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SAINT-TROPEZ, France, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Crowds gathered in the French Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday for the funeral of Brigitte Bardot, an icon of French cinema who died last month aged 91. Bardot's coffin, covered in mostly orange and yellow flowers, was carried into the town's Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church at the start of the funeral service, which was covered live by French news channels. Inside the church, a black and white picture of Bardot hugging a baby seal was on display, with the words "Merci Brigitte" (Thank you Brigitte). Outside, one man held a placard that read: "The animals thank Brigitte Bardot". Bardot shot to international fame in her early 20s in the film "And God Created Woman", her tousled hair and fierce energy radiating a sexual magnetism that defined liberated femininity in 1950s France. Later, she was a tireless crusader for animal rights while her political sympathies shifted to the far-right National Front. Incendiary remarks on immigration, Islam and homosexuality saw her convicted multiple times for inciting racial hatred. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen was among those attending Wednesday's funeral. Aurore Berge, Macron's minister for equality and a defender of animal rights, was there to represent the government. PRIVATE BURIAL "For me, Brigitte Bardot is France," said singer Mireille Mathieu, 79, who is to sing at the funeral. "She was the most beautiful woman in the world," Mathieu told reporters before walking into the church, praising "that freedom she (Bardot) had, that boldness to say what she thought." After the funeral Bardot is to be buried in strict privacy in a cemetery in the glitzy town where she lived for much of her later life behind high walls, surrounded by a menagerie of cats, dogs and horses. A tribute open to locals and fans will take place later at the Pre des Pecheurs area in the old town quarter called La Ponche, the historic centre of the former fishing village. Known affectionately as B.B. by many in France, Bardot's roles made her not just a sex symbol, but a pop culture icon and a touchstone for changing social attitudes. She became the first celebrity to model for a bust of Marianne, the traditional symbol of the French Republic that adorns French town halls. Bardot found celebrity life isolating and a distraction from life's simple pleasures. She made the last of her films in 1973 and left public life, devoting herself to animal welfare. Bardot had publicly endorsed the National Front's successive leaders, Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter Marine, whom she once referred to as "the Joan of Arc of the 21st century". Bardot told Le Monde in 2018 that she wished to be buried in a quiet corner of her garden. But the Var Prefecture said it never received any request for a private burial, which would have been needed to bury her in her garden. (Writing by Ingrid Melander and Richard Lough; Editing by Aidan Lewis)

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SAINT-TROPEZ, France, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Brigitte Bardot, an icon of French cinema who died last month aged 91, will be buried on Wednesday by the sea in the French Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez. Bardot's funeral will take place at 1000 GMT at Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church before she is buried in strict privacy in a cemetery in the glitzy town where she lived for much of her later life behind high walls, surrounded by a menagerie of cats, dogs and horses. A tribute open to locals and fans will take place at the Pre des Pecheurs area in the old town quarter called La Ponche, the historic centre of the former fishing village. Bardot shot to international fame in her early 20s in the film "And God Created Woman", her tousled hair and fierce energy radiating a sexual magnetism that defined liberated femininity in 1950s France. Known affectionately as B.B. by many in France, Bardot's roles made her not just a sex symbol, but a pop culture icon and a touchstone for changing social attitudes. She became the first celebrity to model for a bust of Marianne, the traditional symbol of the French Republic that adorns French town halls. However, Bardot found celebrity life isolating and a distraction from life's simple pleasures. She made the last of her films in 1973 and left public life, devoting herself to animal welfare. A tireless crusader for animal rights, Bardot's political sympathies shifted to the far-right National Front. Incendiary remarks on immigration, Islam and homosexuality saw her convicted multiple times for inciting racial hatred. She publicly endorsed the party's successive leaders, Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter Marine Le Pen, whom she once referred to as "the Joan of Arc of the 21st century". Marine Le Pen is expected to attend the funeral. Aurore Berge, Macron's minister for equality and a defender of animal rights, has been invited and will represent the government. Bardot told Le Monde in 2018 that she wished to be buried in a quiet corner of her garden. But the Var Prefecture said it never received any request for a private burial, which would have been needed to bury her in her garden. (Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Aidan 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 Cordelia Hsu SYDNEY, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Elvis Presley fans and tribute artists kicked off their annual journey to the Elvis Festival in the Australian regional town of Parkes on Wednesday. Enthusiasts, dressed in Elvis-style clothing, converged on Central Station in Sydney before embarking on a 357 km (222 miles) westward journey on the Elvis Express, a special train organised by the festival. The seven-hour railway trip features a continuous line-up of Elvis-themed entertainment, including tribute artists performing some of the King's greatest hits. "For the last two years I've been told how incredible this festival is … I made the conscious decision to come this year and I'm already thankful that I've come, one day in," said Louis Brown, an Elvis tribute artist who flew from the UK to attend the event.  Organisers of the Parkes Elvis Festival, which typically takes place during the second week of January every year, expect around 24,000 attendees – double the town's permanent population.   (Reporting by Cordelia Hsu in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Kate Mayberry)

(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 Cordelia Hsu SYDNEY, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Elvis Presley fans and tribute artists kicked off their annual journey to the Elvis Festival in the Australian regional town of Parkes on Wednesday. Enthusiasts, dressed in Elvis-style clothing, converged on Central Station in Sydney before embarking on a 357 km (222 miles) westward journey on the Elvis Express, a special train organised by the festival. The seven-hour railway trip features a continuous line-up of Elvis-themed entertainment, including tribute artists performing some of the King's greatest hits. "For the last two years I've been told how incredible this festival is … I made the conscious decision to come this year and I'm already thankful that I've come, one day in," said Louis Brown, an Elvis tribute artist who flew from the UK to attend the event.  Organisers of the Parkes Elvis Festival, which typically takes place during the second week of January every year, expect around 24,000 attendees – double the town's permanent population.   (Reporting by Cordelia Hsu in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Kate Mayberry)

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

SAINT-TROPEZ, France, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Brigitte Bardot, an icon of French cinema who died last month aged 91, will be buried on Wednesday by the sea in the French Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez. Bardot's funeral will take place at 1000 GMT at Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church before she is buried in strict privacy in a cemetery in the glitzy town where she lived for much of her later life behind high walls, surrounded by a menagerie of cats, dogs and horses. A tribute open to locals and fans will take place at the Pre des Pecheurs area in the old town quarter called La Ponche, the historic centre of the former fishing village. Bardot shot to international fame in her early 20s in the film "And God Created Woman", her tousled hair and fierce energy radiating a sexual magnetism that defined liberated femininity in 1950s France. Known affectionately as B.B. by many in France, Bardot's roles made her not just a sex symbol, but a pop culture icon and a touchstone for changing social attitudes. She became the first celebrity to model for a bust of Marianne, the traditional symbol of the French Republic that adorns French town halls. However, Bardot found celebrity life isolating and a distraction from life's simple pleasures. She made the last of her films in 1973 and left public life, devoting herself to animal welfare. A tireless crusader for animal rights, Bardot's political sympathies shifted to the far-right National Front. Incendiary remarks on immigration, Islam and homosexuality saw her convicted multiple times for inciting racial hatred. She publicly endorsed the party's successive leaders, Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter Marine Le Pen, whom she once referred to as "the Joan of Arc of the 21st century". Marine Le Pen is expected to attend the funeral. Aurore Berge, Macron's minister for equality and a defender of animal rights, has been invited and will represent the government. Bardot told Le Monde in 2018 that she wished to be buried in a quiet corner of her garden. But the Var Prefecture said it never received any request for a private burial, which would have been needed to bury her in her garden. (Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Aidan 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 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 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.)