News Mash-up: Famous Franchises

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Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. pristine / ˈprɪs tin / (adj.) – in a very good condition that still looks new and clean
    Example:

    The house was built 20 years ago, but it still looks pristine.


  2. commercially / kəˈmɜr ʃə li / (adv.) – in a manner that’s related to buying and selling goods and services to earn money
    Example:

    I didn’t know that her books are now commercially available.


  3. epic / ˈɛp ɪk / (n.) – a book or film that’s usually about an adventure that features a hero or a historical figure
    Example:

    The Iliad is an epic about the hero Achilles during the Trojan War.


  4. eclipse / ɪˈklɪps / (v.) – to make someone or something feel or seem less important
    Example:

    Usually, issues about famous celebrities eclipse economic and social problems like unemployment and discrimination.


  5. coveted / ˈkʌv ɪ tɪd / (adj.) – relating to something that many people want to have
    Example:

    Many people submitted their applications for the highly coveted position.


Article

Read the text below.

First-edition Harry Potter sells for world-record price, says US auction house


A first-edition copy of Harry Potter sold for $471,000 (¥53 million) on Dec. 9. The auctioneers, Texas-based Heritage Auctions, said it was a world-record price for a 20th-century work of fiction.


Heritage said the hardback copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was “magical, incredibly bright and so very near pristine.” The copy is one of the first 1997 British editions. Only 500 were printed, Heritage said.


“Not only is it the most expensive Harry Potter book ever sold, it’s the most expensive commercially published 20th-century work of fiction ever sold,” Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena said in a statement.


British author J.K. Rowling went on to write six more books about the adventures of the boy wizard. They have sold some 500 million copies worldwide in 80 languages, according to U.S. publisher Scholastic. (Reuters)


Spider-Man: No Way Home becomes 1st pandemic-era film to reach $1 billion globally


Spider-Man: No Way Home unwrapped the best Christmas gift of all, becoming the first pandemic-era movie to cross $1 billion (¥116 billion) at the global box office.


Since its premiere on Dec. 13, Sony’s comic-book epic has eclipsed the $1 billion milestone in a near-record 12 days, tying with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the third-fastest film to reach the billion-dollar benchmark. Only 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame were quicker, smashing the coveted tally in 11 and five days, respectively.


It’s impressive that Spider-Man: No Way Home managed to blow past $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide given the rapidly spreading omicron variant. No other Hollywood film has come close to nearing those box office revenues in the last two years. (Reuters)


These articles were provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Would you ever buy a rare copy of your favorite book or movie? If you owned a rare copy of your favorite book and other fans were willing to pay a huge amount of money for it, would you be willing to sell it? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what modern books or movies would be considered a classic in the next 50 years or so? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Spider-Man: No Way Home is the first pandemic-era movie to cross $1 billion (¥116 billion) at the global box office. How do you think the movie achieved this (ex. it has lots of fans, people are excited to go back to the cinemas)? Do you think the movie industry is starting to go back to normal? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • If given the chance, would you like to watch movies again inside a cinema? Why or why not? Discuss.