing in an earlier episode.

After that, Ted wraps up the story — how I met your mother — that he had been telling his children throughout the length of the show.

The children, however, tell him that it's also a story about how he loves their Aunt Robin. They say his attraction to her is obvious and that he should ask her on a date.

"C'mon, dad," said the daughter, played by Lyndsy Fonseca. "Mom's gone for six years now. It's time."

Ted and Robin dated early in the show's history and seemed a natural match. Yet the producers made clear that Robin was not the "mother" of the title, disappointing many of the show's fans at the time.

The children urge Ted to pick up the phone and call Robin. He thinks better of it and drives to her apartment. She opens the window to see him holding a blue horn — a reference to a story from when they had dated — and the series ends.

The producers are at work on a pilot for a spinoff series, "How I Met Your Dad," that involves different actors. This cast has already scattered, and commercials that aired during the finale advertised an upcoming movie starring Segel and a Broadway show where Harris is appearing. On Monday night, Smulders appeared at a New York screening for the movie "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," in which she performs.

Smulders said that after the screening, she planned to go home and watch the finale with friends. She said many of the emotions felt by the characters in the last episode mirrored what the actors were feeling.

"I am personally really thrilled," she said. "The show comes full circle."

___ Associated Press correspondent Alicia Rancilio contributed to this report.

___ David Bauder can be reached at dbauder@ap.org or on Twitter@dbauder. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/david-bauder

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