Weekend news roundup 09/10: Gold and glory for some

Monday 9 October 2023 by Jonathan Victoria  News

Verstappen claims third world title

Max Verstappen is a three-time World Drivers’ Champion after securing the points he needed during Saturday’s Sprint Race of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

He may not have claimed the win (a very rare sight indeed) but his second-place finish with his teammate out the points was enough for him to secure the title.

The Flying Dutchman would go on to win the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, but many congratulations were given to the McLaren boys this weekend as well, in particular rookie Oscar Piastri who won the Sprint Race and finished second in Sunday’s race, beating his more experienced teammate in Lando Norris in the process.

Box Office getting spooky at the top

The Exorcist: Believer was released worldwide on Friday and shot to the top of the box office in multiple territories including the US, Canada and the UK.

It debuted to a worldwide total of $45.1 million, though its US total of $27.2 million falls short of their $30 million projections.

The sequel to 1973s The Exorcist isn’t the only horror flick in the box office top 10 this week. Spooky season is truly upon us as four of the top 10 movies in the US box office are horrors, including a 30th-anniversary re-release of the classic Halloween movie Hocus Pocus.

Surprise winner in the Darts World Grand Prix final

Luke Humphries defied the odds as he stunned favoured Gerwyn Price 5-2 to win the Darts World Grand Prix title.

It’s the Englishman’s first televised ranking title and it came as a big surprise, especially in the fashion that he won it.

He dominated his opponent and won rather easily when looking at the final score. He also ended brilliantly with a remarkable 138 checkout to claim the title.

Del Toro gives update on Frankenstein project

Legendary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has given an update on his excitedly awaited Frankenstein project.

The director was discussing the current status of the movie just seven months after the initial casting reports.

Del Toro spoke about his desire for the project, stating that he’s wanted to do it for 50 years but has only now figured he is ready to tackle the project.

This adaptation of Frankenstein is sure to be given a rich story at the hands of Del Toro, and a stellar main cast of Oscar Isaac, Andrew Garfield, Christoph Waltz, and Mia Goth is sure to make this one to watch when it gets its release. Filming is due to begin in February 2024.

Australia dumped out of Rugby World Cup

Two-time World Cup champions Australia have been unceremoniously dumped out of the Rugby World Cup before the knockout stage for the first time in team history.

Portugal picked up a shock 24-23 win over Fiji but the result wasn’t enough for the Wallabies as Fiji claimed the losing bonus point they needed to qualify alongside Wales from Pool C.

Australia knows that major improvements are needed over the next four years before the 2027 World Cup, which they will be hosting.