Entertainment
Freddie Mercury Bangle Sets 1st Record For Rock Star Jewelry In Auction Of His Prized Possessions
LONDON, England – Freddie Mercury’s beloved piano, which he used to compose ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and other Queen classics, sold for more than $2 million Wednesday in a record-breaking auction of the late singer’s colorful stage attire, fine art and original lyrics.
Items associated with the band’s most enduring hit, the operatic “Rhapsody,” fetched a premium, with hand-written lyrics to the song fetching around 1.4 million pounds ($1.7 million) and a gold Cartier brooch reading “Queen number 1” given to each band member by their manager after the song topped the charts fetching 165,000 pounds ($208,000).
Sotheby’s claimed a Victorian-style silver snake bangle Mercury wore with an ivory satin catsuit in a video for the song established a record for the highest sum ever paid at auction for a piece of jewelry owned by a rock singer.
The bracelet sold for 698,500 pounds ($881,000), more than a hundred times its anticipated low price. According to Sotheby’s, the piece broke the record set by John Lennon’s leather and bead talisman, which sold for 295,000 pounds ($368,000) in 2008.
Mercury amassed a varied collection of things after Queen’s glam-rock delivered an avalanche of hits that allowed the singer to realize his fantasy of living a Victorian existence “surrounded by exquisite clutter.”
More than 1,400 items are being auctioned by Mercury’s close friend, Mary Austin, to whom he left his house and all of its contents when he died of AIDS-related pneumonia at 45 in 1991.
Freddie Mercury’s beloved piano, which he used to compose ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and other Queen classics, sold for more than $2 million Wednesday.
“Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?” Mercury wrote. in “Rhapsody,” and the answer from well-heeled admirers appeared to be “No,” as they bid fortunes — huge — to have a piece of the late singer’s attire, accolades, and original hand-written draughts to hits like “Killer Queen” and “We Are the Champions.”
Depending on how you look at it, Sotheby’s, Austin, or a few charities she’s agreed to donate an undisclosed amount of the revenues were the night’s winners.
Or it could have been the buyers of one-of-a-kind collectibles who took home the prize. One man lifted his hands above his head in triumph and hugged the woman sat next to him after winning the rhinestone-studded crown and red fake fur cloak Mercury wore on stage at the end of Queen’s final tour in 1986 for 635,000 pounds ($801,500), including a buyer’s premium.
The auction began with the sale of the graffiti-tagged door to Mercury’s garden, which immediately blew over the high estimate of 25,000 pounds ($31,250) estimated before the sale and sparked a 15-minute bidding war.
The emerald door, covered in hand-painted love messages from fans who pilgrimage to the house in London’s affluent Kensington district, sold for an eye-popping 412,750 pounds ($521,000), including a buyer’s premium.
The earnings from selling a Cartier onyx and diamond ring presented to Mercury by Elton John for 273,000 pounds ($344,000) were to benefit the “Rocket Man” singer’s AIDS charity.
Freddie Mercury’s beloved piano, which he used to compose ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and other Queen classics, sold for more than $2 million Wednesday.
Prints by Pablo Picasso (190,500 pounds; $240,000), Salvador Dal (48,260 pounds; $60,900), and Marc Chagall (63,500 pounds; $80,000) were among the objects sold at auction, as were antique furniture and countless cat figurines.
Fans of Mercury who couldn’t afford those prices — or wanted to admire his high-top Adidas, diamond brooches, or sequined jacket — could view them for free in Sotheby’s galleries over the last month. Over 140,000 guests worldwide waited in queue outside the exquisite auction house to have a tour.
The publicity surrounding “Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own” boosted bidding for online auctions that began last month and will conclude next week.
Even things that appeared out of reach for some purchasers outperformed pre-sale projections for online items.
On Wednesday, a collection of chopsticks that were previously projected to bring 40-60 British pounds had a current offer of 1,200 ($1,500).
Freddie Mercury’s beloved piano, which he used to compose ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and other Queen classics, sold for more than $2 million Wednesday.
One of the more unusual objects, a silver mustache comb by Tiffany & Co, projected to fetch 400 to 600 pounds ($500—750), had a bid of 35,000 pounds ($43,750).
The Yamaha baby grand piano on which Mercury penned some of his best hits was expected to fetch up to 3 million pounds ($3.75 million) but instead sold for 1.7 million pounds ($2.2 million). Sotheby’s claimed it was the highest sum ever paid for a composer’s piano, but information on the previous record needed to be provided.
Fans also appreciated Mercury’s original lyrics to “Somebody to Love” (241,000 pounds; $304,000), as well as “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “We Are the Champions,” which both sold for the same final price: 317,500 pounds; $400,700.
The early versions of the songs were shown in the draughts, including “Bohemian Rhapsody” scrawled on stationery from the defunct British Midland Airways. The song’s title was changed from “Mongolian Rhapsody” to “Mongolian Rhapsody.”
The song concludes, “Nothing really matters to me,” a sentence that did not apply to Mercury’s numerous belongings.
SOURCE – (AP)
(VOR News) – The “Merc with a Mouth” will return to the big screen in Deadpool & Wolverine this weekend, and his contribution to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe extends beyond his R rating.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” the third standalone feature film featuring Ryan Reynolds as the regenerative reprobate, is expected to gross between $160 million and $180 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.
The movie has already surpassed the greatest number of ticket pre-sales in 2024, according to data provided by Fandango. It is anticipated that it will break numerous records during its opening weekend.
Most noteworthy among these accomplishments is the most successful premiere for an R-rated film in history, as well as the largest domestic opening of 2024.
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has achieved the highest opening of the year with a total of $154.2 million, as per the data provided by Comscore.
Additionally, the first “Deadpool” film has achieved the highest début for any R-rated feature film with a total of $132.4 million.
Mike Bowers, the president and CEO of Harkins Theatres, a theatre corporation located in Arizona, stated, “I am confident that this will be the largest R-rated film to ever be released if it is released.” Furthermore, it is already one of the most successful presale films in the annals of our company.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” was initially rated R because of its trailer.
It is also the 34th Deadpool & Wolverine film to be released under the Marvel Cinematic Universe banner. The two Deadpool films that preceded it, both of which were rated R, were produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox.
The reintroduction of the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the broader Marvel catalogue was the consequence of Disney’s acquisition of the corporation in 2019.
Similar to other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is benefiting from the enthusiasm of its audience.
Audiences are anxious to view the film during its opening weekend in order to prevent spoilers. Disney has maintained the confidentiality of the majority of the film’s content, and only a limited number of press screenings have been conducted prior to the film’s release.
Bowers anticipates that individuals will continue to return for additional viewings in the weeks following the film’s premiere.
He made the observation that “this is a film that there is so much happening, so many jokes and funny sequences that no one is going to be able to eat just one, you know, they’re going to be back.”
Ellis Jacob, the president and chief executive officer of Cineplex, the largest cinema theatre operator in Canada, echoed Bower’s viewpoint. Jacob asserted that “Deadpool & Wolverine” is replete with Easter eggs and that viewers will revisit the film to attempt to locate them all.
Furthermore, he stated that a substantial number of moviegoers are purchasing tickets for premium screenings, such as IMAX, Dolby, and ScreenX, which are more expensive.
Additionally, Marvel has collaborated with movie theatres to grant licenses for items such as collector popcorn tubs and drink containers, which the theatre operators anticipate will be in high demand.
Historically, concessions have been the most profitable revenue source for movie theatres, and the presence of limited-edition products can result in even greater sales of food and beverages.
” Deadpool & Wolverine” is an essential Marvel release.
Shawn Robbins, Deadpool & Wolverine the inventor and owner of Box Office Theory, announced that Disney had “slowed down the pace” and had scheduled fewer films in the series that has dominated the global box office for over a decade. Box Office Theory is also associated with Robbins.
He stated that Disney is making an effort to correct the course after a series of theatrical errors and poor box office performance, as well as a flood of streaming content that overwhelmed even the most devoted fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Robbins pointed out that “in the end, despite the fact that this is a Marvel movie, it may be viewed equally as a midsummer action comedy that stars personalities and brands that are loved by both die-hard fans and casual viewers.”
The fact that Reynolds and Jackman have both made a name for themselves in Deadpool & Wolverine popular culture and have maintained a cordial relationship through interviews and social media makes them an ideal pairing.
Likewise, there is genuine curiosity regarding the first R-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and whether it will retain the qualities that made the first two Deadpool films and [Jackman’s 2017 Wolverine film] Logan so successful.
SOURCE: CNBC
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Turner Sports hopes to continue its long-standing relationship with the NBA.
On Monday, Warner Bros. Discovery informed the league that it will match Amazon Prime Video’s $1.8 billion annual bid. Turner has had an NBA package since 1984, and games have been broadcast on TNT since the network started in 1988.
“We studied the offers and accepted one of them. This will allow fans to continue to experience our unequaled coverage, including the greatest live game productions in the business and our legendary studio shows and talent, as we build on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years,” WBD stated. “We submitted our matching paperwork to the league today.” We are looking forward to the NBA completing our new contract.”
Warner Bros. Discovery Informs NBA It Will Match Amazon Prime Video’s Offer To Carry Games
The NBA Board of Governors approved the league’s 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday at its meeting in Las Vegas. WBD received all three contracts on Wednesday, beginning the five-day clock for deciding whether to match.
The new deals, for $76 billion, will begin with the 2025-26 season and entail a game being shown or streamed nationally every night during the second half of the season.
The Prime Video package would have offered games on Thursday night after it finished carrying NFL games. The other nights were Friday and Saturday.
TNT would air games on Thursday, with the other nights being streamed on Max.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav warned at an RBC Investor Conference in November 2022 that Turner and WBD “don’t have to have the NBA.”
Warner Bros. Discovery and the league could not negotiate an agreement during their exclusive bargaining period, which ended in April. Zaslav and TNT Sports Chairman/CEO Luis Silberwasser have recently announced that they intend to match one of the agreements.
“During our four-decade collaboration with the NBA, we have consistently provided exceptional coverage for basketball fans. WBD stated that they behaved in good faith to offer strong proposals that were fair to both parties throughout exclusive and non-exclusive negotiations to maintain their long-standing collaboration. “Regrettably, the league notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part of our current agreement and the rights we have paid for under it.”
NBC and WBD would alternate broadcasting one of the conference finals series. ESPN and ABC will continue to broadcast the league’s top package and will host conference finals and the NBA Finals each year.
According to people familiar with the negotiations, Amazon’s offer contained a mechanism for paying many years in advance into an escrow account, which many thought would be difficult to match. However, WBD has informed the league that it has the financial resources to do so.
“The Ringer’s” Bill Simmons originally mentioned the Amazon provision on “The Town” podcast.
People talked to the AP anonymously because they were not at liberty to discuss such serious topics.
Warner Bros. Discovery Informs NBA It Will Match Amazon Prime Video’s Offer To Carry Games
WBD pays $1.4 billion per season under the existing nine-year contract, which expires after next season.
WBD is making a large financial investment, but it is necessary. Without the NBA, it would have struggled to charge its present subscriber fees to cable and satellite companies.
Retaining the NBA would also ensure that the popular “Inside the NBA” show will continue. Charles Barkley was dismissive of WBD’s negotiation position and did not believe it would match. Barkley revealed at the end of this season that he planned to retire following the next season.
SOURCE – (AP)
Celebrity
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
BERLIN — An American man who made threats against Taylor Swift on social media was seized before her first concert in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and will be held in custody until her gigs there end, authorities said Thursday.
swift | AP news Image
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
According to police, the accused stalker, a 34-year-old whose name has not been disclosed, had a ticket to Taylor’s concert at Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins-Arena on Wednesday. They stated that he was detained at event admission checks because an early assessment could not completely rule out a risk.
According to police, the man threatened Taylor and her partner on social media. They say he was detained after receiving tips from the event’s organizers.
The American superstar will perform in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as part of her Eras tour. According to authorities, a local court has ordered that the suspected stalker be detained until Saturday.
They went on to say that Swift and the audience were always safe. The event drew approximately 60,000 people on Wednesday evening and went off without incident.
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
Before the concerts, Gelsenkirchen temporarily renamed the town “Swiftkirchen” and honored the singer on a “Walk of Fame” dedicated to local luminaries.
Taylor has plans to perform in two more German cities after Gelsenkirchen: Hamburg and Munich.
SOURCE | AP
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