'Iron Lung' Tops Box Office, Demond Wilson Passes Away, and Legal Developments in Brian Thompson Case
Los Angeles, CA – The independent horror film "Iron Lung," directed by and starring Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach, dominated the box office this weekend, pulling in $8.9 million, according to Variety. The film outperformed other newcomers, including projects featuring Sam Raimi, Jason Statham, and Melania Trump.
In other news, Demond Wilson, best known for his role as Lamont Sanford on the 1970s sitcom "Sanford and Son," died Friday in Palm Springs at the age of 79. Wilson's son told TMZ that his father passed away due to complications related to cancer, Variety reported. Wilson co-starred with Redd Foxx on the popular show.
Meanwhile, in legal news, Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024, will not face the death penalty if convicted. A federal judge dismissed two of the most serious federal charges against Mangione on Friday, including one that would have made him eligible for capital punishment, Time reported. Mangione was arrested on Dec. 9, 2024, after allegedly shooting Thompson in Midtown Manhattan as the CEO was walking to a conference five days prior.
In political news, a video surfaced last Wednesday of Alex Pretti kicking out the taillight of an ICE vehicle, 11 days before Border Patrol agents shot him to death, according to Vox. Right-wing influencers quickly cast the incident as somehow exonerating the agents involved in Pretti's death.
Also in entertainment news, Walter Thompson-Hernández's "If I Go Will They Miss Me," a Sundance Film Festival discovery, is drawing comparisons to "Killer of Sheep" and "Beasts of the Southern Wild," Variety reported. The film offers a unique perspective on growing up in Watts, Los Angeles, focusing on the dreams and aspirations of a 12-year-old boy rather than the typical narratives of crime and poverty. Multiple sources report that the film aims to establish a new cinematic language for representing the community, rejecting condescending portrayals and instead giving its subjects "wings."
Discussion
Join the conversation
Be the first to comment