Weekend news roundup 20/01: Box office and NFL latest

Jonathan Victoria • 20 Jan 2025 News

Plus European Tour golf, Suits LA and Australian Open updates.

NFL Conference Championships matchups set

The NFL Divisional Round has come and gone and as expected, it provided some brilliant entertainment and even a somewhat shocking result.

Up first was the Detroit Lions hosting the Washington Commanders, and that’s where the surprise of the weekend was seen as the visiting side stunned the NFC top seeded, who were many pundits’ favourites to at least make the Super Bowl this season.

Washington’s sensational 45-31 victory, coupled with fellow NFC East division rivals Philadelphia Eagles’ victory over the LA Rams, means that it is an inter-division Conference Championship matchup next weekend with a place in the big game up for grabs.

Over on the AFC side, the defending champions Kansas City Chiefs continue to look strong in their bid to become the first three-peat Super Bowl winners, taking down the Houston Texans 23-14.

They will meet the Buffalo Bills led by potential MVP winner Josh Allen, who overcame Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in a stunning clash, narrowly winning 27-25.

Mufasa retakes domestic box office top spot

Credit: Mufasa: The Lion King | Official Trailer (Disney, YouTube)

On Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, it was Mufasa: The Lion King that took the crown in the US box office this weekend, fending off two debutants in One of them Days and Wolf Man to reclaim the top spot.

While it fell short in a standard three-day box office weekend view, the special four-day box office gave Mufasa the chance to pounce and take back number one, a position it previously held during the first box office weekend of the year.

The film, both a prequel and a sequel to 2019s The Lion King, has now surpassed $200m in the US, sitting at a total of $209.7m. Put together with its $382.2m internationally, the film will likely surpass a total of $600m next weekend, needing just $8.1m to do so.

Hatton claims first Rolex Series event of the season

Tyrrell Hatton made a good case for his inclusion in Team Europe’s Ryder Cup squad later this year after surviving the dramatics on the final day of the Dubai Desert Classic to claim his first Rolex Series title since 2021 and fifth overall.

Hatton’s move over to the LIV Golf Tour has not quelled his competitive nature against the best, with his latest win propelling him back into the the top 10 of the world rankings.

This tournament win was made more special due to how much it meant for the Englishman, who used to skip school as a boy to watch the early round events unfold.

Fellow Team Europe member Rory McIlroy, who had a fine final day to finish fourth in the tournament, spoke highly of Hatton and his place in the Ryder Cup squad, stating he will be a “massive asset” for the side as they aim to retain the trophy over Team USA, who will have the home-field advantage.

New Suits LA clip shows off more of stars character

Credit: Suits LA (NBC) Promo HD - Stephen Amell series (TV Promos, YouTube)

The 23rd of February can’t come soon enough for Suits fans as the new spinoff Suits LA draws closer to its release.

To garner more excitement for the series debut, a new 30 second teaser trailer has been shown off, revealing more of Arrow star Stephen Amell’s portrayal of the series’ main character Ted Black.

Suits became a surprise hit in 2023 when it arrived onto Netflix, bringing new fans to the show which had been off air since 2019. Thanks to its newfound fanbase, spinoffs were conceived and now realised, giving us more legal action, this time in a new location on the other side of the US.

One of the main characters of the original series, Harvey Specter (played by Gabriel Macht), will be a big connecting part between the two shows, with Specter confirmed to show up in at least three episodes during the first season.

No Brits left in Australian Open contention

The Australian Open entered its second and final week in the early hours of the morning (at least it was for us here, not so for them in Melbourne), and unfortunately, all the Brits who started the tournament in the men’s and women’s singles competitions have been left behind.

British men's number one Jack Draper was the last to fall, withdrawing midway through his fourth-round match against world number three-ranked Carlos Alcaraz due to a hip injury.

2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu fell to second seed Iga Swiatek in the third round on Saturday in straight sets, although it was a more admirable showing then it is perceived given the tournament was her first bit of competitive action of the year as she had previously withdrawn from the Auckland Open due to a back injury.