Bush Gets No Respect From Chicks' Maines
NEW YORK - The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines apologized for disrespecting President Bush during a London concert in 2003. But now, she's taking it back. "I don't feel that way anymore," she told Time magazine for its issue hitting newsstands Monday. "I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."
As war in Iraq loomed, Maines told the London audience: "Just so you know, we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."
The remarks led to death threats and a backlash from other country stars, including a high-profile spat with Toby Keith. It also stalled what until then had been the group's smashingly successful career.
Bandmate Emily Robinson said she knew right away the remark wouldn't be taken lightly and got "hot from my head to my toes."
"It wasn't that I didn't agree with her 100 percent; it was just, 'Oh, this is going to stir something up,'" she told Time.
For band member Martie Maguire, the controversy was a blessing in disguise.
"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith," Maguire said. "We don't want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do."
The Chicks' hits include "Landslide," "Goodbye Earl" and "Wide Open Spaces." Their new album, "Taking the Long Way," is due out May 23. The first single is "Not Ready to Make Nice."
'Da Vinci Code' Opening Beats Expectation
LOS ANGELES - "The Da Vinci Code" banked an estimated $29 million at the box office on its first day in theaters, an industry official said Saturday, positioning the film to turn in the strongest opening weekend for any movie this year.
Preliminary results showed that the movie, based on a runaway best-seller and starring multiple-Oscar winner Tom Hanks, appealed to moviegoers despite lackluster reviews.
The Columbia Pictures movie opened in 3,735 theaters in the U.S. and grossed a respectable average of $7,764 per screen.
"This is the first big film of the summer to exceed box office expectations," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co., Inc., which tracks box office receipts.
Dergarabedian said the movie could gross $60 million to $80 million in its opening weekend. That would easily eclipse Tom Cruise's latest offering, Paramount's "Mission: Impossible III," which fell well below expectation with $48 million on its opening weekend earlier this month.
For "Da Vinci Code," controversy around a script that suggests Jesus married and fathered a child "only served to pump up the marketplace and get moviegoers get really interested in seeing what the fuss was about," Dergarabedian said.
"Whether you are a fan of the book or just a lover of great mystery thrillers, this film is a true entertainment event," said Steve Elzer, a spokesman for Columbia Pictures. "We had an exceptionally strong Friday with sell out business reported in territories virtually all over the world."
The film's box office take was notable in a shaky Hollywood market but far from record-setting. Twenty-nine films have had single-day receipts that exceeded $30 million.
The record for the biggest opening day, $50 million, is held by last year's "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith."
Preliminary three-day box-office estimates were to be released Sunday, with final figures expected Monday.