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By Dawn Chmielewski Jan 4 (Reuters) – James Cameron's science-fiction fantasy "Avatar: Fire and Ash" has surpassed $1 billion in global box office proceeds, the director's fourth film to cross that threshold. The film, which returned audiences to the visually stunning planet of Pandora, has brought in $1.03 billion in worldwide ticket sales, Walt Disney Studios said on Sunday.  "Fire and Ash" is the third movie in the "Avatar" series, which has earned a combined $6.35 billion globally. The movie picks up where the second film, "Avatar: The Way of Water," left off — with characters Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) mourning the loss of a son.  "These movies consistently draw audiences to the movie theater," said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore head of marketplace trends, who noted that the visually stunning 3D films are "tailor made" for watching in theaters.  The first film in the franchise, “Avatar,” which opened in 2009 and brought in $2.9 billion in ticket sales worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing movie ever in absolute dollars, according to Comscore, although it's behind the 1939 classic "Gone With the Wind" if box office returns are adjusted for inflation and average ticket prices over the decades.  Thirteen years later, in 2022, “Avatar: The Way of Water” opened, grossed more than $2.3 billion globally and won an Oscar for best achievement in visual effects. The latest installment, released in time for the holiday season, racked up $306 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $777.1 million internationally, Disney reported. Cameron's first billion-dollar blockbuster was "Titanic," released in 1997, which has brought in nearly $2.3 billion, worldwide. (Reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Sergio Non and Nick Zieminski)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Dawn Chmielewski Jan 4 (Reuters) – James Cameron's science-fiction fantasy "Avatar: Fire and Ash" has surpassed $1 billion in global box office proceeds, the director's fourth film to cross that threshold. The film, which returned audiences to the visually stunning planet of Pandora, has brought in $1.03 billion in worldwide ticket sales, Walt Disney Studios said on Sunday.  "Fire and Ash" is the third movie in the "Avatar" series, which has earned a combined $6.35 billion globally. The movie picks up where the second film, "Avatar: The Way of Water," left off — with Jake and Neytiri mourning the loss of a son.  The first film in the franchise, “Avatar,” which opened in 2009 and brought in $2.9 billion in ticket sales worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing movie ever in absolute dollars, according to Comscore, although it's behind the 1939 classic "Gone With the Wind" if box office returns are adjusted for inflation and average ticket prices over the decades.  Thirteen years later, in 2022, “Avatar: The Way of Water” opened, grossed more than $2.3 billion globally and won an Oscar for best achievement in visual effects. The latest installment, released in time for the holiday season, racked up $306 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $777.1 million internationally, Disney reported. Cameron's first billion-dollar blockbuster was "Titanic," released in 1997, which has brought in nearly $2.3 billion, worldwide. (Reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Sergio Non and Nick Zieminski)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Dawn Chmielewski Jan 4 (Reuters) – James Cameron's science-fiction fantasy "Avatar: Fire and Ash" has surpassed $1 billion in global box office proceeds, the director's fourth film to cross that threshold. The film, which returned audiences to the visually stunning planet of Pandora, has brought in $1.03 billion in worldwide ticket sales, Walt Disney Studios said on Sunday.  "Fire and Ash" is the third movie in the "Avatar" series, which has earned a combined $6.35 billion globally. The movie picks up where the second film, "Avatar: The Way of Water," left off — with Jake and Neytiri mourning the loss of a son.  The first film in the franchise, “Avatar,” which opened in 2009 and brought in $2.9 billion in ticket sales worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing movie ever in absolute dollars, according to Comscore, although it's behind the 1939 classic "Gone With the Wind" if box office returns are adjusted for inflation and average ticket prices over the decades.  Thirteen years later, in 2022, “Avatar: The Way of Water” opened, grossed more than $2.3 billion globally and won an Oscar for best achievement in visual effects. The latest installment, released in time for the holiday season, racked up $306 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $777.1 million internationally, Disney reported. Cameron's first billion-dollar blockbuster was "Titanic," released in 1997, which has brought in nearly $2.3 billion, worldwide. (Reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Sergio Non and Nick Zieminski)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Jan 4 (Reuters) – Walt Disney Studios said on Sunday that Director James Cameron's "Avatar: Fire and Ash" surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, becoming the third film in the franchise to reach the milestone. (Reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel Jan 2 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the 2022 Tom Cruise blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick" did not infringe a magazine article that inspired the original 1986 "Top Gun" film. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California said "Maverick," from Paramount Pictures, was not substantially similar to "Top Guns," a 1983 article by Ehud Yonay about the U.S. Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot training school in San Diego.  Yonay gave Paramount rights to his article that year for the original "Top Gun," and was credited in the film. His widow Shosh Yonay and son Yuval Yonay, heirs to his copyright, terminated the license in 2020 and said they deserved some profits from "Maverick," whose $1.5 billion worldwide gross is the 14th highest ever according to Box Office Mojo. "Maverick" is also Cruise's highest-grossing film. Lawyers for the Yonays did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paramount, part of Paramount Skydance, said it was pleased that the appeals court "recognized that plaintiffs' claims were completely without merit." The Yonays, both from Israel, said "Maverick" shared plot, character, dialogue and thematic elements with "Top Guns," with both works depicting "what it takes to be the best of the best in fighter aviation." The three-judge appeals court panel said "Maverick" contained many significant plot elements not in "Top Guns," including a romantic subplot and Cruise's character, Navy Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, returning to train younger pilots. It also said the Yonays described both works at "such a high level of abstraction" that the alleged similarities were not protectable. "Their claim of substantial similarity fails because what is protected is not similar, and what is similar is not protected," Circuit Judge Eric Miller wrote. The panel added that Paramount was not required to credit Ehud Yonay in "Maverick" because his 1983 agreement did not cover the film. Friday's decision upheld an April 2024 dismissal by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles. Paramount is also defending against a lawsuit in New York by screenwriter Shaun Gray, who said he wrote several scenes that appeared in "Maverick" and deserves some of its profits. Jury selection is scheduled for March 9. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Matthew Lewis)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel Jan 2 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the 2022 Tom Cruise blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick" did not infringe a magazine article that inspired the original 1986 "Top Gun" film. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California said "Maverick," from Paramount Pictures, was not substantially similar to "Top Guns," a 1983 article by Ehud Yonay about the U.S. Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot training school in San Diego.  Yonay gave Paramount rights to his article that year for the original "Top Gun," and was credited in the film. His widow Shosh Yonay and son Yuval Yonay, heirs to his copyright, terminated the license in 2020 and said they deserved some profits from "Maverick," whose $1.5 billion worldwide gross is the 14th highest ever according to Box Office Mojo. "Maverick" is also Cruise's highest-grossing film. Lawyers for the Yonays did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paramount, part of Paramount Skydance, said it was pleased that the appeals court "recognized that plaintiffs' claims were completely without merit." The Yonays, both from Israel, said "Maverick" shared plot, character, dialogue and thematic elements with "Top Guns," with both works depicting "what it takes to be the best of the best in fighter aviation." The three-judge appeals court panel said "Maverick" contained many significant plot elements not in "Top Guns," including a romantic subplot and Cruise's character, Navy Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, returning to train younger pilots. It also said the Yonays described both works at "such a high level of abstraction" that the alleged similarities were not protectable. "Their claim of substantial similarity fails because what is protected is not similar, and what is similar is not protected," Circuit Judge Eric Miller wrote. The panel added that Paramount was not required to credit Ehud Yonay in "Maverick" because his 1983 agreement did not cover the film. Friday's decision upheld an April 2024 dismissal by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles. Paramount is also defending against a lawsuit in New York by screenwriter Shaun Gray, who said he wrote several scenes that appeared in "Maverick" and deserves some of its profits. Jury selection is scheduled for March 9. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel Jan 2 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the 2022 Tom Cruise blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick" did not infringe a magazine article that inspired the original 1986 "Top Gun" film. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California said "Maverick," from Paramount Pictures, was not substantially similar to "Top Guns," a 1983 article by Ehud Yonay about the U.S. Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot training school in San Diego.  Yonay gave Paramount rights to his article that year for the original "Top Gun," and was credited in the film. His widow Shosh Yonay and son Yuval Yonay, heirs to his copyright, terminated the license in 2020 and said they deserved some profits from "Maverick," whose $1.5 billion worldwide gross is the 14th highest ever according to Box Office Mojo. "Maverick" is also Cruise's highest-grossing film. Lawyers for the Yonays did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paramount, part of Paramount Skydance, and its lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests. The Yonays, both from Israel, said "Maverick" shared plot, character, dialogue and thematic elements with "Top Guns," with both works depicting "what it takes to be the best of the best in fighter aviation." The three-judge appeals court panel said "Maverick" contained many significant plot elements not in "Top Guns," including a romantic subplot and Cruise's character, Navy Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, returning to train younger pilots. It also said the Yonays described both works at "such a high level of abstraction" that the alleged similarities were not protectable. "Their claim of substantial similarity fails because what is protected is not similar, and what is similar is not protected," Circuit Judge Eric Miller wrote. The panel added that Paramount was not required to credit Ehud Yonay in "Maverick" because his 1983 agreement did not cover the film. Friday's decision upheld an April 2024 dismissal by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles. Paramount is also defending against a lawsuit in New York by screenwriter Shaun Gray, who said he wrote several scenes that appeared in "Maverick" and deserves some of its profits. Jury selection is scheduled for March 9. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel Jan 2 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the 2022 Tom Cruise blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick" did not infringe a magazine article that inspired the original 1986 "Top Gun" film. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California said "Maverick," from Paramount Pictures, was not substantially similar to "Top Guns," a 1983 article by Ehud Yonay about the U.S. Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot training school in San Diego.  Yonay gave Paramount rights to his article that year for the original "Top Gun," and was credited in the film. His widow Shosh Yonay and son Yuval Yonay, heirs to his copyright, terminated the license in 2020 and said they deserved some profits from "Maverick," whose $1.5 billion worldwide gross is the 14th highest ever according to Box Office Mojo. "Maverick" is also Cruise's highest-grossing film. Lawyers for the Yonays did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paramount, part of Paramount Skydance, and its lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests. The Yonays, both from Israel, said "Maverick" shared plot, character, dialogue and thematic elements with "Top Guns," with both works depicting "what it takes to be the best of the best in fighter aviation." The three-judge appeals court panel said "Maverick" contained many significant plot elements not in "Top Guns," including a romantic subplot and Cruise's character, Navy Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, returning to train younger pilots. It also said the Yonays described both works at "such a high level of abstraction" that the alleged similarities were not protectable. "Their claim of substantial similarity fails because what is protected is not similar, and what is similar is not protected," Circuit Judge Eric Miller wrote. The panel added that Paramount was not required to credit Ehud Yonay in "Maverick" because his 1983 agreement did not cover the film. Friday's decision upheld an April 2024 dismissal by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles. Paramount is also defending against a lawsuit in New York by screenwriter Shaun Gray, who said he wrote several scenes that appeared in "Maverick" and deserves some of its profits. Jury selection is scheduled for March 9. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel Jan 2 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the 2022 Tom Cruise blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick" did not infringe a magazine article that inspired the original 1986 "Top Gun" film. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California said "Maverick," from Paramount Pictures, was not substantially similar to "Top Guns," a 1983 article by Ehud Yonay about the U.S. Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot training school in San Diego.  Yonay gave Paramount rights to his article that year for the original "Top Gun," and was credited in the film. His widow Shosh Yonay and son Yuval Yonay, heirs to his copyright, terminated the license in 2020 and said they deserved some profits from "Maverick," whose $1.5 billion worldwide gross is the 14th highest ever according to Box Office Mojo. "Maverick" is also Cruise's highest-grossing film. Lawyers for the Yonays did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paramount, part of Paramount Skydance, and its lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests. The Yonays, both from Israel, said "Maverick" shared plot, character, dialogue and thematic elements with "Top Guns," with both works depicting "what it takes to be the best of the best in fighter aviation." The three-judge appeals court panel said "Maverick" contained many significant plot elements not in "Top Guns," including a romantic subplot and Cruise's character, Navy Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, returning to train younger pilots. It also said the Yonays described both works at "such a high level of abstraction" that the alleged similarities were not protectable. "Their claim of substantial similarity fails because what is protected is not similar, and what is similar is not protected," Circuit Judge Eric Miller wrote. The panel added that Paramount was not required to credit Ehud Yonay in "Maverick" because his 1983 agreement did not cover the film. Friday's decision upheld an April 2024 dismissal by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles. Paramount is also defending against a lawsuit in New York by screenwriter Shaun Gray, who said he wrote several scenes that appeared in "Maverick" and deserves some of its profits. Jury selection is scheduled for March 9. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

MILAN, Jan 2 (Reuters) – Italian singer and songwriter Laura Pausini will be among the headline performers at the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, organisers said on Friday.  Pausini, one of Italy's most internationally acclaimed artists, is credited with helping to bring the country's music to a global audience. She has won a Grammy, five Latin Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar nomination during a career spanning more than three decades. The Milano Cortina Games opening ceremony will take place on February 6 at Milan's San Siro Stadium. Created and produced by Balich Wonder Studio, the event will feature performances by international artists like American pop superstar Mariah Carey alongside elements celebrating Italian culture and innovation.  Pausini "embodies the concept of Harmony", the central theme of the ceremony, and her music represents a meeting point between tradition and modernity, between Italian roots and an international outlook, organisers said in a statement. The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be staged across northern Italy, with events hosted in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo and other venues in Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige.  The Games will run from February 6 to 22. (Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)