Bruce Springsteen ‘on the Mend’ but Won’t Return to Tour Until 2024 

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform on tour at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP)
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform on tour at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP)
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Bruce Springsteen ‘on the Mend’ but Won’t Return to Tour Until 2024 

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform on tour at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP)
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform on tour at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP)

American rock legend Bruce Springsteen announced Wednesday that he will postpone the remainder of his 2023 tour dates until next year, as he recovers from treatment for peptic ulcer disease.

The 74-year-old singer "has continued to recover steadily" and will continue treatment for the rest of the year on doctor's advice, the statement said.

"Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement, and support, I'm on the mend and can't wait to see you all next year," he said in a statement.

The artist beloved as "the Boss" has been on tour with his E Street Band since the start of the year.

But earlier this month he announced he was postponing his September concert dates in the United States due to his illness. He also postponed two shows in August due to an unspecified illness.

"Rescheduled dates for each of the 2023 shows, including those postponed earlier this month, will be announced next week, all taking place at their originally scheduled venues," the statement said Wednesday.

Anyone unable to attend on the new dates will be able to request a refund, it added.

The artist behind mega hits like "Born to Run" and "Dancing in the Dark," Springsteen has sold more than 150 million records.

Peptic ulcers are open sores that develop on the inside stomach lining and the upper portion of the small intestine. The most common symptom is abdominal pain.

Speaking to AFP at the Manhattan film premiere of Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," Steven Van Zandt -- a guitarist in the E Street Band -- said his longtime friend Springsteen "was doing better every day."

Still pulling marathons

Springsteen's current tour is the first he's gone on with the E Street Band since 2017, and he's been on the road most of 2023.

He traversed the United States before taking on Britain and Europe, then returned stateside in August.

Just before announcing his ulcer, the Boss played a nonstop three-hour set in his home state of New Jersey under a full late-summer moon.

Springsteen is famous for his marathon shows, with the longest clocking in at more than four hours, a performance he pulled off in Helsinki in 2012.

At his final show before going on leave earlier this month, Springsteen performed the hits -- including a majestic rendition of "Jungleland," a Jersey favorite -- and the deep cuts, including his rarely performed "Detroit Medley."

The artist also injected the show with his newer music off his most recent studio album "Letter To You," a meditation on loss and mortality from one of rock's ruminative stars.

The album fits neatly into his canon, with the layered guitars, dramatic percussion and glockenspiel swelling into the signature sound he coined with his E Street Band, the group he's performed with since 1972.



‘Heretic’ and Hugh Grant Debut with $11 Million, but ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Tops Box Office Again

 This image released by A24 shows, from left, Chloe East, Hugh Grant, and Sophie Thatcher in a scene from "Heretic." (Kimberley French/A24 via AP)
This image released by A24 shows, from left, Chloe East, Hugh Grant, and Sophie Thatcher in a scene from "Heretic." (Kimberley French/A24 via AP)
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‘Heretic’ and Hugh Grant Debut with $11 Million, but ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Tops Box Office Again

 This image released by A24 shows, from left, Chloe East, Hugh Grant, and Sophie Thatcher in a scene from "Heretic." (Kimberley French/A24 via AP)
This image released by A24 shows, from left, Chloe East, Hugh Grant, and Sophie Thatcher in a scene from "Heretic." (Kimberley French/A24 via AP)

“Venom: The Last Dance” has been no blockbuster in North American theaters. But in a lethargic fall moviegoing season, even a so-so performing superhero sequel can rule the box office for three straight weeks.

For the third weekend in a row, “Venom: The Last Dance” was the No. 1 movie at the box office, collecting $16.2 million in ticket sales in US and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It fended off a pair of new challengers in the Hugh Grant horror thriller “Heretic” and the feel-good holiday movie “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

With the election on Tuesday, the major studios opted not to put any new releases into theaters. That allowed Sony Pictures’ “Venom: The Last Dance,” the third entry in the Tom Hardy-led franchise, to hold its position.

While “The Last Dance” hasn’t been a huge hit domestically — opening below expectations in late October — it has thrived overseas, grossing almost triple what it has in North America. The “Venom” sequel has grossed $279.4 million internationally, bringing its global total to $394.2 million.

“Heretic” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” were neck and neck for second place. Counting only Friday-Sunday ticket sales, the edge went to “Heretic,” which debuted with $11 million. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” though, factored in $2.2 million in sneak-peak screenings from last weekend to claim a reported opening gross of $11.1 million.

A24’s “Heretic,” directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, follows two Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who knock on the door of a man (Grant) they’ll regret trying to evangelize to. Though “Heretic” has been critically acclaimed for the darkest turn yet by Grant, audiences were less impressed, giving it a “C+” CinemaScore. Regardless, with a budget under $10 million, “Heretic” will easily turn a profit.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” released by Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, which specializes in Christian entertainment, is about six siblings with a bad reputation who take over the local church pageant. The film, an adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s 1972 children’s book directed by Dallas Jenkins, did well with audiences, who gave it a “A” CinemaScore. It, too, was modestly budgeted at about $10 million.

In its seventh week of release, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” continues to show little rust in theaters. It landed in fourth place with $6.6 million, bringing its domestic haul to $130.2 million and its worldwide gross to $292 million.

Sean Baker’s acclaimed “Anora,” starring Mikey Madison, expanded into wide release. The Neon film, an expected best-picture contender, collected $2.4 million in 1,104 theaters. Its four-week total stands at $7.2 million.

The papal thriller “Conclave,” starring Ralph Fiennes, continues to perform exceptionally well for an adult-oriented drama. The Focus Features release, in its third weekend of release, added 487 theaters and dipped a modest 19% to earn $4.1 million. It has collected $21.5 million. Similarly, A24’s “We Live in Time,” starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, has stayed strong, grossing $2.2 million in its fifth weekend for a $21.8 million total.

Overall ticket sales, though, remain sluggish. Box office is running about 11% behind last year, according to Comscore. In the last two weeks, overall ticket sales are down about 50% from the pre-pandemic average, according to David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment.

The good news for theaters: The next few weeks are lined up for several big new releases, including the Amazon MGM Christmas comedy “Red One” (Nov. 15), Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II” (Nov. 22), Universal’s “Wicked” (also Nov. 22) and the Walt Disney Co.’s “Moana 2” (Nov. 27).

“Better late than never is the rule of the day and we can expect some positive success stories coming out of the Thanksgiving corridor, which looks the be on par with some of the biggest such frames over the past many years,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore.

Before opening in US theaters, “Red One,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, kicked off in 75 overseas markets, collecting $26.6 million. The film carries a hefty price tag of about $250 million to make.