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It’s not easy to defy gravity as a musical movie, particularly one that’s been adapted from a Broadway play. But with the record-breaking premiere of Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” last weekend, there may be more reason to try. The Jon M. Chu-directed adaptation topped the box office with a worldwide gross of $164.2 million, marking the biggest opening weekend for a movie based on a Broadway play, surpassing 2012’s “Les Misérables” ($103 million). The film’s domestic box-office total was $114 million. Bringing Broadway adaptations to the big screen can be a dicey proposition. For every “Wicked,” there is a box-office flop, such as Universal’s “Cats.” Film adaptations of Broadway plays come with established fan bases that already have expectations for a movie version, said Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at movie ticket-seller Fandango and founder of tracking site Box Office Theory. “When they don’t feel the source material is honored, they will let the world know, especially on social media,” he said. “Conversely, when it works, they’ll let people know it, too.” Universal, in particular, has a long track record of Broadway musical movies. (The studio is also behind a current musical stage adaptation of “Death Becomes Her,” based on the 1992 Universal film.) The studio has struck box-office gold in the past with the star-studded “Les Miserables” and “Mamma Mia!,” though it has also been panned for adaptations like 2019’s “Cats,” which was lampooned for its uncanny blending of CGI and real-life stars (such as Taylor Swift) to create the singing felines. Universal’s 2021 adaptation of “Dear Evan Hansen” also faltered after receiving brutal reviews. Lately, other movie musicals have misfired at the box office. Warner Bros. Pictures’ comic book sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux” stumbled in theaters this fall , grossing just $206 million worldwide on a reported budget of at least $190 million before marketing. Earlier this year, Paramount Pictures’ “Mean Girls” raised eyebrows for downplaying its musical roots in trailers and received lukewarm reviews from critics, though it met analysts’ box-office expectations . Warner Bros.’ “The Color Purple” struggled too. It’s tough to bring the energy of a live stage production to the big screen, not to mention choosing the right play to adapt in the first place. Successful Broadway-to-Hollywood productions typically have a relatable story for audiences, memorable music and are well-known enough to bring out loyal fans of the stage show as well as people who had always heard about the play but never went. “The studios are very wary of losing money. They’re also very wary of musicals because they are a very distinct genre that people either really love or hate, and that doesn’t bode well for the box office,” said Desiree Garcia, associate professor at Dartmouth College, who wrote a book called “The Movie Musical.” “So how do you have a musical, but also not break the bank to have it? The tried-and-true product from the stage is the way to do it.” It also helps that “Wicked” is based on decades of previous intellectual property. The film is adapted from the long-running stage play of the same name, which itself is loosely based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, a reimagining of 1939’s film musical, “The Wizard of Oz” and the original L. Frank Baum book. “We are a studio that, under Donna Langley, likes to take big swings when we see the opportunity,” said Jim Orr, head of domestic distribution at Universal Pictures. “Wicked was definitely a big swing.” Part of the success of “Wicked” can also be attributed to the studio’s aggressive marketing campaign, which saw Universal partner with 400 brands worldwide, including Target and Starbucks. Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were everywhere in the months leading up to the movie’s release, making appearances at the 2024 Paris Olympics (which was broadcast by Universal’s sister division, NBC) and the Oscars, as well as an extensive press tour. That promotion has also driven interest in the film’s music. Since the film soundtrack came out Nov. 22, the signature song “Defying Gravity,” performed by Erivo as Elphaba and Grande as Glinda, has been streamed on Spotify almost 4.9 million times. Grande’s upbeat “Popular” is right behind it, at nearly 4.6 million streams. “Wicked: Part Two” is scheduled for release next year, which analysts expect will be highly anticipated. That audience anticipation could convince other studios to reconsider musicals, “and not treat them as the black sheep of genres,” said Robbins of Fandango. “That’s probably going to be a big takeaway.”magic ace wild lock demo 。

By LOLITA BALDOR and FATIMA HUSSEIN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, and said “He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Kellogg, an 80 year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence , was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticized the billions that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group’s policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” is a move to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” Trump’s proposed national security advisor U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) tweeted Wednesday that “Keith has dedicated his life to defending our great country and is committed to bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution.” Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden ’s victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: “You’re not tough enough to make the call.” Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.By LOLITA BALDOR and FATIMA HUSSEIN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, and said “He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Kellogg, an 80 year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence , was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticized the billions that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group’s policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” is a move to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” Trump’s proposed national security advisor U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) tweeted Wednesday that “Keith has dedicated his life to defending our great country and is committed to bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution.” Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden ’s victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: “You’re not tough enough to make the call.” Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose found himself embroiled in a new controversy after photographs of him unveiling his statue emerged on social media. The Governor has launched elaborate celebrations to mark two years in office. As the photograph went viral, the Raj Bhawan Media Cell issued a statement saying that the statue was presented to the Governor and he did not unveil it. “In some media reports it has come out that HG (Honourable Governor) has ‘unveiled his own statue’ at Raj Bhavan on 23.11.2024. The fact is as follows: Many artists submit their artistic creations to HG. Many painters made HG’s portraits and presented to him. Similarly, a creative sculptor had created a sculpture of HG and presented to HG. This has unfortunately been described as ‘unveiling his own statue’,” the Raj Bhawan posted on social media. The development, however, sparked criticism in political circles with the ruling Trinamool Congress and Left parties criticising the Governor. Trinamool spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder described the act as “megalomania”. “Governor C.V. Anand Bose has inaugurated his own statue, which is something unheard of. He did it because he wanted some kind of publicity. But the point is, what is the next step? Will he garland his own statue? It’s a sign of a megalomania,” Mr. Majumdar said. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said that the act of the Governor was “disgraceful and unfortunate”. Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy said it was a “matter of shame”. This is not the first time that the Governor has found himself at the centre of a controversy. During the Lok Sabha election, Mr. Bose was accused by the Trinamool of running a “parallel electioneering system”. Earlier this year, a female employee of Raj Bhawan had accused the Governor of “sexual harassment” and had lodged a complaint with the Kolkata Police. Since the Governor enjoys constitutional protection with respect to criminal charges, the matter could not be taken up by the police. The Governor and the Chief Minister have also been at loggerheads with the former approaching the Calcutta High Court alleging defamation by the Chief Minister. Published - November 24, 2024 09:22 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit West BengalFormer Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant sold to Lucknow Super Giants for a massive price of Rs 27 crore, the highest ever bid in the history of the tournament in the IPL 2025 Auction at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah on Sunday. Published: November 24, 2024 9:21 PM IST By Edited by Former Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant sold to Lucknow Super Giants for a massive price of Rs 27 crore, the highest ever bid in the history of the tournament in the IPL 2025 Auction at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah on Sunday. A video has been shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by the Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals, thanking their star wicketkeeper batter by bidding a farewell post, the video has rapidly gone viral. Shukriya, Rishabh 💙❤️ — Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) Rishabh Pant, who captained Delhi Capitals in three seasons, was released from the squad ahead of the mega auction as the side retained four players -Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abhishek Porel. The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman has played 111 IPL games in his career and scored 3284 runs with 18 half-centuries and one century to his name. Pant’s bid surpassed former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 winning captain Shreyas Iyer who was sold to Punjab Kings for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore earlier in the day. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on . Topics

As U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher looked ahead to the next Women’s World Cup in 2027, she calculated what that would look like at her age. Now 36, she already has a World Cup title and won an Olympic gold medal this year in France. She considered the mental, physical and emotional toll of a new cycle and decided it was time to step away. “Honestly, I think I’ve been somebody that has given everything I’ve had to this team. I don’t do anything halfway. It’s kind of, if you can give 100% to it, then keep going,” she said. “With that in mind, I kind of just felt like this was the right time coming off of the Olympics, having the year that we had, entering into a new cycle, a new stage for this team.” Naeher is the latest veteran to announce she’s stepping down from the national team as the next generation takes over under coach Emma Hayes. Among those who have wrapped up their soccer careers in the past couple of years include World Cup winners Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara and Ali Krieger. Naeher will be with the team for two more matches in the coming week. The Americans play England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday and then the Netherlands in The Hague on Tuesday. While she’s leaving the national team, she’ll play one more year for her club team, the Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League. Naeher said she’s excited about the next generation of goalkeepers. In addition to Naeher, Mandy Haught of the NWSL’s Utah Royals and Phallon Tullis-Joyce of the Women’s Super League’s Manchester United are on the roster for the upcoming matches. Other goalkeepers who have been on recent rosters include Casey Murphy and Jane Campbell. “I think the beauty of goalkeeping is that it’s not really a one-size-fits-all kind of position,” she said. “The more that you can understand — that’s going to be the challenge any young goalkeeper coming up, is really taking the time to understand what your strengths are and make them really, really elite and separate yourself.” Naeher spoke on Wednesday from London after announcing her retirement on social media Monday. Naeher made her senior debut with the national team in 2014 and was a backup to Hope Solo at the 2015 World Cup, which the United States won. She became the team’s regular starter following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was on the squad that repeated as World Cup winners in 2019. Naeher won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 before the U.S. earned gold this year in Paris. She made a key one-handed save in stoppage time to preserve the Americans’ 1-0 victory over Brazil in the Olympic final. For her career, Naeher has appeared 113 games with 110 starts, 88 wins and 68 shutouts. She had four shutouts over the course of the Olympic tournament in France. “I hope that I can be remembered as a good teammate, as a competitor, as somebody that was looked on as someone that could be relied upon on the field and supported those players around me,” she said. “I think it’s just been a really special team to be a part of. And I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the years.”