Dejana

The reported budget is $29 million. Between PP2, Furious 7 and Fifty Shades of Grey, Universal is having a very good year!

I don't watch The Good Wife and had no idea about any of the drama. A split-screen for two people talking at a bar? That is some next-level messiness. Shame on you, Nurse Hathaway! I'm a pretty regular watcher of the entertainment news shows and I've never heard anything about a feud before. I guess it's because CBS dramas don't get the same buzz as cable shows or even other networks, because you know if it had been the same sort of discord with Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh, with their characters going from close friends to not filming any scenes together for more than two seasons...It wouldn't have gotten that far, because Entertainment Tonight/Extra/Access Hollywood would've noticed by 6-7 episodes and made it the top story for days on end. Shonda Rimes probably wouldn't have put up with the BS, the cast would've been ordered to make nice on Twitter, then she'd write out the backstage diva in the most absurd way possible.

Box Office Mojo has been in a slow decline for years, really. If the IMDb wanted to shutter if or completely fold it into their site (there was a scare not that long ago), they easily could, but it doesn't seem run like a site that's a top priority anymore. Unless there's some massive change in ownership, its fate seems to be death by benign neglect. Pitch Perfect 2 made more in its opening weekend than the original Pitch Perfect did in its lifetime in theaters ($65 million). Other sequels that have managed that leap are Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Tron Legacy (the latter having nearly 30 years between installments for the inflation boost). May 15–17, 2015 Estimates: 1 (N) Pitch Perfect 2 $70,300,000 | 3,473 Theaters | $20,242 Avg. | $70,300,000 2 (N) Mad Max: Fury Road $44,440,000 | 3,702 Theaters | $12,004 Avg. | $44,440,000 3 (1) Avengers: Age of Ultron $38,837,000 | 4,276 Theaters | $9,083 Avg. | $372,008,000 4 (2) Hot Pursuit $5,780,000 | 3,037 Theaters | $1,903 Avg. | $23,504,000 5 (5) Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 $3,600,000 | 2,632 Theaters | $1,368 Avg. | $62,929,000 6 (4) Furious 7 $3,600,000 | 2,238 Theaters | $1,609 Avg. | $343,800,000 7 (3) The Age of Adaline $3,200,000 | 2,623 Theaters | $1,220 Avg. | $37,072,000 8 (7) Home $2,700,000 | 2,006 Theaters | $1,346 Avg. | $165,647,000 9 (6) Ex Machina $2,103,000 | 1,718 Theaters | $1,224 Avg. | $19,566,000 10 (15) Far from the Madding Crowd $1,300,000 | 289 Theaters | $4,498 Avg. | $2,631,000 Woman in Gold $1,190,000 | 876 Theaters | $1,358 Avg. | $28,952,000 Cinderella $628,000 | 641 Theaters | $980 Avg. | $197,228,000 Where Hope Grows $490,000 | 276 Theaters | $1,775 Avg. | $490,000 Global Totals: FURIOUS 7: $1.145B Overseas Total | $1.489B Global Total AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON: $770.5M Overseas Total | $1.142B Global Total CINDERELLA: $323.8M Overseas Total | $521M Global Total MAD MAX; FURY ROAD: $65M Overseas Total | $109.4M Global Total PITCH PERFECT 2: $38.1M Overseas Total | $108.4M Global Total

Oh, wow, when Duck is acting headhunter for Pete in "The Better Half", he mentions a head of marketing position in Wichita that would be perfect for him. Pete asks if there's anything back on Earth. How times change!

How the NFL Let Deflate-gate Get Out of Control and Ridiculous It just feels to me like the officials regarded deflating the footballs like going 60 MPH in a 55 zone ahead of the game, then when the story took off in the media and fans hyped up on Cheatriot outrage, the same violation suddenly turned into driving the wrong way down the interstate, because the integrity of a game in the National Football League was in question and such a thing could not be countenanced! Though you would think if it were such an egregious violation to begin with, and the officials were warned that the Patriots were messing with their balls (hah), they would have been watching like hawks and on top of it when the balls went missing before the game, using the most accurate pressure gauges, etc. That's not to say it's all the officials' fault that they didn't stop the Patriots from cheating—they shouldn't have done it—more that the officials' pre-game response reveals either their ineptitude or illustrates how the refs didn't initially see the deflation issue as this earth-shattering, suspension-worthy, driving-a-stake-into-the-integrity-of-the-game big deal. I heard about The Deflator being a nickname for the guy's weight-loss efforts on Rich Eisen's radio show during my lunch break; apparently, there are other texts to back up this excuse. Rich and the guys on the show pointed out that you'd think the Patriots would have just mentioned this in the first place and saved themselves some trouble.

Lois singlehandedly derailed the entire PPL reorganization; Roger, Don and Cooper probably made sure she got a bonus!

Yes, the name does seem vaguely familiar, now that you mention it. When Glen was leaving for the Army a few episodes ago, he didn't mention the sister at all. Sally ended up becoming sort of a sister figure to Glen, so it probably worked better for the story if the actual sister just disappeared to the Great Attic of Abandoned TV Siblings, hanging out with Chuck Cunningham and Judy Winslow.

ACLU calls for investigation of gender discrimination in directing: More from female directors speaking out, as well as the lawsuit and its limitations:

My guess would be definitely by the time that "Bye Bye Birdie" became a recurring theme in S3. The finale will be illuminating on this question, especially if the resolution for Don is one that only works as a story if Betty's already died. I wouldn't be surprised if Weiner had figured out the ending to MM before the show ever got picked up. I'm watching the marathon and during "Marriage of Figaro", when Francine and Betty discuss Helen Bishop, it's mentioned that she has two kids, Glen and a two year old. Was the younger child ever mentioned again?

Would the masses really care that much about original music? These singing shows have had a number of contestants who became very popular singing classics or current hits, but TV fans moved on by the time an album was released in the fall, or weren't so thrilled with what was produced and didn't come back for the second album. Even the best-selling album from any alum is in the 7.5 million range, extraordinary for post-2000 album sales, but just a fourth of the 30 million average viewers who watched the 2006 season, and Carrie sold a lot of those albums to people who never watched the show. Original coronation songs from these shows have taken off, but how long would it work, as a weekly lure? There would be an audience for people interested in watching the contestants craft a song, but how big is it? Changes that some fans embrace are hated by others. Some rue the day instruments were allowed, but I know of many fans who became avid watchers once the show moved away from rewarding the biggest belter and "diva" stylings. The pendulum swung too far in the other direction, but I honestly think adding instruments extended the #1 streak for a couple of years, at least.

That was only revealed in the most recent book, as a shout-out to the then-upcoming series. There's also a "Heughan" mention in there as well.

DWTS did an All-Star season and the ratings weren't huge like people thought they would be. A theory was that a lot of people like DWTS to see stars grow as performers by the week and with the all-star version you lose that element. Idol has spent years selling itself as the show that launches the boy/girl next door into stardom, so get invested each week and vote to make your favorite's dream come true. An All-Star version kind of points out that the formula didn't quite work the first time around. World Idol was tried once and not repeated. Kelly was contractually obligated to compete and reportedly wasn't thrilled with the experience (though the less charitable would say it was because she didn't win). Here's the winning moment:

Nothing lasts forever, especially a show that hopes to launch a real, relevant music star every now and then. No matter what, with time, the show was always going to struggle to remain relevant to very young and even youngish people after a certain point. Young viewers tend to go for fresher shows and Idol became a show people's moms watched, the last thing the network wanted. For other long-running reality shows like DWTS, TAR or Survivor, post-show relevance never really mattered, so there was always less of a need for them to appeal to teens and twentysomethings, though that was nice for the ad rates. Phillip Phillips was Idol's last gasp of musical relevance (not that "Home" reinvented the wheel, but it was an Idol winner getting big radio airplay and became the best-selling Idol single ever, exactly how TPTB want their winners to start their careers) but his win also crystallized the "White Guy With Guitar" backlash. TPTB's response for the 2013 season, to bring on Nicki Minaj and Mariah in order to replicate the "buzz" of The Voice, then stacking the deck in favor of a girl winner, sent the show the unrecoverable death spiral that's brought us to this point. I remember reading MJs Big Blog and other sites when the Nicki rumors started and talk about backlash--she might as well have been Jezebel, old-school Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian rolled into one. The idea of a rapper judging a "singing competition", though the reality may have been murkier on both sides (Idol was never just a singing competition and Nicki sings as well), I very much got the sense that the notion was galling to a certain not-insignificant segment of Idol viewers, a bridge too far, on top of her profane/overtly sexual lyrics, huge no-nos for women in Idoland. Perhaps a female winner in the middle of that 2008-2012 stretch quells the WGWG resentment, TPTB aren't so desperate to overhaul S12 in a way that repels the viewers they already had (while also failing to bring in Minaj's fans, who could just catch her big moments on Youtube) and it and it buys Idol another season or two, but that's all. Now that it's going to be over I want a Live From New York/Those Guys Have All The Fun sort of book with on-the-record interviews addressing the various scandals, the conspiracy theories theories, the hookups, all of it.

May 8-10, 2015 Estimates: 1 (1) Avengers: Age of Ultron $77,203,000 | 4,276 Theaters | $18,055 Avg. | $312,589,000 2 (N) Hot Pursuit $13,300,000 | 3,003 Theaters | $4,429 Avg. | $13,300,000 3 (3) The Age of Adaline $5,600,000 | 3,070 Theaters | $1,824 Avg. | $31,529,000 4 (2) Furious 7 $5,272,000 | 3,004 Theaters | $1,755 Avg. | $338,420,000 5 (4) Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 $5,190,000 | 3,201 Theaters | $1,621 Avg. | $58,075,000 6 (7) Ex Machina $3,470,000 | 2,004 Theaters | $1,732 Avg. | $15,722,000 7 (5) Home $3,000,000 | 2,495 Theaters | $1,202 Avg. | $162,116,000 8 (10) Woman in Gold $1,652,000 | 1,080 Theaters | $1,530 Avg. | $26,978,000 9 (6) Cinderella $1,574,000 | 1,034 Theaters | $1,522 Avg. | $196,166,000 10 (8) Unfriended $1,412,000 | 1,701 Theaters | $830 Avg. | $30,943,000 The Longest Ride $1,300,000 | 1,464 Theaters | $888 Avg. | $35,211,000 Far from the Madding Crowd $761,000 | 99 Theaters | $7,687 Avg. | $1,001,000 The Divergent Series: Insurgent $745,000 | 843 Theaters | $884 Avg. | $127,593,000 Little Boy $596,000 | 775 Theaters | $769 Avg. | $5,235,000 The D Train $469,000 | 1,009 Theaters | $465 Avg. | $469,000 5 Flights Up $234,000 | 87 Theaters | $2,690 Avg. | $234,000 Noble $209,000 | 175 Theaters | $1,194 Avg. | $209,000 Clouds of Sils Maria $202,000 | 187 Theaters | $1,080 Avg. | $1,232,000 Maggie $131,000 | 79 Theaters | $1,658 Avg. | $131,000 Saint Laurent $36,000 | 4 Theaters | $9,000 Avg. | $36,000 Global Totals: FURIOUS 7: $1.128B Overseas Total | $1.466B Global Total AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON: $562.4M Overseas Total | $875.3M Global Total CINDERELLA: $316.9M Overseas Total | $513.1M Global Total HOME: $180.22M Overseas Total | $342.33M Global Total SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL: $50.96M Overseas Total | $83.61M Global Total RUN ALL NIGHT: $40.5M Overseas Total | $66.96M Global Total THE LONGEST RIDE: $15.27M Overseas Total | $50.48M Global Total

The media published Princess Charlotte's birth certificate, and her parents' occupations are listed as Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom.

Not that I subscribe to this theory, but wouldn't the "revisionist history" have taken place after DiA but before Voyager? The "Jack uses Jamie to fulfill his desires for Alex" subplot (if you believe that's what's going on) is confined to the first two books. Lord John went by a different name in the second book, and was only meant to be some random teenager Jamie and Claire encountered during the war. Gabaldon gets slammed for stereotypical gay characters on the CompuServe forums after DiA and takes the opportunity to create a positive figure in John, or so the theory goes... ,

I'd imagine Jill hoped they could turn the baby externally. I would guess it's something midwives would do more than OBs these days, especially in the US. This could have been an hour special at the most, but two hours will get TLC good ratings anyway, so why not? Jill having her knees blurred during the manicure—how modest (and Michelle) of her! I thought Derick getting a pedicure would be considered too "unmanly" in these circles but Jesus did have his feet washed, so that's probably the only reason this group would consider it acceptable and not confusing gender roles somehow.

The final weekend number for Avengers: Age of Ultron came in at $191,271,109. What impact did the "Fight of the Century" have on the box office? Furious 7 also finished in second with the final numbers, while Age of Adaline slipped to third ($6.6M vs. $6.2M).

The books, though, showed more of Claire finding a useful place in life, outside of being in love with Jamie, in the 1700s. You saw more of her settling in and really enjoying her work as a healer and having a sense of home and family that she'd lacked in the twentieth century. It hasn't been completely omitted from the series, but at times the priority of the showrunners has seemed to be ramping up the threats of kidnapping and capture and rape. If a viewer knows the general career trajectory of the women who pitched in and did their part during World War II, they'd know that 1945 Claire wasn't going to get to continue in nursing and was expected, by Frank, no less, to be the dutiful professor's wife. But some non-book readers think Frank is so loving and supportive that of course, he'd have no problem with her continuing to work outside the home, so that can't possibly be a factor in Claire's decision to stay in 1743. When you largely minimize/erase any conflicts or issues that Claire had with life in general (and Frank) in 1945 as the series has, it skews the story and leaves the viewer filling in gaps that didn't exist on the page. Now, when Claire came back to the twentieth century, she did eventually go to medical school and Frank did help out with Bree, but he did not come to that choice because he was this super enlightened guy who thought working women were so awesome! It was more that she'd made her decision and being supportive of it would be the best thing for their daughter. I just think the creative choices made in portraying Frank so far are rather...curious, considering that Book 2 starts with the character dead, with him not coming back to life, or traveling back in time to win Claire's heart, or Claire traveling to the future to save Frank's life, as of Book 8. More often than not, the infrequent glimpses of their life together in the twentieth century show an increasingly unhappy couple held together by their love for their daughter, but even that falls apart by the bitter end. Sure, there are always people who are going to watch a series and not like its central couple, but when the writing greatly helps along that sentiment, is it any wonder some viewers might end up being biased toward the largely rosy picture that was painted of Claire's old life?

I agree, both Jamie and Claire are both products of their times in first assuming it's the woman's fault if there are fertility problems.

If estimates hold, the #1 movie will have the second biggest opening weekend of all time, yet come in about $20 million under the first Avengers. Its estimates in 2012 were $7 million under the actual numbers; Disney/Marvel is probably hoping that people who chose Mayweather-Pacquiao over the movies last night will head back to theaters today, so they can find an extra $5-7 million to pad this weekend's numbers. It could miss $500 million with typical sequel legs. A huge number for most movies but a big comedown from the Avengers 1 ($623M). May 1–3, 2015 Estimates: 1 (N) Avengers: Age of Ultron $187,656,000 | 4,276 Theaters | $43,886 Avg. | $187,656,000 2 (3) The Age of Adaline $6,250,000 | 2,991 Theaters | $2,090 Avg. | $23,424,000 3 (1) Furious 7 $6,114,000 | 3,305 Theaters | $1,850 Avg. | $330,539,000 4 (2) Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 $5,550,000 | 3,548 Theaters | $1,564 Avg. | $51,186,000 5 (4) Home $3,300,000 | 2,852 Theaters | $1,157 Avg. | $158,132,000 6 (12) Cinderella $2,357,000 | 1,411 Theaters | $1,670 Avg. | $193,651,000 7 (6) Ex Machina $2,231,000 | 1,279 Theaters | $1,744 Avg. | $10,868,000 8 (5) Unfriended $1,988,000 | 2,221 Theaters | $895 Avg. | $28,531,000 9 (7) The Longest Ride $1,700,000 | 2,115 Theaters | $804 Avg. | $33,240,000 10 (10) Woman in Gold $1,681,000 | 1,126 Theaters | $1,493 Avg. | $24,588,000 Monkey Kingdom $1,191,000 | 1,732 Theaters | $688 Avg. | $12,482,000 The Divergent Series: Insurgent $925,000 | 1,291 Theaters | $716 Avg. | $126,492,000 Kingsman: The Secret Service $185,000 | 316 Theaters | $585 Avg. | $126,860,000 Danny Collins $179,000 | 204 Theaters | $877 Avg. | $5,091,000 Far from the Madding Crowd $172,000 | 10 Theaters | $17,200 Avg. | $172,000 Welcome to Me $38,000 | 2 Theaters | $19,000 Avg. | $38,000 Global Totals: FURIOUS 7: $1.098B Overseas Total | $1.429B Global Total AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON: $439.0M Overseas Total | $626.656M Global Total CINDERELLA: $300.6M Overseas Total | $494.251M Global Total HOME: $170.08M Overseas Total | $328.31M Global Total

Among the Duggars and their social circle of super-sized families, a 25 year old who hasn't been around babies much must seem like a unicorn.

Yes, medical professionals are like anyone else--some keep their mouths shut and others take the tabloid payday, especially the ones who aren't doctors making the megabucks. There's also trickery (a famous example being the morning show prank when Kate was pregnant with Prince George and the nurse was fooled by the DJ pretending to be Queen Elizabeth) or other patients/family members who see a celebrity whisked in/out of a waiting room, and can run to a tabloid about it without being beholden to HIPAA. I don't doubt that the Kardashians cooperate with TMZ when it suits them, but so do other people.

On a box office forum I frequent, the guys there generally balked at the idea, thought it would be too hard to watch, cruel to make the rest of the cast portray Brian's death/funeral, and it would cast a pall over the rest of the series, for all the other characters to have to refer to him in the past tense (although this is a regular occurrence when an actor from a TV show dies IRL). I think it will just be weirder and call even more attention to Paul's death, to pretend that Brian is off frolicking on the beach and too busy to make a phone call or five minute visit between car chases, ever again, but mileage varies. Maybe they talked with his family, the cast and did some focus group questioning to decide that Brian living happily ever after was the best option.

Furious 7 becomes the first movie to have four weekends at #1 since Guardians of the Galaxy, and the first to do it four weekends in a row since The Hunger Games in 2012. The estimates or the lower part of the Top 10 are close enough so that they might change with the final numbers. Last weekend, Woman in Gold ended up finishing ahead of Monkey Kingdom with the actual numbers that came in on Monday. April 24–26, 2015 Estimates: 1 (1) Furious 7 $18,259,000 | 3,808 Theaters | $4,795 Avg. | $320,536,000 2 (2) Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 $15,500,000 | 3,633 Theaters | $4,266 Avg. | $43,950,000 3 (N) The Age of Adaline $13,375,000 | 2,991 Theaters | $4,472 Avg. | $13,375,000 4 (4) Home $8,300,000 | 3,311 Theaters | $2,507 Avg. | $153,784,000 5 (3) Unfriended $6,244,000 | 2,775 Theaters | $2,250 Avg. | $25,158,000 6 (15) Ex Machina $5,441,000 | 1,255 Theaters | $4,335 Avg. | $6,920,000 7 (5) The Longest Ride $4,365,000 | 3,140 Theaters | $1,390 Avg. | $30,398,000 8 (6) Get Hard $3,905,000 | 2,276 Theaters | $1,716 Avg. | $84,066,000 9 (8) Monkey Kingdom $3,551,000 | 2,012 Theaters | $1,765 Avg. | $10,258,000 10 (7) Woman in Gold $3,501,000 | 1,981 Theaters | $1,767 Avg. | $21,635,000 11 (9) The Divergent Series: Insurgent $3,075,000 | 2,086 Theaters | $1,474 Avg. | $124,885,000 12 (10) Cinderella $2,851,000 | 2,019 Theaters | $1,412 Avg. | $190,646,000 13 (N) Little Boy $2,830,000 | 1,045 Theaters | $2,708 Avg. | $2,830,000 14 (N) The Water Diviner $1,250,000 | 320 Theaters | $3,906 Avg. | $1,250,000 15 (11) True Story $1,175,000 | 856 Theaters | $1,373 Avg. | $3,840,000 Kingsman: The Secret Service $550,000 | 425 Theaters | $1,294 Avg. | $126,471,000 Fifty Shades of Grey $67,100 | 149 Theaters | $450 Avg. | $166,074,200 Global Totals: FURIOUS 7: $1.001B Overseas Total | $1.322B Global Total CINDERELLA: $284.0M Overseas Total | $474.646M Global Total KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE: $273.92M Overseas Total | $399.84M Global Total THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGEBOB OUT OF WATER: $148.6M Overseas Total | $310.7M Global Total HOME: $147.18M Overseas Total | $300.96M Global Total AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON: $201.2M Overseas Total