Pulling in over $114 million in domestic ticket sales, “Wicked” had the third-largest opening weekend of the year.
Happening in the World: UK author Barbara Taylor Bradford has died at the age of 91. Born in Leeds, England, Bradford was best known for her 1979 novel A Woman of Substance. The novel sold 30 million copies and was adapted into a successful miniseries. (BBC)
Happening in the US: This past weekend was one of the busiest of the year for US box offices with the releases of Wicked and Gladiator II pulling in nearly $200 million in domestic ticket sales and $270 million in worldwide ticket sales. Wicked made up over half of the weekend’s profit, coming in as the third-biggest opening weekend of the year. The film, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, also set a record for sales of a Broadway musical adaptation. (AP)
Happening in NYC: City Council members will review a legislative package addressing mental health in public schools this morning. If passed, the bills will create programs designed to aid students navigating mental health issues. Measures proposed in the package include the creation of wellness clubs, mental health programming, and peer-to-peer mental health training programs. (Gothamist)
Happening in Our Community: “Reshaping Social Media for the Public Good,” a panel hosted by Columbia World Projects, will be held from 6 to 7:30 pm at The Forum today. Experts in digital ethics, policymakers, and community advocates will discuss proposals for safeguarding the digital environment.
Wicked dragon via Flickr