LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - So who's going to win this weekend's box office showdown between openers "White House Down," with Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, and "The Heat," with Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock?

Would you believe "Monsters University," with Mike and Sully?

Disney-Pixar's 3D animated family film is a good bet to top them both and repeat as box office champ, bringing in around $40 million, the analysts say. That would be a roughly 50 percent drop from its $82 million opening, and would be an accomplishment given the competition.

Both Sony's action epic and Fox's female cop comedy are projected to come in at around $35 million, and Paramount's zombie thriller "World War Z" will likely have a second weekend just under that. Those movies and Warner Bros.' Superman offering "Man of Steel" will compete for the same audiences, while Monsters U" will have the family field to itself, and that's what gives it the edge.

Both of the openers will debut in more than 3,000 theaters, and both are buddy films, at least to a degree.

Tatum and Foxx play a cop and the President, respectively, teaming up to fight a terrorist attack in "White House," while McCarthy and Bullock are reluctant and mismatched cop partners in pursuit of a drug lord, in "The Heat."

Both have directors with significant followings and both have the potential to break out.

"The Heat" is directed by Paul Feig of "Bridesmaids," and reviews indicate it has earned its R rating with loads of the raunchy humor that made his 2011 comedy a hit. "Bridesmaids," which also featured McCarthy, took in more than $170 million at the domestic box office.

"The Heat" is at 86 percent positive on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

"The Heat" is also the summer's first - and only - major movie with two female leads. McCarthy in particular is red-hot. Her January release "Identity Thief" is still the year's highest-grossing comedy with $135 million domestically, and many critics saw her supporting turn as the best part of "The Hangover Part 3."

Online ticket broker Fandango reported Thursday that sales for "The Heat" were pacing more than 50 percent ahead of sales for "Bridesmaids" and "Identity Thief."

Roland Emmerich, who blows things up with the best of them, is the director of the PG-13-rated "White House Down." He has a track record of opening action epics big, from 2009's "2012" ($65 million) and 2004's "The Day After Tomorrow" ($68 million) to 1996's "Independence Day" ($50 million). But he's had his misses as well, including 2011's "Anonymous."

An X factor for "White House Down" is the impact of "Olympus Has Fallen," a similarly themed president-in-peril movie that has taken in nearly $100 million since March for FilmDistrict. The Facebook numbers are encouraging for Sony; "White House Down" had nearly 294,000 "likes" three days prior to its release, as compared to the 159,000 that "Olympus Has Fallen" had.

The critics aren't impressed - it's a 44 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes - but that's never been a big factor with Emmerich movies.

On the specialty front, IFC Films is opening "Byzantium," a creepy thriller directed by Neil Jordan (TVs "The Borgias"), in six theaters across the country. Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton star in the tale of two mysterious women who seek shelter at a small-town resort.

Writer-director Pedro Almodovar's R-rated comedy "I'm So Excited" will make its limited debut for Sony Classics. The Spanish import takes place almost entirely on an airplane, and stars Javier Camara, Cecilia Roth, Lola Duenas and Raul Arevalo. Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz and Paz Vega make cameo appearances.

Tribeca Films is opening Adrian Grenier's documentary "How to Make Money Selling Drugs" in five cities this weekend. It debuted earlier this month on iTunes and Demand, and on Wednesday at the IFC Center in New York.

Written and directed by Grenier's longtime collaborator and friend Matthew Cooke, the documentary is an insider's look at the drug industry, told from the perspective of former drug dealers. It features interviews with rappers 50 Cent, Rick Ross and Russell Simmons, as well as rights advocates and filmmakers Susan Sarandon and Woody Harrelson.

That no longer appears to be the case, at least if you Bing (it's a verb now, right?) this exact phrase: "The Xbox One is" (the word "the" is important).

And what happens when you enter "The Xbox one is" into Google?

It's unclear why the search results auto-complete differently. Though as Megan Garber at The Atlantic , it may have something to do with "brand bias" — Microsoft fans are more likely to use Microsoft products.

That said, Microsoft has spent the last few days trying to undo the damage done from its nightmare console launch. Late yesterday, the Xbox team caved to pressure and reversed its policy to , and to also allow for compatibility with used games. (It's why you probably saw the phrase "Xbox 180" on Twitter yesterday.)

To be completely fair, though, this is what happens when you Bing the phrase "Xbox one is", sans "the":

Perhaps Bing and Google users aren't so different after all.

(Via , )

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Valverde went 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA, converting nine saves in 12 chances. The Tigers will likely use Joaquin Benoit in most save situations for the time being.

Detroit has 10 days to make a move with the 35-year-old Valverde.

The Tigers recalled right-hander Al Alburquerque from Triple-A Toledo to replace Valverde in the bullpen. They also put outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo on the disabled list with a strained left intercostal and recalled outfielder Avisail Garcia from Toledo.

Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said he'd like Valverde to go to the minor leagues to work through his struggles.

"We have asked him if he would go to Triple-A for us, and try to work with him there, try to get him straightened out," Dombrowski said. "He did not give us an answer on that. It really doesn't make a difference at this point, since we would still have to get waivers at some time. He was open-minded to it. He didn't say no to it, but he needed some time."

Valverde faltered during the 2012 postseason, and the Tigers were prepared to let him leave via free agency, but he didn't sign anywhere else, and Detroit eventually brought him back on a minor league deal.

He was called up to the majors toward the end of April.

Benoit is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and four saves, and Drew Smyly has also pitched well out of the bullpen. Manager Jim Leyland said he'd like Valverde to stay in the organization but can respect whatever decision he makes.

At least for now, Benoit will have a chance to close games.

"Benoit, when available, healthy and ready to go and rested, will get most of the closing opportunities," Leyland said. "And anything else, we'll mix and match."

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Newly-appointed Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers arrived at his team's practice facility on Wednesday in casual attire that showed just how surprised he was to be there.

Rivers, one of the most successful active coaches in the National Basketball Association, was wearing low-top sneakers and a short-sleeved shirt at his introductory news conference a day after he was acquired from the Boston Celtics.

Weeks of on-again, off-again talks between the two teams finally resulted in a deal on Tuesday that saw the Celtics release the 51-year-old former coach of the year from his contract in exchange for a 2015 draft pick.

"This was a strange ordeal over the last couple weeks, to the point, as you can see my attire, I don't have any suits because they're all in Boston right now," Rivers told reporters.

"I flew in from Orlando, that's where I stay in the off-season, and I basically wear shorts and T-shirts all summer."

The Clippers did not release terms of the contract given to Rivers but multiple media reports say he agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal.

Prior to joining the Celtics in 2004, Rivers spent just over four seasons as head coach of the Orlando Magic, earning NBA Coach of the Year honors in his first season when he led a team that was expected to finish last to a playoff berth in 2000.

Under Rivers, the Celtics won six Atlantic Division titles in nine seasons and the league championship in 2008. He also owns the NBA's third-best record since 2007 among active coaches, according to the Clippers.

Despite telling the dozens of reporters gathered at the Clippers practice facility that he was uncomfortable being the center of attention, Rivers was less bashful about his goals for himself and his new team.

"It's nice to do a lot of winning, it's nicer to be the winner and that's why I'm here, that's what I want to do," said Rivers. "And quite honestly, at this point in my life, that's the only reason I'm coaching, is to try to win titles."

'STEADY HAND'

The Clippers won the Pacific Division last season with a 56-26 record but lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. Shortly after, the team decided not to resign Vinny Del Negro as coach after three seasons.

The Clippers are led on the court by six-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul and the arrival of Rivers, a high-profile coach with proven success, is expected to help ensure the club does not lose their top player to another team in free agency.

"We're just going to have to wait until he makes his decision and signs his contract, but all the indications are that he likes and respects Doc and I hope that helps," Andy Roeser, president of the Clippers, told reporters.

Roeser called Rivers a "seasoned and steady hand that we're going to rely on to take us to the championship level."

Paul was not at the Clippers training facility on Wednesday, but teammate Ronny Turiaf was on hand to see Rivers.

"He might be one of the major missing pieces to success," Turiaf told a small group of reporters on the edge of the gym.

"One thing that we as a team was lacking a little bit down the stretch was a couple (defensive) stops. One stop here, one stop there, our season is totally different."

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge officially announced the departure of Rivers on Tuesday, but the veteran coach said as recently as a few days ago he thought the deal was dead.

"I called Danny I said, 'I'm staying, I'm coming back, I'm coaching (in Boston), that's what I am and let's move forward.' Two hours later he called me and said, No you're not staying. You're going,'" Rivers said.

The coach also said that as recently as Sunday he was going over the Celtics player roster with Ainge for the upcoming NBA season, but that on Sunday night the deal was agreed upon.

"I'm hope this is the last time that I'm the center of attention here," River said, "I can say that honestly. It will be about the players."

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis and Ronald Grover; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Relying heavily on his fastball, primarily a four-seamer, Darvish struck out eight in 6 2-3 scoreless innings and the Rangers scored twice on a squeeze bunt in a 3-2 victory over Mat Latos and the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

"His performance was good. He was going against another good one, and they matched zeroes," manager Ron Washington said. "Once we put the runs on the board, Darvish did what we needed him to do. Looked like the same Darvish to me."

The Rangers finally scored against Latos (7-2) in the fifth when Elvis Andrus bunted. Latos made a barehanded grab and scoop in one motion. The toss home hit the earflap of Engel Beltre, who was still on the ground when Leonys Martin also scored for a 2-0 lead.

"It was just a reaction. He bunted it pretty hard. I felt I could make a play," Latos said. " As I look back, I should have held on to the ball."

Darvish (8-3) won for the first time since May 16, ending his longest professional winless drought in his two years with the Rangers or seven in Japan before that. The right-hander was 0-2 with a 2.93 ERA in those seven games, when Texas scored only 12 runs while he was on the mound.

"As a starter, if the team doesn't win the day that you pitch, that can be really frustrated, so that was my thing," Darvish said through his translator, though he insisted later he wasn't overwhelmed by the winless streak. "I was thinking how I could live day by day, and nothing really special."

The AL West-leading Rangers have won 10 of 13 games since a six-game losing streak. Cincinnati has lost seven of nine.

Darvish threw 77 of 117 pitches for strikes on a sunny afternoon when the game-time temperature was 90 degrees 10 degrees cooler than at the start of Friday night's series opener. While increasing his majors-best strikeout total to 151, he walked four and scattered four hits with only one 1-2-3 inning.

There was an 11-pitch at-bat in the first inning against Brandon Phillips, who didn't get a breaking ball while at the plate. The first ball didn't come until the ninth pitch, and he eventually struck out to end the inning.

That set a tone for what Darvish was trying to do.

"I just wanted to shut all the people up that were talking about my fastballs," Darvish said.

"I love when he throws more fastballs," shortstop Andrus said. "I think that he gets a little tougher. That's when his slider works way better too. He did a great job of keeping us in the game. ... When you've got your ace out there, you always want to win and score some runs early so he can feel better."

Joe Nathan, the fifth Texas reliever, pitched a perfect ninth for his 27th save in 28 chances.

Latos, 21-6 in his 50 career starts for the Reds, struck out nine and walked two in 6 2-3 innings. He gave up three runs, two of them earned.

Beltre led off the fifth by dragging a bunt past the mound for a hit before Martin's hustling double. Martin extended his hitting streak to 14 games, matching the longest by a Rangers player this season, on the hit to right-center when he slid inside of second base and reached back to grab it while avoiding the tag.

When sliding into home, Beltre couldn't steer clear of the ball that ricocheted off his head, nor could he avoid the hard collision with catcher Devin Mesoraco trying to block the plate.

"I figured Andrus would be aggressive so I called for a first-pitch slider. To his credit, he got the bunt down," Mesoraco said. "With the speed they had on the bases, it didn't have to be a perfect bunt."

Martin scored and Andrus wound up at second before trainer Jamie Reed and Washington were able to check on Beltre, who got up and walked back to the dugout a couple of minutes later and stayed in the game.

Martin led off the seventh with a single, stole second and scored on a bloop single by Nelson Cruz.

Robbie Ross got the last out of the seventh after taking over for Darvish. Tanner Scheppers made his team-high 39th appearance, after three days off, and threw only two of his nine pitches for strikes.

Scheppers walked Zack Cozart on four pitches in the eighth and gave up consecutive singles to Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips before going to a 2-0 count against Jay Bruce and being relieved by Neal Cotts. Jay Bruce and pinch-hitter Chris Heisey had consecutive sacrifice flies.

NOTES: The Rangers are off Monday, their only off day this season that will come in the middle of a homestand. ... Texas finished June at 14-14. ... Cincinnati has played twice at Rangers Ballpark. The Reds also lost two of three games in 2002. ... The Reds sixth ended when first baseman Mitch Moreland backhanded Xavier Paul's grounder and threw to second to start a double play. Moreland hustled back to take the relay throw at first when Darvish wasn't yet at the bag.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With no consensus sure-fire star as an obvious target, Thursday's NBA Draft has a sense of suspense about it with numerous candidates for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who own the number one pick.

"This draft is really unpredictable," 7-foot-1 Ukrainian center Alex Len out of the University of Maryland, one of the top prospects in the draft, told reporters on Wednesday.

"You don't have any LeBron Jamses, so it's going to be interesting."

Picking behind the Cavaliers will be the Orlando Magic, followed by the Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans in the two-round draft conducted by the 30 teams in the National Basketball Association.

That is, if teams maintain the pecking order rather than wheel and deal their picks in draft night swapping at the Barclays Center.

The Cavs, who finished with a 24-58 record, have many needs beyond their premiere point guard Kyrie Irving.

Besides Len or shot blocking big man Nerlens Noel of Kentucky, they could use a shooting guard to team up with Irving, raising the possibility of Ben McLemore of Kansas or Indiana's Victor Oladipo.

Small forward Otto Porto of Georgetown or Canadian Anthony Bennett of Las Vegas could also offer some scoring firepower for the young Cavaliers.

Noel, a 6-11 defensive specialist, entered last season as the top-rated collegian but his freshman year at Kentucky was curtailed by a knee injury leading to some uncertainty.

Dick Weiss, a long time former college basketball analyst for the New York Daily News now of Blue Star Media (bluestarmedia.org), predicted the draft would produce many solid NBA players, but might not yield a superstar.

"There isn't a franchise number one pick in this draft," Weiss told Reuters.

"Cleveland are probably deciding between Alex Len, Nerlens Noel and Anthony Bennett, who is a very mobile, small forward who played for Las Vegas in an uptempo situation who is a freak athlete."

Oladipo, who is also an outstanding defensive player, said he was curious about who would be number one.

"There's so many different players in the draft," said Oladipo. "I know people are saying there's nobody that really stands out. We just wait and see. I'm anxious, anxious to see who it's going to be."

Besides Len and Bennett, another international player who could be taken in the first round is 6-11 center Steven Adams of New Zealand out of the University of Pittsburgh.

Len, like many of the most fancied potential first-rounders at a round-table media opportunity on Wednesday, said it did not matter where he went in the draft though he acknowledged a touch of competitiveness about the process.

"Somewhere inside you want to be number one. You want to be the best," said Len, who added that he would be proud to become just the seventh player from Ukraine in the NBA.

"On your competitive side, yeah. You want to be number one."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

The last few visits were not so great. We caught Mom snooping in our bedroom and our home office. When we confronted her, she got upset and stormed out of the room in tears. I have asked her to respect our privacy, but her response is that she -- as the mother -- is the one who deserves respect.

We recently had some renovations done to the house that included locks on our bedroom and office doors. When neither of us are home, the doors stay locked. Nothing was said about it during Mom's last visit, but last week we received a note from her telling us not to come for our usual summer visit. I tried to call her, but she won't answer.

Today I talked with my aunt (Mom's sister), who told me Mom is furious over the locks. My aunt also expressed disappointment in me for "shutting Mom out." I don't understand how I could be in the wrong, but it seems my whole family feels I am. Please advise. -- IN A JAM IN ST. PETE

DEAR IN A JAM: Although your mother deserves respect, it is hard to respect someone who goes through one's bedroom and office after having been asked not to. You may be her son, but you are also an adult and have the right to some privacy. What Mom is doing is the equivalent of throwing a tantrum. You were not shutting her out; you were drawing the line. Regardless of what your aunt said, you owe no one an apology.

Let's hope this storm blows over soon. And as to your summer holiday plans, an Alaskan cruise might be a lovely change from the humidity of Florida and the steam coming from wherever your mother lives.

DEAR ABBY: My grandmother was very poor, but she was generous with what she had. As a child, I noticed that most of the gifts she received were regifted to others. At first, it upset me because I spent a lot of time choosing a "perfect" gift for her. Then I realized she was enjoying the gift twice. She loved receiving it, but it gave her even more pleasure to pass it on to someone else to enjoy when she couldn't afford to buy a present on her limited income.

I get so tired of people whining about "regifting." Instead of being happy that someone gave them something, people worry about how much was spent. (I'm willing to bet the real reason for the upset is that the regift can't be returned or exchanged.) People who don't want to receive regifts should let the givers know so they won't waste their generosity on them in the future. -- THE JOY OF GIVING

DEAR JOY: I see the issue differently, because I suspect that some complainers may have confused the monetary value of the item with how much they -- the recipients -- are valued in the relationship. As you point out -- and I agree -- it really is the spirit in which a gift is given that counts.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

To receive a collection of Abby's most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan dropped to 3.40 percent. That's down from last week's rate of 3.49 percent, which was the lowest since long-term mortgages began in the 1950s.

The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage, a popular refinancing option, fell to 2.73 percent, down from the record low of 2.77 percent last week.

The Fed is spending $40 billion a month to buy mortgage-backed securities. The goal is to lower mortgage rates and help the housing recovery. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says the program will continue until there is substantial improvement in the job market.

Some economists expect mortgage rates to fall even further because of the Fed's bond purchases.

The housing market already is benefiting from the lowest mortgage rates on record.Sales of both previously occupied and newly built homes in the U.S. are up from last year. Home prices are rising more consistently. And builders are more confident in the market and are starting to build more homes.

The broader economy is also likely to benefit from a revival in the housing market. When home prices rise, Americans typically feel wealthier and spend more.

Still, the housing market has a long way back. Sales and construction rates remain below healthy levels.

And some economists question whether lower rates will make much of a difference. The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage has been below 4 percent since early December. So most people who can qualify have likely already taken advantage of the lower rates.

Many people who would like to refinance or buy a home can't because they fail to meet stricter lending requirements or don't have enough money to make a down payment.

To calculate average rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country on Monday through Wednesday of each week.

The average does not include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.

The average fee for 30-year loans was 0.6 point, unchanged from last week. The fee for 15-year loans also held steady at 0.6 point.

The average rate on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages dipped to 2.60 percent from 2.61 percent. The fee for one-year adjustable rate loans was unchanged at 0.4 point.

The average rate on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 2.71 percent from 2.76 percent. The fee remained at 0.6 point.

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "A Time to Kill" will be adapted for Broadway, marking the first time one of John Grisham's legal thrillers has made it to the stage.

The new version will be written by Rupert Holmes, who is probably best known for penning the hit song "Escape (The Pia Colada Song)" that was featured prominently in "Shrek." Holmes' oeuvre extends beyond catchy pop numbers, however. He won a Tony Award for his comic musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and a Drama Desk honor for the musical mystery "Curtains."

That said, the tale of a racially charged murder trial does seem like a dramatic departure from Holmes' previous frothy fare.

"A Time to Kill" will begin previews at the John Golden Theater on September 28 and open on October 20.

Ethan McSweeny, who oversaw the recent revival of "Gore Vidal's the Best Man," will direct the show.

In addition to being a best-selling novel, "A Time to Kill" was made into a film in 1996. It was a box office hit and helped launch the film career of Matthew McConaughey.

The courtroom drama follows a young defense lawyer who gets involved in the trial of a black man who exacted bloody revenge on a group of men who raped his young daughter.

"For almost a quarter of a century, 'A Time to Kill' has captivated readers with its raw exploration of race, retribution and justice," Grisham said in a statement. "It was my first book and the first that I have allowed to be adapted for the theater. Rupert Holmes did an excellent job of translating it from the page to the stage, and I am happy that not only my loyal readers, but a whole new audience will be able to experience this story in live theater."

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - NASCAR driver Jason Leffler died from injuries suffered when his car slammed into the wall of a dirt raceway in New Jersey, state police said.

The crash occurred during a race at the Bridgeport Speedway in Logan township in southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia, state police spokesman Sergeant Adam Grossman said.

Leffler, 37, of Huntersville, North Carolina, was rushed to the Crozier Hospital in Chester, Pennsylvania, where he was pronounced dead at 9:02 p.m., police said.

The raceway calls itself the "Fastest Dirt Track in the East." It consists of a spacious 5/8-mile high-banked dirt oval, where average speeds reach well over 100 miles per hour, according to the track's website.

Leffler was a two-time winner of the Nationwide Series. He had been racing for over a decade, with experience in so-called midget race cars as well as the Indianapolis 500, where he placed 17th in 2000, his website noted.

New Jersey State Police said in a Twitter posting that the accident was under investigation.

"NASCAR extends its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to the family of Jason Leffler who passed away earlier this evening," the organization said in a Twitter posting. "For more than a decade, Jason was a fierce competitor in our sport and he will be missed."

(Additional reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Tim Gaynor and Peter Cooney)