Furious 7 continued to cruise along at the top of the international box office during its second weekend on release. The film, which was partly filmed in Abu Dhabi and produced with local partners the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and twofour54, raced away with US$60.6million at North American theatres, for a total of $252.5m since release, according to studio estimates. Globally, it has already crossed the $800 million barrier, according to Universal. The weekend's international total – $195m – was boosted by the film premièring in China on Sunday, where it earned an estimated $68.6million in a single day. In just 10 days, Furious 7 has already out-grossed all the previous instalments of the 14-year-old franchise. At its current pace, it is on course to become the highest-grossing film in studio Universal's history – 1993's Jurassic Park is the current record holder, on $1.02billion worldwide. – AP
Game of Thrones episodes leak online
Already holding the dubious honour of being the most pirated show in TV history, HBO's Games of Thrones was hit by a embrassing leak on Sunday when the first four episodes of season five were posted online just hours before the premiere. Although HBO had arranged for the new series due to air simultaneously in 170 countries around the world – including at 5am yesterday morning in the UAE – to discourage pirates, fans were downloading the leaked episodes in advance. "Sadly, it seems the leaked four episodes ... originated from within a group approved by HBO to receive them. We're actively assessing how this breach occurred," the cable-TV network said. Season four was illegally downloaded more than eight million times, making it the most pirated show in the world for the fourth year running, according to specialist news site TorrentFreak. – AFP
Ryan Reynolds in hit-and-run scare
Actor Ryan Reynolds was the victim of a hit-and-run in a hotel car park at the weekend. "While walking, Ryan was struck by a paparazzi driving a car through an underground parking garage," said the actor's publicist Leslie Sloane. "The man fled the scene. Ryan is OK." Police in Vancouver confirmed the incident had happened on Friday but gave no further details. Vancouver-born Reynolds has been in the city for several weeks shooting his new film, the X-Men spin-off Deadpool. – AP
Lansbury honoured at London theatre awards
An American classic directed by a Belgian and a musical about a very English rock band were the big winners at Britain’s Olivier theatre awards on Sunday night – but it was an 89-year old theatrical Dame who brought the house down.
The Arthur Miller drama A View From the Bridge and The Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon, won the most prizes – but the biggest and cheers came when Angela Lansbury took the best supporting actress trophy for playing scatterbrained psychic Madame Arcati in Noel Coward's comedy Blithe Spirit.
“I am so infinitely grateful to have this baby in my hands. You have no idea,” said London-born Lansbury, who already has an honorary Oscar, five Tonys and a damehood, the female equivalent of a knighthood.
"Here I am creeping up to 90 and feeling like a million dollars," said the Murder, She Wrote star, who first appeared on stage in the 1940s.
She said theatre is “life – and thank God I’m still in it.”
Sunny Afternoon, the story of 1960s rockers The Kinks, took four prizes, including best new musical and acting trophies for John Dagleish and George Maguire, who play battling brothers Ray and Dave Davies. The real-life Ray Davies won the outstanding achievement in music prize for the play's score.
A bold, pared-down revival of A View From the Bridge won three prizes including best revival and best director, for Ivo van Hove. Mark Strong was named best actor in a play for his slow-burning performance in Miller's tragedy of blood and honour in Brooklyn.
Mike Bartlett's King Charles III, which imagines Prince Charles taking the throne with disastrous results, was named best new play.
Another king, Henry VIII, was also crowned with an Olivier. Nathaniel Parker was named best supporting actor for playing the monarch in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall saga, which has just transferred to Broadway.
Downton Abbey star Penelope Wilton was named best actress in a play for the Nazi-era drama Taken at Midnight.
Rising star Katie Brayben won the prize for best actress in a musical for playing songwriter Carole King in Beautiful. Her co-star Lorna Want was named best supporting actress. – AP