France/USA U20

We're still several weeks away from seeing Chelsea in action again and the Confederations Cup is off before the Semis start, but that doesn't mean we don't have some football to watch today. The U20 World Cup has some action about to get underway, and there are a handful of players that have been linked to Chelsea that will be featuring for their countries today.

Lucas Digne and Geoffrey Kondogbia have both seen regular links to the Blues, and both will be starting for the French when they face the United States in about 30 minutes. Additional target Kurt Zouma will start the contest on the bench, but could well factor into this one as most would expect the French squad to end up in a position to be killing this game off later on.

The other early game features Cuba taking on Nigeria, with Spain/Ghana and Portugal/South Korea both set to start later on. Enjoy the games, and here's hoping the young Blues targets impress.

Monsters University

Monsters University," the prequel to Pixar's 2001 animated blockbuster "Monsters, Inc.," scared up $82 million in weekend ticket sales to easily outdistance the week's other new movie, the big-budget apocalyptic thriller "World War Z," which came in with an impressive haul of $66 million.

"World War Z,", the story of a zombie pandemic starring Brad Pitt, was Pitt's biggest opening weekend ever, easily outpacing the $50.3 million for "Mr. And Mrs. Smith."

Last week's top movie, the Superman reboot "Man of Steel", was third with ticket sales of $41.2 million.

"Monsters University," featuring the voices of Billy Crystal and John Goodman as monsters who flunk out of the college's scare program, continued the tradition of hugely successful films produced by Pixar, a unit of the Walt Disney Co.

It was Pixar's 14th consecutive film to head the box office for the weekend it premiered in theaters, according to Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box office division, easily outpacing industry projections of a $70 million weekend.

"It definitely exceeded our expectations," said Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Walt Disney Studios. "The first film was so beloved and set such a high bar so we're ecstatic."

Hollis said "Monsters University" was boosted by word of mouth.

"It's turned into a bit of a date night option," he said. "And there haven't been a lot of family options in the marketplace."

Distributed by Paramount Pictures, "World War Z" was delayed from its initially planned December release after the studio decided to reshoot the final third, pushing its budget from $170 million to more than $200 million, according to published reports.

Paramount said the film, which Pitt produced, cost $190 million to produce. Pitt stars as a former U.N. crisis specialist called upon to help defeat zombies who threaten to take over the planet.

The film had been forecast to rack up ticket sales of about $50 million, according to Hollywood.com's box office division, while the studio said it was looking to the high 40s, given the competition from "Monsters" and "Man of Steel."

"I don't think there's a person on the planet who thought this would open at $66 million," said Don Harris, Paramount's president of distribution. "These are pretty heady numbers."

"We're in really good shape" heading into the lucrative peak summer season weeks including the July 4 holiday, Harris said.

"And we certainly broadened the audience," he added, noting the film's 51 percent female-49 percent male audience breakdown, unusual for a big budget summer action film.

"Man of Steel," which stars British actor Henry Cavill as the muscled superhero, has generated domestic ticket sales of $210 million, already more than 2006's "Superman Returns," which starred Brandon Routh and took in just over $200 million.

Directed by Zack Snyder, the current version was distributed by Warner Bros.

"This Is the End," the apocalyptic comedy written by star Seth Rogen and his childhood friend Evan Goldberg, collected $13 million to take fourth place in the United States and Canada.

"Now You See Me," starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg as magicians who evade the police after high-profile robberies, was fifth with ticket sales of $7.9 million, pushing its total domestic take to just under $95 million.

"Despicable Me 2," which opens July 3 in North America, had a strong debut in Australia where Universal opted to open the film early to coincide with winter school holidays. The film took in $4.3 million, added to $2.1 million from paid previews last week.

"Monsters University" was distributed by the Walt Disney Co. Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner, distributed "Man of Steel." Viacom's Paramount Pictures unit distributed "World War Z." Sony's film studio distributed "This is the End." "Now You See Me" was distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment.

(Reporting By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud; Editing by Bill Trott)

World War Z

WELCOME TO THE AGE of the cinematic mash-up, in which a committee of screenwriters jam together elements of past movies into a Frankenstein-like digital effects-laden extravaganza. For Mark Forster’s middling zombie flick, see if you can name-check the influences. Right off the bat there’s a credit sequence that plays like a slower, more somber version of Zack Snyder’s Johnny Cash-driven intro to the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake. Then quick as a flash we’re in Contagion territory as a zombie infection sweeps across the globe and UN Emergency agent Brad Pitt is recruited to help find the root cause of the plague. But this isn’t grandpa George Romero’s shuffling take on the undead but rather 28 Days Later’s fast-moving horror show, where a single bite can turn you into a flesh-craving monster in 12 seconds flat. And so the remix goes on.

It’s not that Max Brooks’ source novel World War Z didn’t have an ambitiously serviceable (and fairly original) take on the zombie apocalypse, it’s that it wasn’t built for a single box office star. … And might take some real narrative chops to pull off. Why bother with a narrative tapestry that offers a Studs Terkel approach to a global undead infection — with multiple characters, situations and locales — when you can simply send your A-lister globetrotting a la James Bond from one CGI fest to the next. Ironically, the movie’s $200 million approach spins the entire low-budget reason zombie flicks exist on its head. But once the coffers run dry, Forster and his writers relocate the rewritten third act to a tensely mounted game of cat and mouse in a research facility that could have been part of The Walking Dead’s first season finale.

Truth be told, World War Z’s first 30 minutes are impressively frantic as we watch the zombie epidemic spread like wildfire through Philadelphia — which becomes a microcosm of what is happening on a global level. Forster stages the chaos and carnage with mounting urgency and terror, putting the audience in the center of a horrifying catastrophe. Swarms of teeth-gnashing zombies overrun urban landscapes and descend like hungry ants upon their fleeing victims. The best of these sequences is set in Jerusalem, where the undead pile atop one another in order to scale a defensive wall. Once over, they surge into the crowds like a rabid wave of death and destruction.

After its pedal-to-the-metal opening, however, WWZ settles into a narrative rut. Pitt criss-crosses the planet in search of the outbreak’s origins and a possible cure as his underdeveloped family waits aboard an aircraft carrier in grimaced worry. South Korea, India, Israel and Cardiff set the stage for some tense action vignettes but have little dramatic connection to one another. Each location just becomes an opportunity to indulge in another archetypical zombie scenario before jetting off to the next. It’s like a masterfully recorded Best-Of album that only plays the radio edits. A mid-air attack aboard an airliner could have been an instance of show-stopping terror, but is forced through its paces at such a breakneck pace that the full force of its horror never truly hits home. Forster’s filmmaking is built on velocity above all else, gutting his film of any dramatic resonance.

And as capable a lead as Brad Pitt is, his character is a little more than a good-hearted tough guy. We know he’s brave and loves his family but little else. The story never tests his emotions or loyalties. Instead he’s just another blank action hero on a mission to save humanity. The same can be said about the rainbow coalition of supporting actors who assist him on his quest.

What’s ultimately missing from WWZ is the sense of dread, doubt and loss that accompany the world-ending catastrophe at hand. Paced only for immediate reactions, Forster’s film never lets the helplessness and fear sink in. The stakes for humanity are obviously high, but within the film they feel inappropriately subdued and generic.

As Forster rounds the bend into his final act, the movie downshifts into a suspenseful quest to retrieve vials of pathogens from a zombie-infested laboratory. The focus is welcome. Executed like a heist, Pitt is part of a trio who must sneak past the inattentive undead. The sequence doesn’t particularly stand out for its execution, but at least it’s a change from the hysterical bombast of the movie’s first two-thirds. Once Pitt’s goals are achieved, however, the movie doesn’t so much conclude as lose power. A quickly sketched montage backed by an uninspired voice-over narration gives way to an incredibly awkward “that’s it?” freeze frame. It’s here that WWZ’s reported story problems and reshoots are most evident. If this ending is the best writer Damon Lindelof and company could come up with, it’s hard to believe the movie will spawn any sequels. Then again, we are talking zombies here.

Italy vs. Brazil

Brazil will be looking to close out the group stages of the 2013 Confederations Cup on Saturday afternoon against Italy. Both teams are already locks to make the next round of the tournament, but seeding is still at stake. If Brazil gets the win, they get the No. 1 seed coming out of Group A, while Italy will need to get the win if they want to be on top.

Italy’s offense will come out aggressive as they look to take down Brazil, but Neymar and the fierce Brazilian attack could prove to be too much as Brazil takes another step towards taking home the Confederations Cup in their home country.

How can you catch all of the action without missing a beat? We’ve got you covered with all of the necessary action you will need to tune in to the Italy vs. Brazil match.

Date: Saturday, June 22
Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Salvador, Brazil
Venue: Arena Fonte Nova
Head Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

Who do you think will come out of this afternoon’s action with the win? Share your thoughts in the comments section.



Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com throughout the Confederations Cup as we keep you updated on the latest news and results.

Mexico vs. Japan

This was supposed to be Mexico’s summer, but their offense has been struggling and their entire team has been unimpressive. After a devastating loss to Italy and domination from Brazil, Mexico will need to get a win over Japan, who has looked much more impressive than El Tri through the first two games.

If Mexico’s offense continues to struggle, then there will be a major shake up for El Tri and a lot of questions to be answered leading up to the important World Cup qualifiers. Japan has already earned a spot in next year’s tournament, but Mexico has a long way to go and they can use this performance to build up some momentum heading in to the stretch.

How can you catch all of the action without missing a beat? We’ve got you covered with all of the necessary action you will need to tune in to the Mexico vs. Japan match.

Date: Saturday, June 22
Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Salvador, Brazil
Venue: Arena Fonte Nova
Head Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)


Who do you think will come out of this afternoon’s action with the win? Share your thoughts in the comments section.


Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com throughout the Confederations Cup as we keep you updated on the latest news and results.

Royal Ascot 2013

he crowds once again flocked to Ascot for day two of the famous festival.

Among those watching on were the Queen and Camilla, along with thousands of others in the grandstand as the sun beats down on the racecourse.

Six races were scheduled for Wednesday in another busy day of racing, with plenty of entertainment throughout.

James Doyle was the big name of the day, securing a treble.

If you would like to see how the day panned out, make sure to visit our live blog.

And you can also see who finished where in the top three with our day two results page.

If you'd like you join the crowds at Royal Ascot, see our ticket offers here.

2.30pm - Jersey Stakes
Gale Force Ten - 9-2 fav
Montiridge - 15-2
Tawhid - 25-1

Australia vs British and Irish Lions

Australia and the British and Irish Lions will lock horns for the first of their power-packed Tests at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

The much awaited matchup will finally come to fruition on Saturday, with both sides desperate for victory to gain an upperhand in the series.

Ireland legend Brian O'Driscoll is desperate to end up on the winning side of a Lions tour, as the 34-year-old prepares to bid goodbye to the rugby world next year.

"I'm not going to be involved in any more World Cups ... for me the only other thing I haven't been able to achieve is winning a Lions series," O'Driscoll, who made his Lions debut in 2001, told the Guardian. "I dearly want to be part of that, for my own sake and the Lions' sake going forward. I think we need to win one of these series soon.


"I don't want to be someone who's had a lot of appearances in Lions teams but, ultimately, not won a series. That is what it comes down to. You talk about the fun and the gelling but if we got on terribly and won the series I'd take that above getting on great and losing. That is not what this is about."

O'Driscoll is expecting a tough and physical battle against Australia. "I think it'll be more than a battle of wills," he added. "It will be a battle of the breakdown.

"It's a pretty simple game -- you win the tackle contest, whether you're carrying or you're defending, and you've a good chance of winning.

"We have to go out and make sure we're able to dominate the contact area but I don't know if the 'will' thing is going to be enough, we also have to play with smarts to get us across the line.

"I've enjoyed being able to be a senior player and add my tuppence worth. In all teams there is one captain but it's important to have leaders scattered throughout them as well."

To watch Australia vs Lions Live Stream for U.K. viewers, click here.

Expected lineups: Australia: Robinson, Moore, Alexander, Horwill (c), Douglas, Mowen, Hooper, Palu, Genia, O'Connor, Ioane, Lealiifano, Ashley-Cooper, Folau, Barnes.

Lions: Halfpenny, Cuthbert, O'Driscoll, Davies, North, Sexton, Phillips, Corbisiero, T Youngs, A Jones, AW Jones, O'Connell, Croft, Warburton (c), Heaslip.