Concern Over NYC Police Filming of People Leaving Drake Show

NEW YORK (AP) – Some audience members leaving a concert by Drake at a Manhattan theater came outside to see a New York Police Department officer filming those filing out, raising concerns from privacy advocates over what would be done with the footage.

The NYPD said Monday the video would only be used for a social media post, but there were still calls for the material to be deleted.

Music writer Jon Caramanica of The New York Times posted on Twitter on Saturday night that the NYPD was filming those leaving the show at the Apollo Theater, putting up a video showing an officer seemingly recording those coming out.

In a statement, the department said the officer was part of the social media team for the local precinct and was getting video for a social media post about local events.

“The video will not be utilized for any other reason,”the department said.

But the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a New York City-based group that focuses on privacy and civil rights, called the videotaping “highly concerning” and that attendees were being surveilled without their consent. It demanded the video be destroyed.

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water’’ led ticket sales in movie theaters for the sixth straight weekend, making it the first film to have such a sustained reign atop the box office since 2009’s “Avatar.”

The Walt Disney Co.’s “The Way of Water’’ added $19.7 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Its global total has now surpassed $2 billion, putting it sixth alltime and just ahead of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.’’ Domestically, “The Way of Water’’ is up to $598 million. Continued robust international sales ($56.3 million for the weekend) has helped push the “Avatar’’ sequel to $2.024 billion worldwide.

A year ago, “Spider-Man: No Way Home’’ also topped the box office for six weekends, but did it over the course of seven weeks. You have to go back to Cameron’s original “Avatar’’ to find a movie that stayed No. 1 for such a long span. (“Avatar” ultimately topped out at seven weeks.) Before that, the only film in the past 25 years to manage the feat was another Cameron film; “Titanic’’ (1997) went undefeated for 15 weeks.

“The Way of Water’’ has now reached a target that Cameron himself set for the very expensive sequel. Ahead of its release, Cameron said becoming “the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history’’ was “your break even.”

The box-office domination for “The Way of Water’’ has been aided, in part, by a dearth of formidable challengers. The only new wide release from a major studio on the weekend was the thriller “Missing,” from Sony’s Screen Gems and Stage 6 Films. A low-budget sequel to 2018’s “Searching,” starring Storm Reid as a teenager seeking her missing mother, “Missing’’ plays out across computer screens. The film, budgeted at $7 million, debuted with

$9.3 million.

January is typically a slow period in theaters, but a handful of strong-performing holdovers have helped prop up sales.

Though it didn’t open hugely in December, Universal Pictures’ “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’’ has had long legs as one of the only family options in theaters over the last month. In its fifth week, it came in second place with $11.5 million domestically and $17.8 million overseas. The “Puss in Boots” sequel has grossed $297.5 million globally.

The creepy doll horror hit “M3gan,’’ also from Universal, has likewise continued to pull in moviegoers. It notched $9.8 million in its third week, bringing its domestic haul to $73.3 million.

And while the popularity of horror titles in theaters is nothing new, Sony Pictures’ “A Man Called Otto,” starring Tom Hanks, has flourished in a marketplace that’s been trying for adult-oriented dramas. The film, a remake of the Swedish film “A Man Called Ove,’’ about a retired man whose suicide plans are continually foiled by his neighbors, made $9 million in its second week of wide release. It’s taken in $35.3 million domestically through Sunday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $19.7 million. 2. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,’’ $11.5 million.

“M3gan,’’ $9.8 million

“Missing,’’ $9.3 million.

“A Man Called Otto,’’ $9 million.

He also sang his most popular deep cut, “Marvin's Room,'' as the standing-room only crowd joined him word-for-word before transitioning into his hook from Timbaland's “Say Something'' as the “Marvin's Room'' beat continued.

As the bedroom set dimmed and the light shifted to the left side of the stage, revealing a board room, Drake changed into a black leather hoodie with his OVO owl symbol. The rapper stood in front of a performer playing a record label exec who skeptically noted it was “interesting'' he was a rapper from Canada, before saying, “Alright, let's see what you got.'' (Drake would later remind the crowd how every major record label in New York passed on him.)

Starting with “Best I Ever Had,'' the R&B smash that jump-started his career, he continued his musical journey with early Young Money-era hits such as Headlines, “HYFR,'' “Started From the Bottom'' and “I'm on One.'' The crowd also two-stepped to his more danceable records like “Massive'' from last year's “Honestly, Nevermind'' project, as well as “Hold On, We're Going Home,'' “One Dance,'' “Passionfruit'' and “In My Feelings.''

The final leg of the 90-minute set opened with a surprise performance by the popular early 2000s Harlem rap collective, The Diplomats, which featured Drake wearing Cam'ron's signature pink hoodie and headband. He was then joined by 21 Savage to perform songs such as “Rich Flex,'' “Spin Bout You'' and “Knife Talk'' from their joint project, “Her Loss,'' released in November.

The longtime tagline for the Apollo is “Where Stars are Born and Legends are Made!'' So it was either strategic or serendipitous that he ended the show with “Legend.'' While it might be too soon to drape him with the legend moniker in the manner that Apollo Walk of Fame icons such Michael Jackson, Prince, Aretha Franklin James Brown carry, he left no doubt that he is well on his way.