<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Lea Michele has been tapped to step in and lead the Broadway revival of the beleaguered&nbsp;<a href="https://funnygirlonbroadway.com/">“Funny Girl”</a>&nbsp;this fall, an announcement made just hours after current star Beanie Feldstein revealed she was leaving the musical sooner than anticipated due to the show taking a "different direction.”

The high-profile casting change rocked the Broadway community and represents another step toward a return to the spotlight and respectability for Michele after former “Glee” castmates in 2020 accused the actor of behavior that was interpreted as racist and bullying.

Michele, who started her career on Broadway and starred in the original “Spring Awakening” recently returned to the work with the documentary “Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known.” In many ways, her ascension to playing Ziegfeld Follies comedian Fanny Brice — the role Barbra Streisand famously played on film — was foreshadowed by Michele singing several “Funny Girl” songs during the run of “Glee.”

After the show's formal announcement, Michele hailed her next career step, saying “a dream come true is an understatement” on Instagram. She did not mention Feldstein.

Broadway is usually known for its quiet, seamless transitions after A-list stars depart shows — in part to protect multimillion-dollar shows — indicating that the backstage machinations at “Funny Girl” have been strained at best.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2XPGhuZr_/">In an extraordinary step, Feldstein took to social media Sunday</a>&nbsp;to say that while playing the heroine of “Funny Girl” was a “lifelong dream,” she could no longer continue due to choices by producers and would leave early, on July 31.

“Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated,” she wrote. Her Instagram post was notably liked by Broadway veteran Ramin Karimloo, who plays Brice's love interest in “Funny Girl” and is staying on.

Fanny Brice standby Julie Benko will perform the title role from Aug. 2–Sep. 4 — and every Thursday beginning Sept. 8 — and Michele will step in starting Sept. 6.

That is also the date four-time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh will replace Emmy-winner Jane Lynch as Brice's mother, meaning there will be no Broadway reunion of “Glee” castmates Michele and Lynch.

Feldstein has missed several performances in recent weeks, including a weekend matinee. Last month, she missed a string of shows due to a positive COVID-19 test. She had previously said she would depart the show Sept. 25, but now won't last past the end of July.

Fanny is one of musical theater’s more difficult roles to cast, needing both a set of pipes, a sense of humor and a spunky charm, perhaps why it has only now been revived on theater’s biggest stage. Streisand starred in it on Broadway in 1964 and then won an Oscar in the 1968 film version.

The bittersweet comedy tells the tale of a Jewish girl from New York in the 1920s who went from burlesque to Broadway stages despite criticism that she wasn’t conventionally beautiful. “Funny Girl” is a musical that celebrates the oddballs, the kooky and the misfits, with Jule Styne-penned gems of songs like “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People”

Feldstein, the “Booksmart” and “Lady Bird” actor, considered it one of theater's highest honors to play Brice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-barbra-streisand-jane-lynch-0731d922e93f7490f3e3a803eec07f1b">telling The Associated Press in April that she tried not to think about it too much or she'd “explode.”</a>

Reviews were mixed to poor, with many critics saying that while Feldstein brought excitement and spirit, her voice was simply not up to the task, with the Hollywood Reporter review saying “she never quite makes the material soar, and this is a rickety vehicle that needs a supernova to put gas in its tank.”

Feldstein, who made her Broadway debut in 2017 in the Bette Midler-led revival of “Hello, Dolly!,” failed to secure a Tony nomination for “Funny Girl,” and the show itself was brushed off with a single nod — to Jared Grimes, a featured actor in a musical.

Box office revenues have softened of late, with a slow decline since the Tony Awards in June. The latest data shows a weekly take slipping under $1 million for an eight-performance week with the show performing to a house only 75% filled.

“I feel like this production has been a magnet for drama. In fact, it appears as though it thrives on it. Any press is good press, I guess,” says theater, film and television&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markrobinsonwrites.com/">historian Mark A. Robinson,</a>&nbsp;the author of “Musical Misfires: Three Decades of Broadway Musical Heartbreak” and writer of the blog “The Music That Makes Me Dance.”

“I think the whole thing appears to be a PR nightmare, but clearly Beanie Feldstein is ready to move on. The show will only continue to run toward breaking even with a name and someone who can do vocal justice to that glorious score. Michele will do that. It may be messy, but messy creates publicity.”

Michele faced a backlash in 2020 and apologized for being “unnecessarily difficult” on the set of “Glee” after former co-star Samantha Marie Ware, who is Black, accused her of making her time there “a living hell.”

Michele issued a statement saying that while she didn’t recall any incident or judge anyone by their background, she was sorry and blamed her privilege and “immaturity.”

Reaction on Twitter on Monday was mostly sympathetic to Feldstein, with Ware defiant at the news. "Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m Black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I’d do it again," she tweeted.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Lea Michele has been tapped to step in and lead the Broadway revival of the beleaguered&nbsp;<a href="https://funnygirlonbroadway.com/">“Funny Girl”</a>&nbsp;this fall, an announcement made just hours after current star Beanie Feldstein revealed she was leaving the musical sooner than anticipated due to the show taking a "different direction.”The high-profile casting change rocked the Broadway community and represents another step toward a return to the spotlight and respectability for Michele after former “Glee” castmates in 2020 accused the actor of behavior that was interpreted as racist and bullying.Michele, who started her career on Broadway and starred in the original “Spring Awakening” recently returned to the work with the documentary “Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known.” In many ways, her ascension to playing Ziegfeld Follies comedian Fanny Brice — the role Barbra Streisand famously played on film — was foreshadowed by Michele singing several “Funny Girl” songs during the run of “Glee.”After the show's formal announcement, Michele hailed her next career step, saying “a dream come true is an understatement” on Instagram. She did not mention Feldstein.Broadway is usually known for its quiet, seamless transitions after A-list stars depart shows — in part to protect multimillion-dollar shows — indicating that the backstage machinations at “Funny Girl” have been strained at best.<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2XPGhuZr_/">In an extraordinary step, Feldstein took to social media Sunday</a>&nbsp;to say that while playing the heroine of “Funny Girl” was a “lifelong dream,” she could no longer continue due to choices by producers and would leave early, on July 31.“Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated,” she wrote. Her Instagram post was notably liked by Broadway veteran Ramin Karimloo, who plays Brice's love interest in “Funny Girl” and is staying on.Fanny Brice standby Julie Benko will perform the title role from Aug. 2–Sep. 4 — and every Thursday beginning Sept. 8 — and Michele will step in starting Sept. 6.That is also the date four-time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh will replace Emmy-winner Jane Lynch as Brice's mother, meaning there will be no Broadway reunion of “Glee” castmates Michele and Lynch.Feldstein has missed several performances in recent weeks, including a weekend matinee. Last month, she missed a string of shows due to a positive COVID-19 test. She had previously said she would depart the show Sept. 25, but now won't last past the end of July.Fanny is one of musical theater’s more difficult roles to cast, needing both a set of pipes, a sense of humor and a spunky charm, perhaps why it has only now been revived on theater’s biggest stage. Streisand starred in it on Broadway in 1964 and then won an Oscar in the 1968 film version.The bittersweet comedy tells the tale of a Jewish girl from New York in the 1920s who went from burlesque to Broadway stages despite criticism that she wasn’t conventionally beautiful. “Funny Girl” is a musical that celebrates the oddballs, the kooky and the misfits, with Jule Styne-penned gems of songs like “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People”Feldstein, the “Booksmart” and “Lady Bird” actor, considered it one of theater's highest honors to play Brice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-barbra-streisand-jane-lynch-0731d922e93f7490f3e3a803eec07f1b">telling The Associated Press in April that she tried not to think about it too much or she'd “explode.”</a>Reviews were mixed to poor, with many critics saying that while Feldstein brought excitement and spirit, her voice was simply not up to the task, with the Hollywood Reporter review saying “she never quite makes the material soar, and this is a rickety vehicle that needs a supernova to put gas in its tank.”Feldstein, who made her Broadway debut in 2017 in the Bette Midler-led revival of “Hello, Dolly!,” failed to secure a Tony nomination for “Funny Girl,” and the show itself was brushed off with a single nod — to Jared Grimes, a featured actor in a musical.Box office revenues have softened of late, with a slow decline since the Tony Awards in June. The latest data shows a weekly take slipping under $1 million for an eight-performance week with the show performing to a house only 75% filled.“I feel like this production has been a magnet for drama. In fact, it appears as though it thrives on it. Any press is good press, I guess,” says theater, film and television&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markrobinsonwrites.com/">historian Mark A. Robinson,</a>&nbsp;the author of “Musical Misfires: Three Decades of Broadway Musical Heartbreak” and writer of the blog “The Music That Makes Me Dance.”“I think the whole thing appears to be a PR nightmare, but clearly Beanie Feldstein is ready to move on. The show will only continue to run toward breaking even with a name and someone who can do vocal justice to that glorious score. Michele will do that. It may be messy, but messy creates publicity.”Michele faced a backlash in 2020 and apologized for being “unnecessarily difficult” on the set of “Glee” after former co-star Samantha Marie Ware, who is Black, accused her of making her time there “a living hell.”Michele issued a statement saying that while she didn’t recall any incident or judge anyone by their background, she was sorry and blamed her privilege and “immaturity.”Reaction on Twitter on Monday was mostly sympathetic to Feldstein, with Ware defiant at the news. "Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m Black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I’d do it again," she tweeted.

At 'Funny Girl,' Lea Michele is in, Beanie Feldstein is out

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22The%20Associated%20Press%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By The Associated Press</a>

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

— Jane Austen’s last completed novel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz7HmgPJQak">“Persuasion”</a>&nbsp;gets a fresh spin from British theater director Carrie Cracknell. Starring Dakota Johnson as the “past her prime” heroine Anne Elliot, “Persuasion,” debuting on Netflix on Friday, is still set in Regency-era England but with some distinctly modern flourishes and a subversively comedic voice. The film also introduces audiences to Cosmo Jarvis in a star making turn as Anne’s first love, Captain Frederick Wentworth. Henry Golding and Richard E. Grant also star.

— A single father, Max (John Cho), and his teenage daughter, Wally, (charming newcomer Mia Isaac) take a road trip across the country in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYxOe7kOl7I">“Don’t Make Me Go,”</a>&nbsp;coming to Amazon Prime Video on Friday. Yes, there is a cancer element, and some tears are guaranteed, but this film, written by “This is Us” writer Vera Herbert and directed by Hannah Marks, has more heart and comedic moments than the logline might give it credit for. A late movie karaoke scene also might have you wondering why John Cho hasn’t starred in a movie musical yet.

— Take it from someone who has seen exactly one episode of “Bob’s Burgers” ever: You don’t need to have watched the long-running show to enjoy the movie, which comes to Hulu and HBO Max on Tuesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hldGGWN9HcI">“The Bob’s Burgers Movie”</a>&nbsp;finds the Belcher crew (all original voices) at the end of the schoolyear. The kids are dreaming of summer plans and the parents are trying to save the burger joint from financial ruin when a skeleton turns up in a pit outside the restaurant and suddenly there is a mystery to be solved. It’s also a musical.

— Lizzo returns with her fourth album, “Special,” on Friday. She performed the first single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfy3qEJ4yyQ">“About Damn Time,”</a>&nbsp;on ”Saturday Night Live.” Another single, “Grrrls” had a bumpier debut after she offended disability advocates with the use of a word considered a slur derived from spastic diplegia. Lizzo apologized and edited the song to remove the word. Both singles use samples: “About Damn Time” samples the song “Hey DJ” by The World’s Famous Supreme Team and “Grrrls” samples the song “Girls” performed by Beastie Boys,

— Bea Laus, who performs as Beabadoobee, will release her sophomore album “Beatopia” on Friday. The fuzzed-out single&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEBLDNCSAeA">“10:36”</a>&nbsp;has her trademark ’90s indie rock vibe and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCw80xpI3k0">”Talk”</a>&nbsp;has an Avril Levine-like strut in its kiss-off to a lover: “We go together like the gum on my shoes,” she sings. “You don’t exist/You’re just a bad decision.” The album builds on her 2020 debut album “Fake It Flowers” and the fantastic “Our Extended Play” EP that was co-written and produced by Matty Healy and George Daniels of The 1975. An exciting talent, Beabadoobee has notes of Alanis Morissette, The Cranberries and The Smashing Pumpkins.

— Interpol are back with their seventh album, the 11-track “The Other Side of Make-Believe.” The lead single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x1PMuD4ewk">“Toni,”</a>&nbsp;is a melancholy masterpiece of jangling guitar and layers of interesting things that reveal themselves with every listen. “Still in shape, my methods refined,” Paul Banks sings in a line that could very well apply to Interpol itself. The band began writing the album remotely in 2020 before meeting in upstate New York and finishing the project in London. It marks the first time the band worked with producer Flood, and they also reteamed with co-producer Alan Moulder.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH1FOkJys3Y">“Black Bird,”</a>&nbsp;inspired by real events, is a crime drama with an enviable pedigree: Its creator is novelist Dennis Lehane (“Mystic River,” “Gone Baby Gone”), whose TV credits include “The Wire.” The cast is a match, topped by Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”) as a onetime golden boy turned convicted drug dealer. His shot at a get-out-of-prison card depends on drawing a confession from a suspected serial killer (Paul Walter Hauser). The Apple TV+ series, with episodes out Friday through Aug. 5, also features Greg Kinnear and, in one of his last performances, Ray Liotta.

— What will our favorite madcap vampires and their human sidekick, Guillermo, get up to next? The answer arrives with season four of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/what-we-do-in-the-shadows">“What We Do in the Shadows,”</a>&nbsp;the FX mockumentary series about very long-lived roomies Nadja, Laszlo, Nandor, and Colin (now baby Colin). Back from their scattered adventures, they find their Staten Island digs in shambles and with a surprising new guest. As the season begins Tuesday, Nandor’s search for love looks promising, Nadja is focused on business and Laszlo is in charge of parenting.

— For admirers of Nathan Fielder and “Nathan for You,” the good news is he’s back with another showcase for his idiosyncratic comedy. Those unfamiliar with his work and open to something oddly revelatory and at times unsettling can check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fjPFt8cpic">“The Rehearsal,”</a>&nbsp;debuting Friday on HBO and HBO Max. Fielder’s professed mission this time is to help folks prepare to face critical events or choices by walking them through what to expect — as elaborately staged by the maestro himself

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22The%20Associated%20Press%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By The Associated Press</a>Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.MOVIES— Jane Austen’s last completed novel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz7HmgPJQak">“Persuasion”</a>&nbsp;gets a fresh spin from British theater director Carrie Cracknell. Starring Dakota Johnson as the “past her prime” heroine Anne Elliot, “Persuasion,” debuting on Netflix on Friday, is still set in Regency-era England but with some distinctly modern flourishes and a subversively comedic voice. The film also introduces audiences to Cosmo Jarvis in a star making turn as Anne’s first love, Captain Frederick Wentworth. Henry Golding and Richard E. Grant also star.— A single father, Max (John Cho), and his teenage daughter, Wally, (charming newcomer Mia Isaac) take a road trip across the country in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYxOe7kOl7I">“Don’t Make Me Go,”</a>&nbsp;coming to Amazon Prime Video on Friday. Yes, there is a cancer element, and some tears are guaranteed, but this film, written by “This is Us” writer Vera Herbert and directed by Hannah Marks, has more heart and comedic moments than the logline might give it credit for. A late movie karaoke scene also might have you wondering why John Cho hasn’t starred in a movie musical yet.— Take it from someone who has seen exactly one episode of “Bob’s Burgers” ever: You don’t need to have watched the long-running show to enjoy the movie, which comes to Hulu and HBO Max on Tuesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hldGGWN9HcI">“The Bob’s Burgers Movie”</a>&nbsp;finds the Belcher crew (all original voices) at the end of the schoolyear. The kids are dreaming of summer plans and the parents are trying to save the burger joint from financial ruin when a skeleton turns up in a pit outside the restaurant and suddenly there is a mystery to be solved. It’s also a musical.— AP Film Writer Lindsey BahrMUSIC— Lizzo returns with her fourth album, “Special,” on Friday. She performed the first single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfy3qEJ4yyQ">“About Damn Time,”</a>&nbsp;on ”Saturday Night Live.” Another single, “Grrrls” had a bumpier debut after she offended disability advocates with the use of a word considered a slur derived from spastic diplegia. Lizzo apologized and edited the song to remove the word. Both singles use samples: “About Damn Time” samples the song “Hey DJ” by The World’s Famous Supreme Team and “Grrrls” samples the song “Girls” performed by Beastie Boys,— Bea Laus, who performs as Beabadoobee, will release her sophomore album “Beatopia” on Friday. The fuzzed-out single&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEBLDNCSAeA">“10:36”</a>&nbsp;has her trademark ’90s indie rock vibe and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCw80xpI3k0">”Talk”</a>&nbsp;has an Avril Levine-like strut in its kiss-off to a lover: “We go together like the gum on my shoes,” she sings. “You don’t exist/You’re just a bad decision.” The album builds on her 2020 debut album “Fake It Flowers” and the fantastic “Our Extended Play” EP that was co-written and produced by Matty Healy and George Daniels of The 1975. An exciting talent, Beabadoobee has notes of Alanis Morissette, The Cranberries and The Smashing Pumpkins.— Interpol are back with their seventh album, the 11-track “The Other Side of Make-Believe.” The lead single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x1PMuD4ewk">“Toni,”</a>&nbsp;is a melancholy masterpiece of jangling guitar and layers of interesting things that reveal themselves with every listen. “Still in shape, my methods refined,” Paul Banks sings in a line that could very well apply to Interpol itself. The band began writing the album remotely in 2020 before meeting in upstate New York and finishing the project in London. It marks the first time the band worked with producer Flood, and they also reteamed with co-producer Alan Moulder.— AP Entertainment Writer Mark KennedyTELEVISION—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH1FOkJys3Y">“Black Bird,”</a>&nbsp;inspired by real events, is a crime drama with an enviable pedigree: Its creator is novelist Dennis Lehane (“Mystic River,” “Gone Baby Gone”), whose TV credits include “The Wire.” The cast is a match, topped by Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”) as a onetime golden boy turned convicted drug dealer. His shot at a get-out-of-prison card depends on drawing a confession from a suspected serial killer (Paul Walter Hauser). The Apple TV+ series, with episodes out Friday through Aug. 5, also features Greg Kinnear and, in one of his last performances, Ray Liotta.— What will our favorite madcap vampires and their human sidekick, Guillermo, get up to next? The answer arrives with season four of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/what-we-do-in-the-shadows">“What We Do in the Shadows,”</a>&nbsp;the FX mockumentary series about very long-lived roomies Nadja, Laszlo, Nandor, and Colin (now baby Colin). Back from their scattered adventures, they find their Staten Island digs in shambles and with a surprising new guest. As the season begins Tuesday, Nandor’s search for love looks promising, Nadja is focused on business and Laszlo is in charge of parenting.— For admirers of Nathan Fielder and “Nathan for You,” the good news is he’s back with another showcase for his idiosyncratic comedy. Those unfamiliar with his work and open to something oddly revelatory and at times unsettling can check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fjPFt8cpic">“The Rehearsal,”</a>&nbsp;debuting Friday on HBO and HBO Max. Fielder’s professed mission this time is to help folks prepare to face critical events or choices by walking them through what to expect — as elaborately staged by the maestro himself— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber

New this week: 'Black Bird,' Lizzo and 'The Rehearsal'

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LINDSEY%20BAHR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer</a>

Four movies in, Thor is still bringing the hammer down at the box office.

“&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-review-f5c11f403c9fcc507ac3ff9f492e3743">Thor: Love and Thunder</a>&nbsp;” earned $143 million in its opening weekend in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. It’s a franchise best for the God of Thunder and another success story of the summer 2022 box office season.

The second Thor movie directed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-taika-waititi-chris-hemsworth-3dc2ab49be51c7f82a18e915b62df7c5">Taika Waititi</a>&nbsp;opened on 4,375 screens this weekend, starting with Thursday previews. It easily topped the box office, bumping “Minions: The Rise of Gru” into second place. Including international showings, where “Love and Thunder” opened in 47 territories starting in the middle of last week, its global total is already at $302 million.

“It’s another home run for Marvel,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It’s unheard of for a Marvel movie not to open at No. 1.”

The Thor franchise has grown with each subsequent film, which is both a rarity in franchise filmmaking in general but also not uncommon for those of the Marvel variety. The first film opened to $65.7 million in 2011, followed by $85.7 million for “The Dark World” in 2013 and $122.7 million for 2017's “Ragnarok.” Waititi, who also directed “Ragnarok,” is widely credited with rejuvenating the series, infusing it with humor, irreverence and leaning into larger-than-life metal aesthetics.

Critics skewed mostly positive and the Rotten Tomatoes score is currently sitting at 68% fresh. Audiences, who gave the film a B+ CinemaScore, were heavily male (60%) and 53% were between the ages of 18 and 34, according to exit polls. IMAX reported that $23 million of the global total came from their screens.

“Love and Thunder” brings back Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman, whose Jane Foster becomes the Mighty Thor. Russell Crowe also co-stars as Zeus and Christian Bale plays the villain Gorr the God Butcher. It also boasts the biggest production budget of the Thor films, at a reported $250 million.

And yet, it’s noteworthy that “Thor: Love and Thunder” isn’t even the biggest Marvel opening of the year. That title is held by “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-movies-walt-disney-co-71a5e784d70680ae37c2f33b936a9426">Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,</a>&nbsp;” which debuted to $185 million in early May on the heels of the box office phenomenon that was “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

The Minions carved out a second-place spot with $45.6 million in weekend two, bringing its domestic total to $210.1 million and its worldwide grosses to $399.9 million.

The summer’s workhorse “Top Gun: Maverick” placed third in its seventh weekend in theaters with $15.5 million. With its domestic total currently at $597.4 million, the Tom Cruise film is poised to cross $600 million by Monday — one of only 12 films ever to do so.

In limited release, the documentary “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/film-reviews-entertainment-fires-78125ef91c92589d56bf888a0dabb1b0">Fire of Love</a>&nbsp;” launched this weekend in three locations and made an estimated $22,328, while Claire Denis' “Both Sides of the Blade” earned $25,000 from four locations.

The weekend should net out with around $236.1 million total, which Dergarabedian said is “truly impressive.”

“Every week, the marketplace becomes more pre-pandemic like,” he said. “This feels like a traditional summer movie season weekend. It's a huge difference from a year ago.”

The summer 2022 box office continues to look bright for both Hollywood and theater owners, up 217% from last summer. The year as a whole passed the $4 billion mark last week which is up 233% from last year but still trailing the last pre-pandemic box office year, 2019, by 30%.

"Audiences are embracing the movie theater experience with a greater enthusiasm," Dergarabedian said. “By now, every demographic is interested in going back to theaters. The challenge for theaters going forward is just having enough new movies.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Thor: Love and Thunder,” $143 million.

2. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” $45.6 million.

3. “Top Gun: Maverick,” $15.5 million.

5. “Jurassic World: Dominion,” $8.4 million.

8. “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” $340,000.

9. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $262,000.

10. “Mr. Malcolm’s List,” $245,416.

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ldbahr">www.twitter.com/ldbahr</a>

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LINDSEY%20BAHR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer</a>Four movies in, Thor is still bringing the hammer down at the box office.“&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-review-f5c11f403c9fcc507ac3ff9f492e3743">Thor: Love and Thunder</a>&nbsp;” earned $143 million in its opening weekend in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. It’s a franchise best for the God of Thunder and another success story of the summer 2022 box office season.The second Thor movie directed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-taika-waititi-chris-hemsworth-3dc2ab49be51c7f82a18e915b62df7c5">Taika Waititi</a>&nbsp;opened on 4,375 screens this weekend, starting with Thursday previews. It easily topped the box office, bumping “Minions: The Rise of Gru” into second place. Including international showings, where “Love and Thunder” opened in 47 territories starting in the middle of last week, its global total is already at $302 million.“It’s another home run for Marvel,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It’s unheard of for a Marvel movie not to open at No. 1.”The Thor franchise has grown with each subsequent film, which is both a rarity in franchise filmmaking in general but also not uncommon for those of the Marvel variety. The first film opened to $65.7 million in 2011, followed by $85.7 million for “The Dark World” in 2013 and $122.7 million for 2017's “Ragnarok.” Waititi, who also directed “Ragnarok,” is widely credited with rejuvenating the series, infusing it with humor, irreverence and leaning into larger-than-life metal aesthetics.Critics skewed mostly positive and the Rotten Tomatoes score is currently sitting at 68% fresh. Audiences, who gave the film a B+ CinemaScore, were heavily male (60%) and 53% were between the ages of 18 and 34, according to exit polls. IMAX reported that $23 million of the global total came from their screens.“Love and Thunder” brings back Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman, whose Jane Foster becomes the Mighty Thor. Russell Crowe also co-stars as Zeus and Christian Bale plays the villain Gorr the God Butcher. It also boasts the biggest production budget of the Thor films, at a reported $250 million.And yet, it’s noteworthy that “Thor: Love and Thunder” isn’t even the biggest Marvel opening of the year. That title is held by “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-movies-walt-disney-co-71a5e784d70680ae37c2f33b936a9426">Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,</a>&nbsp;” which debuted to $185 million in early May on the heels of the box office phenomenon that was “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”The Minions carved out a second-place spot with $45.6 million in weekend two, bringing its domestic total to $210.1 million and its worldwide grosses to $399.9 million.The summer’s workhorse “Top Gun: Maverick” placed third in its seventh weekend in theaters with $15.5 million. With its domestic total currently at $597.4 million, the Tom Cruise film is poised to cross $600 million by Monday — one of only 12 films ever to do so.In limited release, the documentary “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/film-reviews-entertainment-fires-78125ef91c92589d56bf888a0dabb1b0">Fire of Love</a>&nbsp;” launched this weekend in three locations and made an estimated $22,328, while Claire Denis' “Both Sides of the Blade” earned $25,000 from four locations.The weekend should net out with around $236.1 million total, which Dergarabedian said is “truly impressive.”“Every week, the marketplace becomes more pre-pandemic like,” he said. “This feels like a traditional summer movie season weekend. It's a huge difference from a year ago.”The summer 2022 box office continues to look bright for both Hollywood and theater owners, up 217% from last summer. The year as a whole passed the $4 billion mark last week which is up 233% from last year but still trailing the last pre-pandemic box office year, 2019, by 30%."Audiences are embracing the movie theater experience with a greater enthusiasm," Dergarabedian said. “By now, every demographic is interested in going back to theaters. The challenge for theaters going forward is just having enough new movies.”Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.1. “Thor: Love and Thunder,” $143 million.2. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” $45.6 million.3. “Top Gun: Maverick,” $15.5 million.4. “Elvis,” $11 million.5. “Jurassic World: Dominion,” $8.4 million.6. “The Black Phone,” $7.7 million.7. “Lightyear,” $2.9 million.8. “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” $340,000.9. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $262,000.10. “Mr. Malcolm’s List,” $245,416.___Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ldbahr">www.twitter.com/ldbahr</a>

'Thor: Love and Thunder' scores franchise best debut

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday presented the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-sports-college-sports-health-9169b6c48f8fd14ac130bc6504ce37b5">Simone Biles</a>, the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eb2275d97afe4b4fa1a1e8b18ecf38ae">John McCain,</a>&nbsp;the Arizona Republican whom Biden served with in the Senate, and gun-control advocate Gabby Giffords.

“Today, she adds to her medal count,” Biden said as he introduced Biles, a former foster child whose 32 Olympic and World Championship medals make her the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history.

“I don't know how you're going to find room,” for another medal, Biden joked. The 25-year-old is an advocate for athletes' mental health, foster care children and sexual assault victims. She's also the youngest person to ever receive the medal, Biden said.

The Democratic president, who took office at a critical point during the coronavirus pandemic, also honored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-new-york-city-health-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-568cac33020b6c9b26971174ab511c48">Sandra Lindsay</a>, the Queens, New York, nurse who was the first person to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of clinical trials during a live television appearance in December 2020.

It was the first time Biden had awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His recipient list included both living and deceased honorees, some of them representing various stages of the president's life, from the Catholic nuns who taught him as a boy growing up in Claymont, Delaware, to Republican lawmakers he served with in the Senate to a college professor like his wife, Jill, to advocates of tightening access to firearms.

Biden introduced Giffords as “one of the most courageous people I have ever known.”

The former Arizona congresswoman founded the organization named Giffords to campaign for an end to gun violence and restrictions on access to guns. The Democrat almost died after she was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson.

Biden noted that he recently signed the most sweeping gun-control legislation in decades — though he and others would like even more restrictions — and credited Giffords and families like her own whose lives have been altered by gun violence for helping to make it happen.

“She's the embodiment of a single signature American trait: never, ever give up,” Biden said.

Biden also recognized former Republican Sens. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and John McCain of Arizona, recalling a less partisan era of Washington in which members of different parties would argue over issues during the day and then meet over dinner at night.

McCain died of brain cancer in 2018. He spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in the House and Senate, and was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, competing against Democrats Barack Obama and Biden.

Biden said he didn't appreciate the political competition, but “I never stopped admiring John ... I knew his honor, his courage and commitment.”

The 17 people receiving honors “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come," the White House said.

Biden himself knows what it's like to receive the medal. Then-President Obama honored Biden’s decades of public service by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom “with distinction” during a ceremony shortly before they left office in January 2017.

Biden closed the ceremony by declaring, “This is America.”

— Sister Simone Campbell, a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization.

— Julieta Garcia, a former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville. Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said.

— Fred Gray, one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr. and, at age 91, continues to practice law.

— Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.

— Father Alexander Karloutsos, the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents, the White House said. Biden said he is “one of my dear friends.”

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d16afa8906d04f75a217d8c68f872544">Khizr Khan, a</a>&nbsp;n immigrant from Pakistan, Khan's Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump's wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

— Diane Nash, a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who organized some of the most important 20th century civil rights campaigns and worked with King.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/megan-rapinoe">Megan Rapinoe</a>. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women's World Cup soccer champion captains the OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQI+ rights. Biden said she is the first soccer play to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

— Simpson, who served in the Senate with Biden and has been a prominent advocate for campaign finance reform, responsible governance and marriage equality. Biden called Simpson the “real deal” and joked that “he never takes himself too seriously nor takes me seriously.”

— Richard Trumka, who had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade at the time of his August 2021 death. He was a past president of the United Mine Workers.

— Wilma Vaught. A brigadier general, Vaught is one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history, breaking gender barriers as she has risen through the ranks. When Vaught retired in 1985, she was one of only seven female generals in the Armed Forces.

— Denzel Washington, a double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer. He also has a Tony award, two Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a longtime spokesperson for the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America. Washington could not attend Thursday's ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19, the White House said. Biden said Washington will receive his medal "when he's able to get here.”

— Raúl Yzaguirre. A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday presented the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-sports-college-sports-health-9169b6c48f8fd14ac130bc6504ce37b5">Simone Biles</a>, the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eb2275d97afe4b4fa1a1e8b18ecf38ae">John McCain,</a>&nbsp;the Arizona Republican whom Biden served with in the Senate, and gun-control advocate Gabby Giffords.“Today, she adds to her medal count,” Biden said as he introduced Biles, a former foster child whose 32 Olympic and World Championship medals make her the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history.“I don't know how you're going to find room,” for another medal, Biden joked. The 25-year-old is an advocate for athletes' mental health, foster care children and sexual assault victims. She's also the youngest person to ever receive the medal, Biden said.The Democratic president, who took office at a critical point during the coronavirus pandemic, also honored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-new-york-city-health-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-568cac33020b6c9b26971174ab511c48">Sandra Lindsay</a>, the Queens, New York, nurse who was the first person to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of clinical trials during a live television appearance in December 2020.It was the first time Biden had awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His recipient list included both living and deceased honorees, some of them representing various stages of the president's life, from the Catholic nuns who taught him as a boy growing up in Claymont, Delaware, to Republican lawmakers he served with in the Senate to a college professor like his wife, Jill, to advocates of tightening access to firearms.Biden introduced Giffords as “one of the most courageous people I have ever known.”The former Arizona congresswoman founded the organization named Giffords to campaign for an end to gun violence and restrictions on access to guns. The Democrat almost died after she was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson.Biden noted that he recently signed the most sweeping gun-control legislation in decades — though he and others would like even more restrictions — and credited Giffords and families like her own whose lives have been altered by gun violence for helping to make it happen.“She's the embodiment of a single signature American trait: never, ever give up,” Biden said.Biden also recognized former Republican Sens. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and John McCain of Arizona, recalling a less partisan era of Washington in which members of different parties would argue over issues during the day and then meet over dinner at night.McCain died of brain cancer in 2018. He spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in the House and Senate, and was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, competing against Democrats Barack Obama and Biden.Biden said he didn't appreciate the political competition, but “I never stopped admiring John ... I knew his honor, his courage and commitment.”The 17 people receiving honors “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come," the White House said.Biden himself knows what it's like to receive the medal. Then-President Obama honored Biden’s decades of public service by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom “with distinction” during a ceremony shortly before they left office in January 2017.Biden closed the ceremony by declaring, “This is America.”The other 13 medal recipients are:— Sister Simone Campbell, a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization.— Julieta Garcia, a former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville. Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said.— Fred Gray, one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr. and, at age 91, continues to practice law.— Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.— Father Alexander Karloutsos, the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents, the White House said. Biden said he is “one of my dear friends.”—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d16afa8906d04f75a217d8c68f872544">Khizr Khan, a</a>&nbsp;n immigrant from Pakistan, Khan's Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump's wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.— Diane Nash, a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who organized some of the most important 20th century civil rights campaigns and worked with King.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/megan-rapinoe">Megan Rapinoe</a>. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women's World Cup soccer champion captains the OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQI+ rights. Biden said she is the first soccer play to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.— Simpson, who served in the Senate with Biden and has been a prominent advocate for campaign finance reform, responsible governance and marriage equality. Biden called Simpson the “real deal” and joked that “he never takes himself too seriously nor takes me seriously.”— Richard Trumka, who had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade at the time of his August 2021 death. He was a past president of the United Mine Workers.— Wilma Vaught. A brigadier general, Vaught is one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history, breaking gender barriers as she has risen through the ranks. When Vaught retired in 1985, she was one of only seven female generals in the Armed Forces.— Denzel Washington, a double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer. He also has a Tony award, two Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a longtime spokesperson for the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America. Washington could not attend Thursday's ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19, the White House said. Biden said Washington will receive his medal "when he's able to get here.”— Raúl Yzaguirre. A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years.

Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain, Giffords

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY</a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">&nbsp;AP Entertainment Writer</a>

The last full Thor movie was the overstuffed 2017 “Thor: Ragnarok,” with the God of Thunder dealing with dueling brother and sister issues, the imminent destruction of his planet, a boozy sidekick, a huge dog, pal Hulk having a panic attack and the death of his father.

It was Taika Waititi filmmaking at its most intense, with slo-mo sauntering, stupid antlered headdresses, slicing swords and laser cannons, capes and undead soldiers, a hair-cropped Thor, a typically unbalanced Jeff Goldblum character, a prophecy, alien spacecrafts and lots of Led Zeppelin.

If you thought that was bananas filmmaking, its sequel is the whole fruit basket.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go8nTmfrQd8">“Thor: Love and Thunder”</a>&nbsp;— a rare Marvel fourth installment for one character — has giant bleating goats, a horrible Zeus, children in cages, space dolphins, Jodie Foster jokes, teddy bears with laser eyes, an Old Spice commercial parody, Natalie Portman headbutting a villain, blue aliens and lots of Guns N' Roses.

Waititi is back as the co-writer, director and the voice for the stony Korg, with Chris Hemsworth as our space Viking, a man who really needs to get more credit for taking Thor over the years from glum to hysterical. His ability to pronounce superhero things dramatically and then become a goofball is endlessly endearing. Also back are Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Jaimie Alexander’s Sif.

One problematic character back is Jane Foster, Thor's ex whom he still pines for eight years after they broke up and she skipped the third film. But now Foster — played by Portman — has his old magical hammer, Mjolnir, and has become a superhero of her own, the Mighty Thor. She's working on a catchphrase, like “Eat this hammer!”

Thor, of course, has moved on — not with his romantic feelings, but with his favored weaponry. He wields the enchanted axe Stormbreaker now. He has no eyes for Mjolnir — or does he? “We good? I know it's a little weird having my ex-weapon around,” he asks his axe in a deliciously loony scene, basically reflecting a love triangle between a Norse god and two metal armaments.

Our villain this time is superb: Christian Bale plays the deliciously named Gorr the God Butcher. A once-pious man who prayed in vain to the deities, he has now decided to wipe them out after having a personal setback. Bale is so creepy and so committed that you can feel his hatred melt your popcorn. “The gods will use you but they will not help you,” he snarls.

Another punch of the bizarre comes from Russell Crowe, who plays Zeus as a vainglorious tyrant with a Roman outfit (a riff off “Gladiator”?) and an atrocious Mediterranean accent. He is surrounded by lackeys — some called Zeusettes — and frustrates Thor, even stripping him of his clothes, to the delight of many in the audience. “You know what they say: Never meet your heroes,” says the Viking.

The whipsaw from death and suffering to idiocy is staggering, with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson credited alongside Waititi for a script that seems like it was pasted together after gerbils ripped up a bag of words. You go from a hospital room on Earth dealing with a terminal illness to Thor dressed as a hot dog to a shadow realm in low gravity where the film goes completely black and white. There is very little logic and the connections between scenes are tenuous, giving the film a feeling of not building to anything clear.

Peak lunacy is reached at the Omnipotence City, where the universe’s gods hang out. There is the Aztec God, various Maori Goddesses, the Mayan God and a round dough called Bao, God of Dumplings. It’s a gag that seems out of a Mel Brooks film but the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going, don’t be surprised to see the 47th installment called “Bao: Steam and Sauce.”

The film is stacked with cameos — many of which critics aren’t permitted to reveal — but look for Hemsworth’s real-life wife and one of his sons, a bunch of fed-up Guardians of the Galaxy and a pretty famous comedienne playing Cate Blanchett’s role from “Ragnarok.”

What to make of this glorious, intergalactic mess? There is no better answer than to swipe one of our hero's catchphrases: “What a classic Thor adventure, Hurrah!”

“Thor: Love and Thunder,” a Walt Disney Studios release that opens in theaters on July 8, is rated PG-13 for “intense sci-fi violence, action, language, partial nudity and some suggestive material.” Running time: 119 minutes. Three stars out of four.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY</a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">&nbsp;AP Entertainment Writer</a>The last full Thor movie was the overstuffed 2017 “Thor: Ragnarok,” with the God of Thunder dealing with dueling brother and sister issues, the imminent destruction of his planet, a boozy sidekick, a huge dog, pal Hulk having a panic attack and the death of his father.It was Taika Waititi filmmaking at its most intense, with slo-mo sauntering, stupid antlered headdresses, slicing swords and laser cannons, capes and undead soldiers, a hair-cropped Thor, a typically unbalanced Jeff Goldblum character, a prophecy, alien spacecrafts and lots of Led Zeppelin.If you thought that was bananas filmmaking, its sequel is the whole fruit basket.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go8nTmfrQd8">“Thor: Love and Thunder”</a>&nbsp;— a rare Marvel fourth installment for one character — has giant bleating goats, a horrible Zeus, children in cages, space dolphins, Jodie Foster jokes, teddy bears with laser eyes, an Old Spice commercial parody, Natalie Portman headbutting a villain, blue aliens and lots of Guns N' Roses.Waititi is back as the co-writer, director and the voice for the stony Korg, with Chris Hemsworth as our space Viking, a man who really needs to get more credit for taking Thor over the years from glum to hysterical. His ability to pronounce superhero things dramatically and then become a goofball is endlessly endearing. Also back are Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Jaimie Alexander’s Sif.One problematic character back is Jane Foster, Thor's ex whom he still pines for eight years after they broke up and she skipped the third film. But now Foster — played by Portman — has his old magical hammer, Mjolnir, and has become a superhero of her own, the Mighty Thor. She's working on a catchphrase, like “Eat this hammer!”Thor, of course, has moved on — not with his romantic feelings, but with his favored weaponry. He wields the enchanted axe Stormbreaker now. He has no eyes for Mjolnir — or does he? “We good? I know it's a little weird having my ex-weapon around,” he asks his axe in a deliciously loony scene, basically reflecting a love triangle between a Norse god and two metal armaments.Our villain this time is superb: Christian Bale plays the deliciously named Gorr the God Butcher. A once-pious man who prayed in vain to the deities, he has now decided to wipe them out after having a personal setback. Bale is so creepy and so committed that you can feel his hatred melt your popcorn. “The gods will use you but they will not help you,” he snarls.Another punch of the bizarre comes from Russell Crowe, who plays Zeus as a vainglorious tyrant with a Roman outfit (a riff off “Gladiator”?) and an atrocious Mediterranean accent. He is surrounded by lackeys — some called Zeusettes — and frustrates Thor, even stripping him of his clothes, to the delight of many in the audience. “You know what they say: Never meet your heroes,” says the Viking.The whipsaw from death and suffering to idiocy is staggering, with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson credited alongside Waititi for a script that seems like it was pasted together after gerbils ripped up a bag of words. You go from a hospital room on Earth dealing with a terminal illness to Thor dressed as a hot dog to a shadow realm in low gravity where the film goes completely black and white. There is very little logic and the connections between scenes are tenuous, giving the film a feeling of not building to anything clear.Peak lunacy is reached at the Omnipotence City, where the universe’s gods hang out. There is the Aztec God, various Maori Goddesses, the Mayan God and a round dough called Bao, God of Dumplings. It’s a gag that seems out of a Mel Brooks film but the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going, don’t be surprised to see the 47th installment called “Bao: Steam and Sauce.”The film is stacked with cameos — many of which critics aren’t permitted to reveal — but look for Hemsworth’s real-life wife and one of his sons, a bunch of fed-up Guardians of the Galaxy and a pretty famous comedienne playing Cate Blanchett’s role from “Ragnarok.”What to make of this glorious, intergalactic mess? There is no better answer than to swipe one of our hero's catchphrases: “What a classic Thor adventure, Hurrah!”“Thor: Love and Thunder,” a Walt Disney Studios release that opens in theaters on July 8, is rated PG-13 for “intense sci-fi violence, action, language, partial nudity and some suggestive material.” Running time: 119 minutes. Three stars out of four.

REVIEW: 'Thor: Love and Thunder' is pure bonkers filmmaking

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

— Netflix’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-E-IGQCsPo">“The Sea Beast”</a>&nbsp;brings a “Moby Dick”-like tale down to kid size. The rollicking ocean adventure, directed by “Big Hero 6” filmmaker Chris Williams, is about an orphan British girl (voiced by Zaris-Angel Hator) who stows away on a ship hunting sea beasts. The veteran animator Williams, who co-directed “Moana,” returns to the high-seas for a swashbuckling tale made with the kind of accomplished animation often only found on the big screen. It debuts Friday.

— The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/">Criterion Channel</a>&nbsp;has a new film series sure to knock you out. “In the Ring: Boxing On-Screen” brings together 16 bobbing-and-weaving movies, from the 1927 Alfred Hitchcock silent “The Ring” to Martin Scorsese’s 1980 masterpiece “Raging Bull.” The series, streaming in July, argues that boxing and cinema grew in tandem, and remain uniquely suited to one another. Two highlights: “The Set-Up,” Robert Wise’s sweaty 1949 noir with Robert Ryan as a washed-up boxer whose manager sets him up to take a dive; and Leon Gast’s 1996 documentary classic “When We Were Kings,” about the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman 1974 bout, the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

— Neil Young isn’t finished opening his vaults. On Friday, he’s releasing the shelved Crazy Horse album "Toast,” a set they recorded in 2001 at Toast Studios in San Francisco. “‘Toast’ is an album that stands on its own in my collection,”&nbsp;<a href="https://neilyoungarchives.com/news/7/article?id=Road-Stories-Toast/">Young wrote last year.</a>&nbsp;“Unlike any other, ‘Toast’ was so sad that I couldn’t put it out. I just skipped it and went on to do another album in its place. I couldn’t handle it at that time.” The seven songs on “Toast” explore a broken relationship. In the last song, “Boom Boom Boom,” Young sings: “All I got is a broken heart, and I don’t try to hide it when I play my guitar.”

— Quick, what was the name of the first album Elton John ever recorded? If you answered “Empty Sky,” close, but wrong. It’s actually “Regimental Sgt. Zippo,” a 12-track album that the then-unknown teenager John — credited as Reg Dwight — recorded in 1968 at age 19 with lyricist Bernie Taupin that was shelved. It had a limited release on Record Store Day in 2021, but now it will be available Friday on LP, CD and streaming. Beatles harmonies, harpsichords and flute-like sounds permeate the album, which The Guardian says has a “naïve, endearing charm” and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN7G6eMVsEo">the title track has a trippy animated video.</a>

— Journey’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMDpx-jcdKA">“Let It Rain”</a>&nbsp;is one of the singles ahead of the band’s next studio album, “Freedom,” set for release Friday, “that brings back the grand scale of the group’s greatest moments, along with updated and bold new directions and sounds,” says the band. It’s their first project of new material since 2011’s “Eclipse.” The new record also features the tracks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzMstMO4dw0">“You Got the Best of Me”</a>&nbsp;and “The Way We Used to Be.”

— Writer and commentator Baratunde Thurston goes big with a region-by-region trek in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/america-outdoors-baratunde-thurston/">“America Outdoors,”</a>&nbsp;debuting Tuesday on PBS. In an effort to understand Americans’ “complicated relationship” with the natural world, the six-part series visits with people including wilderness pilots in Idaho; Appalachian coal miners who have turned to beekeeping; Black surfers in Los Angeles, and an ultramarathoner in California’s Death Valley. Getting in touch with nature and those attuned to it proved to be one of “the best things I could do with my time,” Thurston says.

— In the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjVNZIUw9ek">Hulu comedy “Maggie,”</a>&nbsp;a professional psychic who sees her own future is in for a rough romantic ride. Maggie, played by Rebecca Rittenhouse, gets glimpses of a maybe not-so-happily-ever life after she gives a reading to customer Ben (David Del Rio). Her forecast has them married and parents, but then he moves into her apartment building with a present-day girlfriend. Will love and, more importantly, hilarity ensue? Nichole Sakura, Leonardo Nam and Chris Elliott co-star in the 13-episode series debuting in full on Wednesday.

— Think you’re competitive? The 28 contestants on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/the-challenge-usa/">“The Challenge: USA”</a>&nbsp;have already proven their mettle — in one fashion or another — on “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “Big Brother” and “Love Island.” Players will face mental and physical contests in the series arriving with a 90-minute episode on Wednesday on CBS (streaming on Paramount+). T.J. Lavin hosts the first network broadcast of MTV’s international reality franchise, with “Survivor” winners Tyson Apostol, Ben Driebergen and Sarah Lacina among those vying for the $500,000 grand prize.

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.<h2>MOVIES</h2>— Netflix’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-E-IGQCsPo">“The Sea Beast”</a>&nbsp;brings a “Moby Dick”-like tale down to kid size. The rollicking ocean adventure, directed by “Big Hero 6” filmmaker Chris Williams, is about an orphan British girl (voiced by Zaris-Angel Hator) who stows away on a ship hunting sea beasts. The veteran animator Williams, who co-directed “Moana,” returns to the high-seas for a swashbuckling tale made with the kind of accomplished animation often only found on the big screen. It debuts Friday.— The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/">Criterion Channel</a>&nbsp;has a new film series sure to knock you out. “In the Ring: Boxing On-Screen” brings together 16 bobbing-and-weaving movies, from the 1927 Alfred Hitchcock silent “The Ring” to Martin Scorsese’s 1980 masterpiece “Raging Bull.” The series, streaming in July, argues that boxing and cinema grew in tandem, and remain uniquely suited to one another. Two highlights: “The Set-Up,” Robert Wise’s sweaty 1949 noir with Robert Ryan as a washed-up boxer whose manager sets him up to take a dive; and Leon Gast’s 1996 documentary classic “When We Were Kings,” about the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman 1974 bout, the “Rumble in the Jungle.”— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle<h2>MUSIC</h2>— Neil Young isn’t finished opening his vaults. On Friday, he’s releasing the shelved Crazy Horse album "Toast,” a set they recorded in 2001 at Toast Studios in San Francisco. “‘Toast’ is an album that stands on its own in my collection,”&nbsp;<a href="https://neilyoungarchives.com/news/7/article?id=Road-Stories-Toast/">Young wrote last year.</a>&nbsp;“Unlike any other, ‘Toast’ was so sad that I couldn’t put it out. I just skipped it and went on to do another album in its place. I couldn’t handle it at that time.” The seven songs on “Toast” explore a broken relationship. In the last song, “Boom Boom Boom,” Young sings: “All I got is a broken heart, and I don’t try to hide it when I play my guitar.”— Quick, what was the name of the first album Elton John ever recorded? If you answered “Empty Sky,” close, but wrong. It’s actually “Regimental Sgt. Zippo,” a 12-track album that the then-unknown teenager John — credited as Reg Dwight — recorded in 1968 at age 19 with lyricist Bernie Taupin that was shelved. It had a limited release on Record Store Day in 2021, but now it will be available Friday on LP, CD and streaming. Beatles harmonies, harpsichords and flute-like sounds permeate the album, which The Guardian says has a “naïve, endearing charm” and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN7G6eMVsEo">the title track has a trippy animated video.</a>— Journey’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMDpx-jcdKA">“Let It Rain”</a>&nbsp;is one of the singles ahead of the band’s next studio album, “Freedom,” set for release Friday, “that brings back the grand scale of the group’s greatest moments, along with updated and bold new directions and sounds,” says the band. It’s their first project of new material since 2011’s “Eclipse.” The new record also features the tracks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzMstMO4dw0">“You Got the Best of Me”</a>&nbsp;and “The Way We Used to Be.”— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy<h2>TELEVISION</h2>— Writer and commentator Baratunde Thurston goes big with a region-by-region trek in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/america-outdoors-baratunde-thurston/">“America Outdoors,”</a>&nbsp;debuting Tuesday on PBS. In an effort to understand Americans’ “complicated relationship” with the natural world, the six-part series visits with people including wilderness pilots in Idaho; Appalachian coal miners who have turned to beekeeping; Black surfers in Los Angeles, and an ultramarathoner in California’s Death Valley. Getting in touch with nature and those attuned to it proved to be one of “the best things I could do with my time,” Thurston says.— In the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjVNZIUw9ek">Hulu comedy “Maggie,”</a>&nbsp;a professional psychic who sees her own future is in for a rough romantic ride. Maggie, played by Rebecca Rittenhouse, gets glimpses of a maybe not-so-happily-ever life after she gives a reading to customer Ben (David Del Rio). Her forecast has them married and parents, but then he moves into her apartment building with a present-day girlfriend. Will love and, more importantly, hilarity ensue? Nichole Sakura, Leonardo Nam and Chris Elliott co-star in the 13-episode series debuting in full on Wednesday.— Think you’re competitive? The 28 contestants on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/the-challenge-usa/">“The Challenge: USA”</a>&nbsp;have already proven their mettle — in one fashion or another — on “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “Big Brother” and “Love Island.” Players will face mental and physical contests in the series arriving with a 90-minute episode on Wednesday on CBS (streaming on Paramount+). T.J. Lavin hosts the first network broadcast of MTV’s international reality franchise, with “Survivor” winners Tyson Apostol, Ben Driebergen and Sarah Lacina among those vying for the $500,000 grand prize.— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber

New this week: 'The Sea Beast,' early Elton John, 'Maggie'

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22TED%20ANTHONY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By TED ANTHONY </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22TED%20ANTHONY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP National Writer</a>

Two generations after its 1966 debut, the universe of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.startrek.com/">“Star Trek”</a>&nbsp;has become a vast and sprawling mural in these heady days of streaming TV.

There’s the dark and bingeworthy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-picard/">“Star Trek: Picard,”</a>&nbsp;a deep character study of an aging and beloved captain confronting his demons — and saving life as we know it twice in two seasons. There’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-prodigy/">“Star Trek: Prodigy,”</a>&nbsp;a rich, 3D-animated story aimed at kids and full of wonder. There’s the more traditionally animated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-lower-decks/">“Star Trek: Lower Decks,”</a>&nbsp;a wacky variation on the theme that unfolds on an also-ran starship and is brimming with fan-service moments.

And smack in the center of the mural sits&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-discovery/">“Star Trek Discovery,”</a>&nbsp;the epic journey of a Federation starship and its crew across an entire millennium as it saves the galaxy not once (rogue AI!) , not twice (“The Burn!”), but three times (“The Dark Matter Anomaly!”) in four seasons and counting.

Intricate story arcs. Deep serialization. A requirement for sequential viewing and a serious attention span. That’s a lot of commitment, even for a binger. So what’s a planet-of-the-week fan of the original series and its episodic aesthetic to do?

The answer, of course, is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds/">“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,”</a>&nbsp;which is chronicling the voyages of the USS Enterprise before Kirk became its captain. Led by Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), the show is essentially a workplace drama in deep space — the intergalactic equivalent of looking in on a really interesting office and getting various tastes of what exactly it is that everyone does.

“Strange New Worlds,” whose first-season finale “airs” Thursday on Paramount+ in the United States, has been a true errand of mercy for those “Trek” fans who love old-fashioned, self-contained episodes, and want the opportunity to experience a Whitman’s Sampler of sci-fi from week to week.

So far, the show’s peregrinations — one-and-done plots, even as character development reaches across episodes — have been varied and wandering in the most satisfying of ways.

Season One has featured, among other genre journeys, forays into comedy, horror, submarine thriller, contagious-disease drama and full-on medieval fantasy. Each has been suffused with humanism, optimism and the complex moral questions and allegories that made “Star Trek” so relevant in that other period of unrelenting upheaval, the 1960s.

Viewers — not merely longtime fans — are eating it up. The show has a preposterously high&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/star_trek_strange_new_worlds">rating of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes</a>&nbsp;and seems to appeal to both traditionalists and newer acolytes. But why does this iteration of the “Trek” universe hit so rightly at this exact moment? As Spock might say, a number of possibilities present themselves.

First, consider the baseball card and the postage stamp — both fodder for collectors for a century and a half. People love them for many reasons, but they share a key trait: Each, when collected, is an assemblage of variants of an appealing form. And though the form is familiar and generally consistent, inside its borders anything goes.

What’s more, not every specimen has to be earth-shattering (or galaxy-shattering). For every rare 1909&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/88701e51658149be8f1f8bb8bd78896e">Honus Wagner card</a>&nbsp;or 1918&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/019d49d46425496594ca93f81f972e6d">“Inverted Jenny” stamp,</a>&nbsp;there are countless others that are simply small glimpses of the day-to-day — the journeyman infielder, the forever stamp with the flower on it. They’re not world-changers on their own, but each is a sterling example of the breed, and together — when collected — they form a larger tapestry.

When it comes to “Strange New Worlds,” though, the appeal runs even deeper than that. Oddly enough, it’s also about normalcy.

The creator of “Star Trek,” Gene Roddenberry, pitched it originally as&nbsp;<a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WagonTrainToTheStars">“Wagon Train to the Stars,”</a>&nbsp;pushing out onto the (final) frontier. But boiled down, the original series — and “Strange New Worlds,” on a 21st-century level — is a meditation on the workplace.

The coronavirus pandemic has taught us a lot about the workplace — both being in it and not being in it — and about the desire for the normal rhythms of existence. Lots of people are craving routine, day-to-day problems again, while navigating the blurring of barriers between work and home. “Strange New Worlds” is the Trek-verse iteration of all that.

The Enterprise is to “Strange New Worlds” what Grey-Sloan Memorial is to “Grey’s Anatomy” and Dunder Mifflin is to “The Office.” It’s a canvas. And behind all the fantastic allegories that the best of “Trek” has offered are more prosaic ones — ones that evoke our own workplaces and getting along with other departments and meeting cool new colleagues (talkin’ to you,&nbsp;<a href="https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Erica_Ortegas">Erica Ortegas)</a>&nbsp;and, sometimes, dealing with a public that may occasionally seem downright alien.

Members of the Enterprise crew on “Strange New Worlds” are living their lives. They’re doing their jobs, even when their jobs really suck — like when they lose one of their own or are under attack. Like us, they find themselves in different moods from episode to episode, from scene to scene. They’re silly one moment, crisp and efficient the next, emotional the next and then, maybe, silly all over again. It all feels more like the cadence of actual life than one of these deep dives into a single, relentless story arc.

And while nothing is reset at the end of each week — characters evolve, pain endures, progress is made — to begin each episode with a new story feels strangely like an act of optimism. With humanity navigating such huge issues — climate change, guns, racism, abortion, war — why wouldn’t the chance for a narrative fresh start each week be immensely appealing?

Saving life as we know it? Sure, when it's needed. That’s part of what sci-fi is all about. But DEALING with life as we know it? That’s the sweet and timely spot here, too. Aboard this version of the USS Enterprise, each is equally in play. And in these jumbled times, at the intersection of both, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is thriving.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22TED%20ANTHONY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By TED ANTHONY </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22TED%20ANTHONY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP National Writer</a>Two generations after its 1966 debut, the universe of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.startrek.com/">“Star Trek”</a>&nbsp;has become a vast and sprawling mural in these heady days of streaming TV.There’s the dark and bingeworthy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-picard/">“Star Trek: Picard,”</a>&nbsp;a deep character study of an aging and beloved captain confronting his demons — and saving life as we know it twice in two seasons. There’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-prodigy/">“Star Trek: Prodigy,”</a>&nbsp;a rich, 3D-animated story aimed at kids and full of wonder. There’s the more traditionally animated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-lower-decks/">“Star Trek: Lower Decks,”</a>&nbsp;a wacky variation on the theme that unfolds on an also-ran starship and is brimming with fan-service moments.And smack in the center of the mural sits&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-discovery/">“Star Trek Discovery,”</a>&nbsp;the epic journey of a Federation starship and its crew across an entire millennium as it saves the galaxy not once (rogue AI!) , not twice (“The Burn!”), but three times (“The Dark Matter Anomaly!”) in four seasons and counting.Intricate story arcs. Deep serialization. A requirement for sequential viewing and a serious attention span. That’s a lot of commitment, even for a binger. So what’s a planet-of-the-week fan of the original series and its episodic aesthetic to do?The answer, of course, is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds/">“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,”</a>&nbsp;which is chronicling the voyages of the USS Enterprise before Kirk became its captain. Led by Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), the show is essentially a workplace drama in deep space — the intergalactic equivalent of looking in on a really interesting office and getting various tastes of what exactly it is that everyone does.“Strange New Worlds,” whose first-season finale “airs” Thursday on Paramount+ in the United States, has been a true errand of mercy for those “Trek” fans who love old-fashioned, self-contained episodes, and want the opportunity to experience a Whitman’s Sampler of sci-fi from week to week.So far, the show’s peregrinations — one-and-done plots, even as character development reaches across episodes — have been varied and wandering in the most satisfying of ways.Season One has featured, among other genre journeys, forays into comedy, horror, submarine thriller, contagious-disease drama and full-on medieval fantasy. Each has been suffused with humanism, optimism and the complex moral questions and allegories that made “Star Trek” so relevant in that other period of unrelenting upheaval, the 1960s.Viewers — not merely longtime fans — are eating it up. The show has a preposterously high&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/star_trek_strange_new_worlds">rating of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes</a>&nbsp;and seems to appeal to both traditionalists and newer acolytes. But why does this iteration of the “Trek” universe hit so rightly at this exact moment? As Spock might say, a number of possibilities present themselves.First, consider the baseball card and the postage stamp — both fodder for collectors for a century and a half. People love them for many reasons, but they share a key trait: Each, when collected, is an assemblage of variants of an appealing form. And though the form is familiar and generally consistent, inside its borders anything goes.What’s more, not every specimen has to be earth-shattering (or galaxy-shattering). For every rare 1909&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/88701e51658149be8f1f8bb8bd78896e">Honus Wagner card</a>&nbsp;or 1918&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/019d49d46425496594ca93f81f972e6d">“Inverted Jenny” stamp,</a>&nbsp;there are countless others that are simply small glimpses of the day-to-day — the journeyman infielder, the forever stamp with the flower on it. They’re not world-changers on their own, but each is a sterling example of the breed, and together — when collected — they form a larger tapestry.When it comes to “Strange New Worlds,” though, the appeal runs even deeper than that. Oddly enough, it’s also about normalcy.The creator of “Star Trek,” Gene Roddenberry, pitched it originally as&nbsp;<a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WagonTrainToTheStars">“Wagon Train to the Stars,”</a>&nbsp;pushing out onto the (final) frontier. But boiled down, the original series — and “Strange New Worlds,” on a 21st-century level — is a meditation on the workplace.The coronavirus pandemic has taught us a lot about the workplace — both being in it and not being in it — and about the desire for the normal rhythms of existence. Lots of people are craving routine, day-to-day problems again, while navigating the blurring of barriers between work and home. “Strange New Worlds” is the Trek-verse iteration of all that.The Enterprise is to “Strange New Worlds” what Grey-Sloan Memorial is to “Grey’s Anatomy” and Dunder Mifflin is to “The Office.” It’s a canvas. And behind all the fantastic allegories that the best of “Trek” has offered are more prosaic ones — ones that evoke our own workplaces and getting along with other departments and meeting cool new colleagues (talkin’ to you,&nbsp;<a href="https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Erica_Ortegas">Erica Ortegas)</a>&nbsp;and, sometimes, dealing with a public that may occasionally seem downright alien.Members of the Enterprise crew on “Strange New Worlds” are living their lives. They’re doing their jobs, even when their jobs really suck — like when they lose one of their own or are under attack. Like us, they find themselves in different moods from episode to episode, from scene to scene. They’re silly one moment, crisp and efficient the next, emotional the next and then, maybe, silly all over again. It all feels more like the cadence of actual life than one of these deep dives into a single, relentless story arc.And while nothing is reset at the end of each week — characters evolve, pain endures, progress is made — to begin each episode with a new story feels strangely like an act of optimism. With humanity navigating such huge issues — climate change, guns, racism, abortion, war — why wouldn’t the chance for a narrative fresh start each week be immensely appealing?Saving life as we know it? Sure, when it's needed. That’s part of what sci-fi is all about. But DEALING with life as we know it? That’s the sweet and timely spot here, too. Aboard this version of the USS Enterprise, each is equally in play. And in these jumbled times, at the intersection of both, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is thriving.

Star Trek’s ‘Strange New Worlds’: In defense of episodic TV

Families went bananas for Minions this weekend at the movie theater. “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/film-reviews-entertainment-movies-55df07acee61fe4d523924a6b71e7e06">Minions: The Rise of Gru</a>&nbsp;” brought in an estimated $108.5 million in ticket sales from 4,391 screens in North America, Universal Pictures said Sunday. By the end of the Monday’s July Fourth holiday, it will likely have earned over $127.9 million.

The film is on track to become one of the biggest openings ever for a July Fourth holiday weekend, a record previously held by “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” which made $115.9 million in its first four days in 2011. Including international showings, where “Minions: The Rise of Gru" is playing in 61 markets, its worldwide gross is sitting at $202.2 million through Sunday.

“It's a tremendous debut,” said Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution. “It’s playing very broadly across North America. Every single market doing extraordinarily well.”

This is just the latest in a string of successes for Universal's family releases, including “Sing 2," which has grossed over $406 million since opening in December, and “The Bad Guys,” which has made over $243 million. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” serves as further proof that family audiences are willing to go back to the movie theater.

“Families feel very comfortable bringing all their kids to the theater,” Orr said. “These results speak for themselves.”

“Minions 2” attracted all ages to the theater, even the very young. According to PostTrak surveys, 12% were under the age of 10.

“For many months there was this idea that family audiences were not going to come back to the theater. We can put that to rest,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.

The spinoff of the popular “Despicable Me” series was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-2022-movies-minions-despicable-me-e8040ee111ce5a24fab25b2e4667432d">delayed two years</a>&nbsp;because of the pandemic. The sequel to the 2015 film “Minions” was originally slated for a July 2020 release. While many other animated family films opted for streaming or hybrid releases, “Minions,” much like “Top Gun: Maverick,” stayed the course and waited for an ideal time to launch in theaters only. And as with “Top Gun” the wait, it seems, was worth it.

“This became an event. It was a holiday weekend, the release date was perfect, the marketing was spot on,” Dergarabedian said. “And everyone knew this was going to be in theaters only.”

The voice cast features Steve Carell, reprising his role as Gru, Alan Arkin, Michelle Yeoh and Julie Andrews as Gru’s mother. Critics were mixed to positive (it currently has a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes) but audiences were more enthusiastic, giving the Gru origin story an A CinemaScore.

Universal and Illumination have had enormous success with the five “Despicable Me” movies and spinoffs, which date back to 2010 and have earned over $3.7 billion at the global box office.

In second place was “Top Gun: Maverick,” which continues to deliver six weeks in, adding another $25.5 million to its total, which has already surpassed $1 billion. The Paramount Pictures film is still playing in 3,843 locations.

Warner Bros.' “Elvis” took third place, down only 39% in its second weekend in theaters. The Baz Luhrmann film grossed an estimated $19 million through Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $67.3 million.

Fourth and fifth place went to Universal titles as well with “Jurassic World: Dominion" picking up another $15.7 million and the horror movie “The Black Phone” adding $12.3 million through Sunday.

Disney's “Lightyear," meanwhile, tumbled further in its third weekend with an estimated $6.5 million. By Monday, that total should raise to $8.1 million bringing its cumulative earnings to $106.9 million.

Bleecker Street released “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/film-reviews-entertainment-movies-847263587380422ab5fdfc5009f5a85f">Mr. Malcolm's List</a>&nbsp;” this weekend on 1,384 screens in the U.S. and Canada. The Regency-era comedy of manners stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-jane-austen-aaee75ac487e7ed13b29075497f2b4b2">Freida Pinto and Zawe Ashton</a>&nbsp;as friends looking to get back at a picky bachelor. The studio estimates that the film will have $851,853 by end of Sunday and over $1 million by end of Monday.

Audiences are also still catching up with A24’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which added an estimated $552,000 from 607 screens, in spite of the fact that it’s also available to rent on demand. The studio’s newer title, “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” expanded to 22 screens this weekend and is expected to earn about $308,000 by the end of Monday.

According to Comscore, the weekend as a whole will go down as one of the biggest of the pandemic era. And the momentum is expected to continue with the release of Marvel's “Thor: Love and Thunder” next week.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.

1. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” $108.5 million.

2. “Top Gun: Maverick,” $25.5 million.

4. “Jurassic World: Dominion,” $15.7 million.

8. “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” $551,974.

9. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $390,000.

Families went bananas for Minions this weekend at the movie theater. “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/film-reviews-entertainment-movies-55df07acee61fe4d523924a6b71e7e06">Minions: The Rise of Gru</a>&nbsp;” brought in an estimated $108.5 million in ticket sales from 4,391 screens in North America, Universal Pictures said Sunday. By the end of the Monday’s July Fourth holiday, it will likely have earned over $127.9 million.The film is on track to become one of the biggest openings ever for a July Fourth holiday weekend, a record previously held by “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” which made $115.9 million in its first four days in 2011. Including international showings, where “Minions: The Rise of Gru" is playing in 61 markets, its worldwide gross is sitting at $202.2 million through Sunday.“It's a tremendous debut,” said Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution. “It’s playing very broadly across North America. Every single market doing extraordinarily well.”This is just the latest in a string of successes for Universal's family releases, including “Sing 2," which has grossed over $406 million since opening in December, and “The Bad Guys,” which has made over $243 million. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” serves as further proof that family audiences are willing to go back to the movie theater.“Families feel very comfortable bringing all their kids to the theater,” Orr said. “These results speak for themselves.”“Minions 2” attracted all ages to the theater, even the very young. According to PostTrak surveys, 12% were under the age of 10.“For many months there was this idea that family audiences were not going to come back to the theater. We can put that to rest,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.The spinoff of the popular “Despicable Me” series was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-2022-movies-minions-despicable-me-e8040ee111ce5a24fab25b2e4667432d">delayed two years</a>&nbsp;because of the pandemic. The sequel to the 2015 film “Minions” was originally slated for a July 2020 release. While many other animated family films opted for streaming or hybrid releases, “Minions,” much like “Top Gun: Maverick,” stayed the course and waited for an ideal time to launch in theaters only. And as with “Top Gun” the wait, it seems, was worth it.“This became an event. It was a holiday weekend, the release date was perfect, the marketing was spot on,” Dergarabedian said. “And everyone knew this was going to be in theaters only.”The voice cast features Steve Carell, reprising his role as Gru, Alan Arkin, Michelle Yeoh and Julie Andrews as Gru’s mother. Critics were mixed to positive (it currently has a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes) but audiences were more enthusiastic, giving the Gru origin story an A CinemaScore.Universal and Illumination have had enormous success with the five “Despicable Me” movies and spinoffs, which date back to 2010 and have earned over $3.7 billion at the global box office.In second place was “Top Gun: Maverick,” which continues to deliver six weeks in, adding another $25.5 million to its total, which has already surpassed $1 billion. The Paramount Pictures film is still playing in 3,843 locations.Warner Bros.' “Elvis” took third place, down only 39% in its second weekend in theaters. The Baz Luhrmann film grossed an estimated $19 million through Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $67.3 million.Fourth and fifth place went to Universal titles as well with “Jurassic World: Dominion" picking up another $15.7 million and the horror movie “The Black Phone” adding $12.3 million through Sunday.Disney's “Lightyear," meanwhile, tumbled further in its third weekend with an estimated $6.5 million. By Monday, that total should raise to $8.1 million bringing its cumulative earnings to $106.9 million.Bleecker Street released “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/film-reviews-entertainment-movies-847263587380422ab5fdfc5009f5a85f">Mr. Malcolm's List</a>&nbsp;” this weekend on 1,384 screens in the U.S. and Canada. The Regency-era comedy of manners stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-jane-austen-aaee75ac487e7ed13b29075497f2b4b2">Freida Pinto and Zawe Ashton</a>&nbsp;as friends looking to get back at a picky bachelor. The studio estimates that the film will have $851,853 by end of Sunday and over $1 million by end of Monday.Audiences are also still catching up with A24’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which added an estimated $552,000 from 607 screens, in spite of the fact that it’s also available to rent on demand. The studio’s newer title, “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” expanded to 22 screens this weekend and is expected to earn about $308,000 by the end of Monday.According to Comscore, the weekend as a whole will go down as one of the biggest of the pandemic era. And the momentum is expected to continue with the release of Marvel's “Thor: Love and Thunder” next week.Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.1. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” $108.5 million.2. “Top Gun: Maverick,” $25.5 million.3. “Elvis,” $19 million.4. “Jurassic World: Dominion,” $15.7 million.5. “The Black Phone,” $12.3 million.6. “Lightyear,” $6.6 million.7. “Mr. Malcolm’s List, $851,853.8. “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” $551,974.9. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $390,000.10. “JugJugg Jeeyo,” $318,000.

‘Minions’ set box office on fire with $108.5 million debut

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will present the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-ap-top-news-north-america-celebrities-denzel-washington-838c2e799e9a4016994658913b1c9e68">Denzel Washington</a>, gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-sports-college-sports-health-9169b6c48f8fd14ac130bc6504ce37b5">Simone Biles</a>&nbsp;and the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eb2275d97afe4b4fa1a1e8b18ecf38ae">John McCain,</a>&nbsp;the Arizona Republican with whom Biden served in the U.S. Senate.

Biden will also recognize&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-new-york-city-health-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-568cac33020b6c9b26971174ab511c48">Sandra Lindsay</a>, the New York City nurse who rolled up her sleeve on live television in December 2020 to receive the first COVID-19 vaccine dose that was pumped into an arm in the United States, the White House announced Friday.

Biden’s honors list, which the White House shared first with The Associated Press, includes both living and deceased honorees from the worlds of Hollywood, sports, politics, the military, academia, and civil rights and social justice advocacy.

The Democratic president will present the medals at the White House next week.

Biden himself is a medal recipient.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/22492a519ffe4a52b19004c3e084d931">President Barack Obama honored Biden’s public service</a>&nbsp;as a longtime U.S. senator and vice president by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2017, a week before they left office.

The honorees who'll receive medals from Biden “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come," the White House said.

The honor is reserved for people who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal public or private endeavors, the White House said.

Biles is the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, winning 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. She is an outspoken advocate on issues that are very personal to her, including athletes’ mental health, children in foster care and sexual assault victims.

Lindsay became an advocate for COVID-19 vaccinations after receiving the first dose in the U.S. outside of clinical trials.

McCain, who died of brain cancer in 2018, spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in both houses of Congress and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Biden said McCain was a “dear friend” and "a hero.”

Washington is a double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer. He also has a Tony award, two Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a longtime spokesperson for the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America.

— Sister Simone Campbell. Campbell is a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization. She is an advocate for economic justice, overhauling the U.S. immigration system and health care policy.

— Julieta Garcia. A former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville, Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said. She was named one of the nation’s best college presidents by Time magazine.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-politics-entertainment-shootings-arizona-3b290d8596a2fa3211b62866771690a6">Gabrielle Giffords</a>. A former U.S. House member from Arizona, the Democrat founded Giffords, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence. She was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson and was gravely wounded.

— Fred Gray. Gray was one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr.

— Steve Jobs. Jobs was the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.

— Father Alexander Karloutsos. Karloutsos is the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. The White House said Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d16afa8906d04f75a217d8c68f872544">Khizr Khan</a>. An immigrant from Pakistan, Khan's Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump's wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

— Diane Nash. A founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Nash organized some of the most important 20th century civil rights campaigns and worked with King.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/megan-rapinoe">Megan Rapinoe</a>. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women's World Cup soccer champion captains the OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQI+ rights who has appeared at Biden's White House.

Rapinoe, who was at training camp in Denver when the White House called to inform her of the honor, thought she was getting a prank or robocall when she saw her phone say “White House,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement. She showed her phone to a teammate, who encouraged her to answer the call.

— Alan Simpson. The retired U.S. senator from Wyoming served with Biden and has been a prominent advocate for campaign finance reform, responsible governance and marriage equality.

— Richard Trumka. Trumka had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade at the time of his August 2021 death. He was a past president of the United Mine Workers.

— Raúl Yzaguirre. A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years. He served as U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic under Obama.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will present the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-ap-top-news-north-america-celebrities-denzel-washington-838c2e799e9a4016994658913b1c9e68">Denzel Washington</a>, gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-sports-college-sports-health-9169b6c48f8fd14ac130bc6504ce37b5">Simone Biles</a>&nbsp;and the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eb2275d97afe4b4fa1a1e8b18ecf38ae">John McCain,</a>&nbsp;the Arizona Republican with whom Biden served in the U.S. Senate.Biden will also recognize&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-new-york-city-health-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-568cac33020b6c9b26971174ab511c48">Sandra Lindsay</a>, the New York City nurse who rolled up her sleeve on live television in December 2020 to receive the first COVID-19 vaccine dose that was pumped into an arm in the United States, the White House announced Friday.Biden’s honors list, which the White House shared first with The Associated Press, includes both living and deceased honorees from the worlds of Hollywood, sports, politics, the military, academia, and civil rights and social justice advocacy.The Democratic president will present the medals at the White House next week.Biden himself is a medal recipient.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/22492a519ffe4a52b19004c3e084d931">President Barack Obama honored Biden’s public service</a>&nbsp;as a longtime U.S. senator and vice president by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2017, a week before they left office.The honorees who'll receive medals from Biden “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come," the White House said.The honor is reserved for people who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal public or private endeavors, the White House said.Biles is the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, winning 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. She is an outspoken advocate on issues that are very personal to her, including athletes’ mental health, children in foster care and sexual assault victims.Lindsay became an advocate for COVID-19 vaccinations after receiving the first dose in the U.S. outside of clinical trials.McCain, who died of brain cancer in 2018, spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in both houses of Congress and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Biden said McCain was a “dear friend” and "a hero.”Washington is a double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer. He also has a Tony award, two Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a longtime spokesperson for the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America.The other 13 medal recipients are:— Sister Simone Campbell. Campbell is a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization. She is an advocate for economic justice, overhauling the U.S. immigration system and health care policy.— Julieta Garcia. A former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville, Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said. She was named one of the nation’s best college presidents by Time magazine.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-politics-entertainment-shootings-arizona-3b290d8596a2fa3211b62866771690a6">Gabrielle Giffords</a>. A former U.S. House member from Arizona, the Democrat founded Giffords, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence. She was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson and was gravely wounded.— Fred Gray. Gray was one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr.— Steve Jobs. Jobs was the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.— Father Alexander Karloutsos. Karloutsos is the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. The White House said Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d16afa8906d04f75a217d8c68f872544">Khizr Khan</a>. An immigrant from Pakistan, Khan's Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump's wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.— Diane Nash. A founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Nash organized some of the most important 20th century civil rights campaigns and worked with King.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/megan-rapinoe">Megan Rapinoe</a>. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women's World Cup soccer champion captains the OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQI+ rights who has appeared at Biden's White House.Rapinoe, who was at training camp in Denver when the White House called to inform her of the honor, thought she was getting a prank or robocall when she saw her phone say “White House,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement. She showed her phone to a teammate, who encouraged her to answer the call.— Alan Simpson. The retired U.S. senator from Wyoming served with Biden and has been a prominent advocate for campaign finance reform, responsible governance and marriage equality.— Richard Trumka. Trumka had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade at the time of his August 2021 death. He was a past president of the United Mine Workers.— Wilma Vaught. A brigadier general, Vaught is one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history, breaking gender barriers as she has risen through the ranks. When Vaught retired in 1985, she was one of only seven female generals in the Armed Forces.— Raúl Yzaguirre. A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years. He served as U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic under Obama.

Biden to award Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain, Giffords

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin on Sunday denied allegations that led to a restraining order against him, with police noting that he has not been charged with any crime.

Police said Saturday that a judge had issued the order against Martin, but authorities trying to serve the order were unable to find the singer in the Puerto Rican town of Dorado, where he lives. The order was filed under Puerto Rico’s domestic violence law and police spokesman Axel Valencia said he could not provide further details, including who requested the order.

Martin said in a tweet that the order is based on “completely false” allegations and that he will face the process “with the responsibility that characterizes me.”

“I appreciate the innumerable gestures of solidarity and I receive them with all my heart,” he wrote.

He said that since it was an open legal issue, he could not comment further.

Representatives for Martin earlier issued a statement and described the allegations as “completely false and fabricated." It did not name the representatives.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin on Sunday denied allegations that led to a restraining order against him, with police noting that he has not been charged with any crime.Police said Saturday that a judge had issued the order against Martin, but authorities trying to serve the order were unable to find the singer in the Puerto Rican town of Dorado, where he lives. The order was filed under Puerto Rico’s domestic violence law and police spokesman Axel Valencia said he could not provide further details, including who requested the order.Martin said in a tweet that the order is based on “completely false” allegations and that he will face the process “with the responsibility that characterizes me.”“I appreciate the innumerable gestures of solidarity and I receive them with all my heart,” he wrote.He said that since it was an open legal issue, he could not comment further.Representatives for Martin earlier issued a statement and described the allegations as “completely false and fabricated." It did not name the representatives.“We are very confident that when the true facts come out in this matter our client Ricky Martin will be fully vindicated,” they said in a statement shared with The Associated Press.El Vocero, a Puerto Rico newspaper, said the order states that Martin and the other person dated for seven months. The report quotes the order as saying they broke up two months ago, but the petitioner says Martin did not accept the separation and has been seen loitering near the petitioner’s house at least three times.“The petitioner fears for his safety,” El Vocero quoted the order as saying.AP has not obtained a copy of the order.