'Matrix' clobbers competition

Hordes of fans took another trip down the rabbit hole with Neo, Trinity and the other characters of The Matrix Reloaded, giving the sequel the highest opening weekend gross of any R-rated film on record.

The Warner Bros. sequel to 1999's The Matrix took in an estimated $93.3-million from Friday through Sunday.

Matrix Reloaded beat the previous R-rated weekend record holder, 2001's Hannibal, which brought in $58-million. Matrix Reloaded opened in previews Wednesday night, and its five-day total was estimated at $135.8-million.

Matrix Reloaded becomes the second-highest first weekend grossing film of all time, behind last year's PG-13-rated Spider-Man, which took in $114.8-million its opening weekend.

The Eddie Murphy family comedy Daddy Day Care retained its second-place showing with a three-day gross of $19.2-million, for a 10-day total of $51.4-million.

X2: X-Men United was third with $17.1-million for a three-week take of $174-million.

It was an emotional final performance for Les Miserables, which closed Sunday after more than 16 years and 6,680 performances, second only to Cats, Broadway's longest-running show.

"Time for au revoir," producer Cameron Mackintosh told the audience at the curtain call as he thanked the cast and "all the great, fantastic casts we've had before." The show's authors, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, as well as its co-directors, Trevor Nunn and John Caird, stood beside him.

The show opened March 12, 1987, and was a staggering box-office success, winning eight Tony Awards including best musical. Grosses for the New York production alone have totaled more than $410-million, and the musical is still on the road with a tour booked into 2004.

Family, peers and fans at June Carter Cash's funeral Sunday remembered the wife of country great Johnny Cash as compassionate, loving and a music pioneer in her own right.

The 2,000-capacity First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, Tenn., was nearly full.

Her 71-year-old husband was brought into the church in a wheelchair and did not speak at the service.

Carter Cash, a Grammy-winning musician, actor, comedian, author and second-generation member of country music's seminal Carter Family, died at 73 Thursday of complications from heart surgery.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright