Entertainment News Roundup: 'Dune' Opens to $40 Million at the Box Office. Strong Enough for a Sequel?; Somali drama wins Pan-African film festival grand prize and more

The 42-year-old was working as director of photography on the New Mexico set of new Western "Rush" when she was killed on Thursday when Baldwin fired a prop gun. 'Dune' Opens to $40 Million at the Box Office.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Alec Baldwin seen consoling family of slain cinematographer as set problems mount

Alec Baldwin has been seen consoling the family of the cinematographer he accidentally killed on the set of his movie, as more reports emerged on Sunday of troubling practices during the filming of the Western "Rust". A distraught Baldwin was photographed outside a hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday embracing and talking with Matt Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchins, and their nine-year-old son.

Somali drama wins Pan-African film festival grand prize

Somalia's entry "The Gravedigger's Wife" by Finish-Somali writer-director Khadar Ayderus Ahmed won the prestigious Stallion of Yennenga grand prize for best film at the Pan-African film festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Sunday. The poignant drama about a gravedigger's struggles to raise money to pay for his wife's surgery, took home the 20 million franc CFA ($35,714) prize money and the golden stallion statue.

Prop gun in Alec Baldwin accidental movie set shooting had live rounds, police say

Alec Baldwin was handed what was described as a safe "cold gun" on the set of his movie "Rust", but the prop gun contained live rounds when it was fired, according to details of the police investigation into the fatal shooting released on Friday. The shot hit cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest, and director Joel Souza who was behind her, in the shoulder, according to a county sheriff's affidavit filed in Santa Fe magistrates court.

Broadway's 'Phantom of the Opera' plots a cautious return to the stage

Meghan Picerno was back at work after 18 months of pandemic limbo, overjoyed to be singing and dancing again with her "Phantom of the Opera" castmates as they rehearsed for the return of Broadway's longest-running show. As the musical's late October reopening neared, sometimes all Picerno could think about was making it to the first curtain call unscathed by the breakthrough COVID-19 cases that had sidelined vaccinated actors at other shows.

Motor racing-Ecclestone offered ski role, agrees with Verstappen on Netflix

Ex-Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, 91 on Thursday, is adamant about one thing after being offered an advisory role by the new head of skiing's governing body -- he will not be taking to the slopes. FIS president and fellow-billionaire Johan Eliasch told reporters before the weekend's Alpine World Cup season-openers in Soelden, Austria, that he had approached Ecclestone about joining an advisory board.

Hollywood remembers cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' immense talent

A heartbroken Hollywood rushed to pay tribute to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Friday after she was accidentally shot dead by actor Alec Baldwin on a movie set. The 42-year-old was working as director of photography on the New Mexico set of new Western "Rush" when she was killed on Thursday when Baldwin fired a prop gun.

'Dune' Opens to $40 Million at the Box Office. Strong Enough for a Sequel?

"Dune," an adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic, opened to $40.1 million at the North American box office. It's a respectable start given the ongoing pandemic and the film's unconventional theatrical debut. In addition to playing in 4,125 domestic theaters, "Dune" (like all Warner Bros. movies in 2021) premiered simultaneously on HBO Max, which might have taken a chunk out of overall ticket sales. In a milestone for the studio, "Dune" landed the biggest three-day tally for Warner Bros. since the company began its day-and-date strategy on HBO Max. "Godzilla vs. Kong," which scored a then-pandemic record $31 million in April, previously held that high-water mark. In the months in between, anticipated movies such as "The Suicide Squad," the LeBron James sports comedy "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and the musical adaptation of "In the Heights" failed to live up to box office expectations while being offered concurrently on HBO Max.

Armorer, assistant director in focus of Baldwin movie set shooting probe

As law enforcement investigates the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/director-gutted-by-death-cinematographer-accidental-shooting-2021-10-23 by actor Alec Baldwin in an accident on the set of "Rust", court records show the probe includes the movie's armorer and assistant director. Here are some details about both:

Prop guns spark debate after cinematographer's death on set

An on-set shooting death has reignited concern about the use of prop guns like the weapon actor Alec Baldwin discharged in the killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming a movie in New Mexico. Some prop guns are non-firing facsimile weapons, but many are real guns, loaded with blank rounds instead of bullets.

(With inputs from agencies.)