Box Office: ‘F9’ Speeding to Pandemic-Era Record With Estimated $68 Million Debut

Sam Heughan is keeping fit and looking great.

Bill and Melinda Gates ended their marriage in May of 2021 after nearly 30 years of marriage.

Roman Abramovich is making a big announcement.

Nearly a year after announcing the end of her marriage to Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates is feeling like she’s “starting to get to the other side.”

Roman Abramovich, the Russian owner of England’s Chelsea FC, one of soccer’s biggest clubs, said Wednesday that he is selling the franchise, with the proceeds to go to a foundation that will benefit war victims in Ukraine.

Stephanie Ito is returning to Paramount as President, Post-Production & Innovation, a little less than one year after departing the studio. Lee Rosenthal, who serves as President Of Worldwide Physical Production for both Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Studios, made the announcement today in a memo you can read in full below.

Farrah Forke, probably best known for her co-starring role on NBC’s long-running sitcom Wings, died of cancer February 25 at her home in Texas, according to a family friend. She was 54.

Veronica Carlson, the British actress and Hammer Horror Films star of such 1960s favorites as Dracula Has Risen from the Grave and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, died Feb. 27 of natural causes at her home in Bluffton, South Carolina. She was 77.

China has cleared Warner Bros’ Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore for release in the market, though a date is still to be set. The WB Weibo account posted today that “magic is coming” and said, “stay tuned.” This is the third film from the studio this year to be granted access, following The Matrix Resurrections which opened in January and The Batman which is due on March 18. After a reduced number of Hollywood movies getting into the market across 2021, whether this is a trend that will continue remains a question mark.

So You Think You Can Dance is officially returning to Fox – three years after its last season aired.

Strictly Come Dancing and Coronation Street, had been left horrified after her beau Matt Janes unexpectedly died following a heart attack at the age of just 43.When her own 42nd birthday came around six months later, Jill was still reeling from her tragic loss."Utterly bereft, floundering under the weight of his loss – I didn’t feel like celebrating," she told The Telegraph.Unable to face relatives and friends back home, she booked a solo flight for the first time in her life."I couldn’t bear the idea of going on holiday with someone who might constantly be asking if I was alright," she admitted."I needed to be away in my own company – doing what I wanted, when I wanted, with the sun on my face."She booked into the Ekies All Senses Resort in Halkidiki, Greece, relishing the prospect that she could transfer in just 30 seconds from her room to the luxury hotel's private beach.Referencing her love of swinging in a hammock, she told the same publication of her experience, saying: "I didn’t want hustle and bustle – just somewhere low-key and chilled."Praising the anonymity of the resort, she added thankfully: "No one knew me as 'that girl who’s on telly sometimes'.""It was about...nobody knowing who I was or what had happened.

Gary Lineker's ex-wife Danielle Bux has opened up about how the Match of The Day presenter helped her through a tough time at the start of their relationship.

the Mirror.British people have seen their holiday options open up recently as a further 12 countries have eased restrictions for UK travellers. Portugal, Greece, France and Cyprus have all axed pre-departure Covid tests, while Iceland took things one step further and scrapped Covid travel rules entirely.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeTwo years after production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “So You Think You Can Dance” is making a comeback. Fox announced on Wednesday that the long-delayed 17th season of the dance competition series will premiere this summer.Auditions for the new season will take place in March, as the show looks for “highly skilled dancers between the ages of 18 and 30, showcasing their talents in various dance styles, including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, animation, breaking and more.” Aspiring contestants can sign up at danceshow2022.castingcrane.com or fox.com/dance.

There's MUCH more where that came from! Want all the jaw-dropping stories from the world of showbiz and up to the minute news from TV and soaps?Well, we've got you covered with our showbiz, TV and soaps newsletters - they'll drop straight into your inbox and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.We'll bring you the inside track from telly expert Ed Gleave and soap specialist Sasha Morris. Oh, and your daily fix of Piers, Katie Price, Demi Rose and all your other Daily Star favs.You can sign up here - you won't regret it...“Not just from the world at large, but most tragically, from the people who were closest to him."In October 2021, Darren announced he and his partner Mia Swier were expecting their first child in spring 2022.For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

Ellise Shafer administrator“F9,” the ninth installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, is holding its own at the top of the domestic box office charts in its second week of release.Over the Fourth of July long weekend, the action flick is expected to add another $32.9 million to its gross from 4,203 theaters, raising its cume to a stunning $126 million. In the film’s debut last weekend, it earned $70 million, smashing the record for the highest-grossing opening since the onset of COVID-19.

Any other year, it wouldn’t be a massive surprise that a ‘Fast & Furious’ film debuted with a huge box office total. But after a year of basically no theatrical releases and no major blockbusters, the fact that “F9” debuted with a $70 million estimated opening weekend is noteworthy.

COVID-19 lockdown.Thus comes an official declaration: “Cinema is back!,” the franchise’s lead thespian, Vin Diesel, has announced in an official statement. A delayed theatrical release turned out to be the right move for the “Fast and Furious” sequel, the ninth in the franchise’s 20-year run.

F9 is huge!

The new Fast & Furious movie F9 is on track to setting a new record at the pandemic-era box office!

Paul Walker’s iconic car from  The Fast and the Furious has been sold to a fan of the franchise, following the long-awaited auction in Las Vegas this weekend.The 1994 Toyota Supra that belonged to Brian O’Conner in the movie was sold for $550k, as it is one of the most symbolic pieces of the saga.Fans of the movies know that the car was present for some of the most quintessential scenes, featured in the second installment 2 Fast 2 Furious.The winner of the auction will also receive a certificate of authenticity along with the documentation of the car, which was built at The Shark Shop in El Segundo, CA.Cody Walker, the brother of the late actor, has stated that Paul would be honored, in reference to the future of the franchise and his