Ticket sales are not quite as fast as they were when it was released two weeks ago, but Furious 7 still easily outpaced its rivals to remain in pole position at the box office at the weekend. Not even the biggest new release, Kevin James's Paul Blart sequel, could overtake Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Co. Furious 7 – which features key scenes filmed in Abu Dhabi and was produced with local partners the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and twofour54 – held on to the top spot for a third weekend in a row, taking an estimated US$29.1 million (Dh106.89m) in North America, according to box-office tracker Rentrak. The film's domestic takings total $294m, compared with the $202.8m that Fast & Furious 6 had earned at this point in 2013. Global box-office takings crossed the $1 billion mark on Friday. "The film has set a new standard for the potential for box office in the pre-summer month of April and has truly become part of movie folklore, with its record-setting number," said Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak's senior media analyst. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 was a close second with an estimated $24m. Low-budget, social media-themed thriller Unfriended took third place with $16m – 16 times its production budget. – AP
Star Wars: Rogue One plot revealed
The big reveal on the final day of the four-day Star Wars Celebration fan event in Anaheim, California, was the plot of the first stand-alone film, Rogue One. Set just before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope, the Jedis are all but extinct, the Old Republic is in turmoil and the threat of the Empire's Death Star is looming. Director Gareth Edwards showed off a tantalising concept reel to preview the film, part of a series of films exploring other stories outside the main Star Wars saga. "For more than 1,000 generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire," a voice-over says, as the camera reveals a ghostly Death Star. The film will follow a band of resistance fighters who unite to steal the Death Star plans and "bring a new hope". Edwards said the "absence of Jedi is omnipresent". The characters realise the "gods are not coming to save us", he said. "It comes down to a group of people who don't have magical powers who band together to bring hope to the galaxy." The film will be shot in London this summer and is set to be released on December 16 next year. – AP
More details on Abu Dhabi’s role in Star Wars
More information about the new Star Wars film and plans for the future of the franchise, emerged as the producers teased fans with details during the Star Wars Celebration fan event in California. Of particular interest to UAE fans was the news from director J J Abrams that the scenes from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens that were filmed in Abu Dhabi last year will be set on a desert planet called Jakku and not Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine, as many had assumed. Meanwhile, production designer Rick Carter said that "seven comes after six. It doesn't come after three", referring to the unpopular, glossy, CGI-heavy look of the prequel trilogy. "This is a period piece that we're bringing forth. We're always going back to go forward." The trailer for the film, unveiled at the event, revealed a dirty, grungier world. Droids and ships were beaten up and rundown, much like they were in the original trilogy. – AP
Free screenings of Polio documentary Every Last Child
Image Nation is screening the documentary Every Last Child free in cinemas this weekend to coincide with World Immunization Week, which runs from April 24 to 30. It marks the UAE premiere of the film, which debuted at the acclaimed DOC NYC festival in November. It was produced to support the UAE's drive to eradicate polio in Pakistan. This includes the Pakistan Assistance Program's efforts to vaccinate millions of vulnerable children in hard-to-reach areas of the country. Every Last Child, directed by the award-winning filmmaker Tom Roberts, follows the harrowing stories of five people – including vaccinators, parents and healthcare workers – caught up in the polio crisis in Pakistan. Zeitgeist Films has bought the rights to Every Last Child for the United States, where it will be released in June. The film will screen at 11am and 5pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at VOX Cinemas in Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre in Dubai, and Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. – The National staff
Filming starts on Neerja Bhanot biopic
Actress Sonam Kapoor, who is back at work after recovering from swine flu, has begun shooting a film about Neerja Bhanot, a Pan Am chief purser who was gunned down by terrorists when Flight 73 was hijacked in Karachi in 1986. Kapoor says she feels humbled to be a part of the project, which is photographer Atul Kasbekar’s debut film as director. “Day 1 of #NeerajaBhanot thank you @foxstarhindi and @BlingLive for making this possible ... Let the journey begin! #nerves #excitement #humbled,” the 29-year-old actress tweeted. – IANS
Katrina Kaif to make Cannes debut
Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif will grace the red carpet at the 68th Cannes Film Festival next month as an ambassador for the cosmetic brand L’Oréal Paris. She says she can’t wait to join the other global ambassadors including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor. The festival runs from May 13 to 24. – IANS
Brown tells crowd his daughter is awake
Bobby Brown told the audience at a concert at the weekend that his daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was awake, nearly three months after she was found face down and unresponsive in a bath at her Georgia home. The 21-year-old is the only daughter of Brown and the late singer Whitney Houston. Brown told the crowd in Dallas, Texas, that “Bobbi is awake” and “she is watching me”. Brown was moved to an undisclosed location after her release last month from a hospital in Atlanta. – AP
