Weekend news roundup 21/10: Box office latest & WNBA champions

Jonathan Victoria • 21 Oct 2024 News

Plus new Women’s T20 world champions & more.

New Zealand wins Women’s T20 World Cup

New Zealand have won their first Women’s T20 World Cup crown after beating South Africa in the final by 32 runs.

The White Ferns’ tournament victory came as a bit of a surprise given that they had lost 10 consecutive IT20 matches heading into the competition, but a solid performance throughout plus a thrilling semi-final victory over the West Indies saw them shock their opponents.

Their victory was spearheaded by Amelia Kerr, who managed a solid 43 from 38 at the strike and did her duty when bowling too, notching three wickets and giving up 24 runs from her four overs.

With a target of 159 to win, South Africa started strong, with skipper Laura Wolvaardt (33 off 27) and Tazmin Brits (17 off 18) getting them going with 51-0 after seven overs.

But once New Zealand got their first wicket, things tumbled from there. Kerr removed Wolvaardt and then Anneke Bosch - who powered South Africa past defending champions Australia in the semis - for only 9 off 13 to really subdue any kind of chase and ultimately take the victory.

Smile 2 debuts top of domestic box office

Credit: Smile 2 | Official Trailer (2024 Movie) - Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage (Paramount Pictures, YouTube)

Scary season strikes again at the box office as the newly released Smile 2, the sequel to the 2022s sleeper hit Smile, powered its way to the top of the US domestic box office with a $23m opening.

This debut only just beats that of the first films, which say $22.6m in its opening weekend. It would go on to claim $105m domestically in its run and $217m globally from its $17m budget.

As of its first weekend, Smile 2 has earned $46m globally, already surpassing its budget of $28m. It should remain a top box office performer over the next couple of weeks, with audience reception proving positive and a respectable “B” grade from CinemaScore.

Filling the other two spots in the top three this weekend was last week’s number one Terrifier 3 in third place with $9.3m, and in second remained The Wild Robot with $10.1m domestically.

New York Liberty win their first WNBA title

Credit: THE NEW YORK LIBERTY ARE WNBA CHAMPIONS FOR THE 1ST TIME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY 🏆 | WNBA on ESPN (ESPN, YouTube)

New York City is a city of champions once again as the Liberty won their first-ever WNBA title, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in the win-or-go-home Game Five.

The series was well-contested over the five games, with only one game not being won by five points or less.

The deciding Game Five in New York had to be won in overtime as both sides showed their nerves throughout. Liberty’s Jonquel Jones led her side's way, scoring a team-high 17 points on the way to earning Finals MVP honours.

But the biggest spoils arguably went to home-state hero Breanna Stewart, who notched a double-double (13 PTS, 15 REB) to win her third title in total, her first since coming home to join the Liberty.

Daredevil: Born Again given 2025 release date

Marvel treated fans to an anticipated reveal during New York Comic Con 2024, announcing that Daredevil: Born Again will be premiering on Disney+ on 4th March 2025.

Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onofrio, who played his role in the previous Netflix Daredevil series from 2015-2018 and in the more recent Disney+ series Hawkeye and Echo, was the one to bring the reveal to the excited audience during Marvel’s NYCC panel, alongside the show's star Charlie Cox, who also reprises his role from the Netflix series.

The March date is no surprise as Marvel had previously stated it would come during the month, but a final confirmed release date is very welcomed news.

Marvel has yet to show the first full official trailer to the public; however, those in attendance at D23 in August were treated to a look at what’s to come, which featured the titular character and D’Onofrio’s confirmed return, plus an exciting return of The Punisher, brilliantly played once again by Jon Bernthal.

It seems as though there is a lot of work and expectations behind the series for it to be one of Marvel’s best projects since Avenger: Endgame, with a mega 18 episodes planned for season one and a second season already said to be in their plans.

Sir Chris Hoy reveals terminal cancer diagnosis

Sir Chris Hoy, one of Britain’s greatest cyclists and Olympians of all time, has announced that his cancer, which he previously revealed in February, is terminal.

The 48-year-old conducted an interview with the Sunday Times, in which he revealed that he had “known this for over a year” and said that he has “two to four years” to live.

Hoy has two kids with his wife Sarra, both of whom have been told about his diagnosis, but it hasn’t kept him from sounding optimistic about life, saying:

"As unnatural as it feels, this is nature… You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.”

He added, "Hand on heart, I'm pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness. This is bigger than the Olympics. It's bigger than anything. This is about appreciating life and finding joy."

Sir Chris Hoy competed in four Olympic games where he won seven medals, six golds and one silver, making him the second most decorated Olympic cyclist of all time. He was also an 11-time world champion during his career.