Box Office: 'Tomorrowland' Narrowly Beats 'Pitch Perfect 2' in Disappointing Debut

by Pamela McClintock, Rebecca Ford

Brad Bird’s tentpole Tomorrowland has narrowly pulled ahead of blockbuster Pitch Perfect 2 at the Memorial Day box office with an estimated three-day debut of $32.2 million, putting its four-day domestic launch at a disappointing $40.7 million for powerhouse Disney.

The race won’t officially be called until Monday when final estimates are released for the long holiday weekend. Overall, Memorial Day revenue is expected to be down nearly 18 percent from last year, when X-Men: Days of Future Past opened to $90.8 million.

Tomorrowland came in behind expectations in North America, and will need strong word of mouth to end up in the black, considering the live-action fantasy adventure cost $180 million to produce. Perhaps even more problematic, it was soft overseas, opening to $26.7 million from 65 markets.

In the film, George Clooney stars as an inventor who takes along a spirited teen (Britt Robertson) to an alternate world called Tomorrowland. The movie, an ode to Walt Disney’s hopes for creating a utopian society, also stars Hugh Laurie. Bird co-wrote the script with Damon Lindelof.

Heading into the long holiday weekend, most expected Tomorrowlandto gross between $45 million and $50 million for the four days domestically, giving it a wide lead over box office sensation Pitch Perfect 2, now in its second weekend.

Instead, Pitch Perfect 2 continued to sing in perfect tune, thanks to its ardent female fan base. On Friday, it even looked like Universal’s sequel could end up beating Tomorrowland, but Tomorrowland gained traction on Saturday.

Pitch Perfect 2 earned an estimated $30.3 million for the three days, putting its four-day domestic gross at a projected $37.9 million. Overseas, the sequel earned another $15.2 million from 37 markets for a dazzling foreign total of $61.7 million and worldwide haul of $187 million through Monday (that includes just north of $125 million in North America).

After Tomorrowland, the other new Memorial Day offering is MGM and Fox 2000’s Poltergeist, which posted a three-day gross of $23 million for an estimated $27.7 million four-day opening, putting it at No. 4 just behind holdover Mad Max: Fury Road.

Poltergeist, directed by by Gil Kenan and produced by Sam Raimi, is a solid hit for MGM and Fox 2000, coming in ahead of expectations. The remake of the 1982 cult classic stars Sam Rockwell,Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris and Jane Adams.

In its second weekend, George Miller’s Fury Road grossed $23.7 million for the three days, putting its projected four-day take at roughly $30 million. Through Monday, the critically acclaimed tenptole will have earned north of $90 million in North America for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures.

24yr old accountant murdered by ritualists in Port Harcourt

24 year old Anita Oluchi Okore, a graduate of Banking and Finance from Abia state University (pictured above) was murdered a few weeks ago in Port Harcourt by men believed to be ritualists. According to a family member, Anita, who is based in Ebonyi, had gone to see her older sister in Port Harcourt when she unfortunately ran into these men. Anita had called her dad to tell him she was about to enter a bus that will take her from the park to her sister's house. She later called her dad, informing him that she was the only woman in the bus with three men and they were taking her somewhere other than her destination. Her father said he asked to speak with the men which he did and pleaded with them to free his daughter but all his plea fell on deaf ears as the men told him that they were not looking for a ransom and returned the phone back to his daughter. That was the last anyone heard from Anita...

Many weeks later, investigations by the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), in Port Harcourt and the police, using Anita's call log, led to the arrest of the three men in a hotel where they were lavishing N1.5 million paid by their clients for the body parts of Anita. They led the investigating team to the dump site where they kept the body Anita with her vital body organs cut off.

She was buried on Thursday, May 7th, 2015, in Eziobasi, Amodu Ututu, in Arochukwu LGA of Abia State, after a funeral service held at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Umule Parish, Aba.

Ghastly accident in Lagos this morning

 

A ghastly accident occurred along Estate bus stop in Yaba, Lagos this morning. Thankfully, no one died. Another photo after the cut...

Nigerian senator-elect wanted for US drug deal arrested (Kashamu's supporters stage protest at Federal High Court)

Nigeria Elections US Fugitive

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian drug agents on Saturday arrested a senator-elect wanted by the United States in a nearly 20-year-old heroin deal that was allegedly the basis for the TV hit "Orange Is The New Black."

Buruji Kashamu is under house arrest at his Lagos home, spokesman Ofoyeju Mitchell of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency told The Associated Press. He said Kashamu, 56, will appear in court Monday to start extradition proceedings to the United States.

Kashamu had already been suing a Nigerian court to prevent attempts to extradite him.

Kashamu had become a powerful politician and financier of President Goodluck Jonathan's party. Jonathan and his party both lost in the March election but Kashamu was elected a senator in balloting opponents said was rigged.

Kashamu has said the 1998 indictment by a grand jury in Chicago for conspiracy to import and distribute heroin in the U.S. is a case of mistaken identity. He said prosecutors really want the dead brother he closely resembles.

His lawyers called Saturday's house arrest a political conspiracy.

"This latest onslaught is a confirmation of the alleged plot to illegally abduct him in spite of the pending suit against this illegality," Kashamu spokesman Austin Oniyokor said.

At the time of his lawsuit, the United States had not filed an extradition request. It was not clear when one was filed, but Mitchell said that was the reason for Saturday's action.

The move comes days before Jonathan is to step down and President-elect Muhammadu Buhari takes office on Friday.

A previous request to extradite Kashamu from Britain failed in 2003. Kashamu spent five years in a British jail before he was freed over uncertainty about his identity. He was carrying $230,000 when he was arrested there.

A dozen people long ago pleaded guilty in the case, including American Piper Kerman, whose memoir was adapted for the Netflix hit "Orange Is The New Black." Kerman's book never identified Kashamu by name, only citing a West African drug kingpin.

Kashamu's supporters stage protest at Federal High Court

Supporters of embattled Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu staged a peaceful protest at the Federal High Court Lagos this morning over the proposed extradition of the businessman following alleged drug charges in the US. Another photo after the cut...

Video Premier : #OLUWA - @kefchild

download oluwa video

What will you remember 2015 for?
endless fuel cues, no light,Elections? Champions league? Don't think too hard. Watch the brand new music video #Oluwa and your answer to the question will be one name: KEFCHILD, Olobayo Babatunde popularly known as kefchild is arguably as they usually say the next "new kid on the block" with his debut single "OLUWA" which has caught the heart of many with the melodious positive vibes and prayers in the song.  kefchild is from a royal family in kogi state and a graduate of sociology from the prestigious igbinedion university no doubt he is a combination of brain, royalty and talent.started proffesional music 2008,as he navigates to get to the fore front of the highly competitive nigeria music industry with the help of his personal label painkilla in collaboration with DCT records, chaperon group Abuja and friends like jaywon, here is oluwa the video, a song produced by his talented producer "professor" and shot by the rich and famous frizzl and bizzle films. Watch and you will agree with me that kefchild is definitely the next new kid on the block.

9JA ZONE On-line Radio (International radio program for Nigerians in the Diaspora to be launched Today)

With a population of over 170 million inhabitants and over 17 million in the Diaspora Nigeria is currently one of the fastest growing country in the world.

Over the years, most Nigerians in the Diaspora have been Left with little or no assistant to sustain them. So to make the voices of the over 17 million Nigerians in the Diaspora to be heard as well making them  have the feel of been at home away from home, Nitv multimedia in collaboration with Prestige Royal International will be launching an international radio program 9ja Zone on www.radiomidas.com on Saturday may 23 from 18GMT- 21GMT live.

The Program which is meant to be the voice of Nigerians in the Diaspora will include News updates, Topical Discussion and highlights of activities by Nigerians in the Diaspora as well as entertainment.

The program will be streaming live every Saturday from 18GMT - 21GMT from the studio's of radiomidas.com in Accra Ghana.

 in the the diaspora let your voice be heard.

Follow us on

Facebook: 9ja zone

Twitter: @9ja zone15 The program will be hosted by Kelvinfnk A broadcast journalist and an actor from Delta state Nigeria, and co presented by Emeka a Journalist also from Delta state Nigeria, aswell as Moon and Sandra  All Nigerians living in Ghana.

So if you are a Nigerian

Email: 9jazone@gmail.com

Watch #Oluwa - kefchild the making of the video

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rkc37bi6giwgujv/VID-20150522-WA000.mp4?dl=0   making of the video oluwa

Prisoners who escaped during Ekiti jail break re-arrested for armed robbery

Two criminals, Banji Adedayo(40) and Tope Daramola (45) who escaped prison during the Ekiti-state jail break in December 2014 have been re-arrested by the Ondo state police command for armed robbery. Parading the men alongside other criminals before newsmen today, the Ondo state police Commissioner, Isaac Eke, said the suspects, after escaping from prison, joined a five man armed robbery gang that have been terrorizing Akure since March this year. See more photos after the cut..

They were apprehended after they robbed one Mr. Remidayo Komolafe of his Toyota Sienna Bus with Reg. No. KJA 790 CH, valued at N1.6 million on Ondo Road in Akure. They also forcefully collected five mobile phones from the victim, valued at N200,000 as well as other possessions. “Upon police interrogation [the men] confessed to the crime and other robbery cases, including an Ekiti State bank robbery, and both were inmates who escaped from Ekiti jailbreak,” he said.

Also paraded are criminals who committed other crimes.

41 Black Axe,Nosman & Judas Confraternity Cultists Arrested For Edo Killings, Pics Of Nigerians With RIP Seized

41 Black Axe,Nosman & Judas Confraternity Cult Members Arrested In Benin Edo For Killing 10, Pictures Of Nigerians With RIP Seized By PolicePolice officials in Edo state have arrested 41 deadly cultists causing waves of bloodshed in Edo state.According to police report, 30 of the cultists are students of Auchi Polytechnic University who were behind the destruction of properties and the killing of members of the public.

11 of them are leaders of Black Axe, Nosman and Judas Confraternities.

This is what Edo State Police Spokesman, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu said in connection to the arrest today in Benin.

“This afternoon, I am presenting before you some persons suspected to have played ignoble roles in acts of terror, and vicious inter and intra-cult conflicts that have led to loss of lives and destruction of property in Edo State,”

“The suspects who are leaders of cult confraternities are being interrogated for their conspiratorial involvement in the murder of ten Nigerians.”

Mr Ojukwu also told our reporters that several pictures of Nigerians with ‘RIP’ inscription over their faces were seized from the cult members.

University graduate arrested for armed robbery in Enugu

Anidi Reginald pictured above, a 27 year old Computer Science graduate from a University in Cotonou has been arrested by men of the Enugu state police command for working with other members of an armed robbery gang to snatch a car from their victim at Ozalla, in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu state on Saturday May 16th.

Punch reports that the robbers had attacked and snatched a Honda Pilot car, with registration number AAA 598 CH from its owner and were heading for Enugu metropolis when the police was alerted about the robbery incident and a hot pursuit ensued. The robbers and the police engaged in a gun battle which led to the arrest of Enugu born Anidi while his other members escaped.

While confirming the incident, the Enugu state Police Public Relations Officer  Ebere Amaraizu, said items recovered from the robbers includes an automatic pump action gun, one cut-to-size English-made single barrel gun, and cartridges. 

When interrogated, Anidi said unemployment made him go into armed robbery.

Man accuses female politician of trying to use a little boy for ritual, shares shocking photos

Oh my God! Found this on Facebook. This man is accusing this female politician of attempting to use a little boy for ritual to further her political career. Don't know how authentic this is but the pictures are painful to look at. Anyone know this woman? See the rest of the Facebook convo after the cut

Tyga Impregnates Kylie Jenner

 

Found this hilarious story on MediaTakeOut, courtesy of OK magazine.Read below...

You knew it was going to happen . . . Kris Jenner leaked a story to her favorite gossip weekly OK magazine. Kylie is pregnant. Here is what they're reporting:

Kylie lost her virginity to her 25 year old rapper boyfreind Tyga. "Now", the source says, "we're hearing she's expecting a baby with him too. It's insane."

We can confirm that Kris Janner has leaked dozens of stories to OK Magazine. And this story has got Kris' fingerprints all over it!

Like Kylie will be stupid enough to get pregnant at 17. #Rollseyes

Maheeda goes topless in new pics Again

Maheeda at it again. For some crazy reasons, we just wont get enough of her :D.I’m sure many of you are tired of seeing her body parts. But if you’re not, check below it after the cut…

This comes few weeks after she a disturbing sexy photo on Instagram and said she was showing off her ‘birth mark’.