Women take ‘Sex’ to the top of the box office

LOS ANGELES - Sarah Jessica Parker and her gal pals have not lost their sex appeal.

The big-screen “Sex and the City” — reuniting Parker and TV co-stars Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon — strutted to a $55.7 million opening weekend, far exceeding Hollywood’s box office expectations.

That was nearly twice the forecast by distributor Warner Bros., whose head of distribution, Dan Fellman, said he had hoped the movie might deliver a $30 million debut.

“Women power,” Fellman said. “It was outstanding this weekend.”

Analysts had figured Paramount’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” might stay atop the box office heap, but it slipped to second place with $46 million in its second weekend. “Indiana Jones” raised its 11-day domestic total to $216.9 million.

“Sex and the City” put up numbers never before seen for a movie aimed mainly at women, who do not tend to rush out in huge numbers for opening weekends the way males do.

“Sex and the City,” released under Warner’s New Line Cinema banner, had the best debut ever for an R-rated comedy, topping the $45.1 million opening of “American Pie 2.”

The movie landed at No. 5 on the all-time list among R-rated films, behind “The Matrix Reloaded” ($91.8 million), “The Passion of the Christ” ($83.8 million), “300” ($70.9 million) and “Hannibal” ($58 million).

“This is a blockbuster for women. This was to women what ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Star Wars,’ let’s say, are to men,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers.

The movie picks up four years after the series finale, in which Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw and her Manhattan buddies left behind their randy ways to settle into monogamous relationships. In the film, they deal with family and commitment issues while still flaunting their bawdy humor and trendy sense of style.

Hollywood skeptics had doubted the commercial prospects for a movie adaptation of “Sex and the City,” which ended its six-year run in 2004. Originally airing on premium cable channel HBO, the show had a loyal but limited fan base and held little appeal for young males, the backbone of the box office.

However, “Sex and the City” mania grew as the movie’s release approached, with many women organizing girls-night-out parties to see it with friends on opening day Friday.

“That’s why Friday was quite a frenzy,” Fellman said. “There were women that came in and bought out entire theaters in advance and invited all their friends.”

Women made up 85 percent of the audience on Friday, Fellman said.

Eddie Murphy to star in ‘Beverly Hills Cop 4’

LOS ANGELES - If Indiana Jones can make a successful comeback after almost 20 years, why not the Beverly Hills Cop?

Paramount Pictures has given the go-ahead for a fourth installment of its “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, with Eddie Murphy on board to return to the role that launched his movie career, the studio said on Thursday.

Brett Ratner, the filmmaker behind the similarly themed ”Rush Hour” movies starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, is in negotiations to direct the latest “Beverly Hills Cop” adventure, a Paramount spokesman said.

Fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent dead at 71

PARIS, France (AP) -- Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent, who reworked the rules of fashion by putting women into elegant pantsuits that came to define how modern women dressed, died Sunday evening, a longtime friend and associate said. He was 71.

Pierre Berge said Saint Laurent died at his Paris home following a long illness.

A towering figure of 20th century fashion, Saint Laurent was widely considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.

In the fast-changing world of haute couture, Saint Laurent was hailed as the most influential and enduring designer of his time. From the first YSL tuxedo and his trim pantsuits to see-through blouses, safari jackets and glamorous gowns, Saint Laurent created instant classics that remain stylish decades later.

When the designer announced his retirement in 2002 at age 65 and the closure of the Paris-based haute couture house he had founded 40 years earlier, it was mourned in the fashion world as the end of an era. His ready-to-wear label, Rive Gauche, which was sold to Gucci in 1999, still has boutiques around the world.

AC Milan sign Zambrotta from Barcelona

(CNN) -- AC Milan have signed Italy international defender Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona, the Serie A club announced on Sunday.

Milan did not release financial details, but Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the former European champions paid $14 million for Zambrotta and will pay another $3.1 million if they finish in the top three in Serie A next season.

Milan finished fifth in Serie A and had to settle for a UEFA Cup place -- and lost in the first round of the knockout stages to Arsenal in their unsuccessful defense of the Champions League last season.

Zambrotta, 31, joined Barcelona from Juventus after Italy's 2006 World Cup triumph. He had spent seven-years at Juve who were relegated for their part in a match fixing scandal. The defender is key member of the Italy team that will play in the European Championship this month in Switzerland and Austria and has been a target for Milan for some time.

Milan needed a defender after Brazilian fullbacks Cafu and Serginho left at the end of the campaign while veteran Paolo Maldini is also yet to sign a new deal for what will be his final season.

Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini was Milan's first signing for next season and several more deals are expected this summer.

Contador powers to Giro d'Italia victory

Story Highlights

• Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain wins Giro d'Italia in Milan
  
• He is first non-Italian to ride to victory in three-week stage race since 1996
  
• Astana rider finishea one minute 57 seconds ahead of Italy's Riccardo Ricco