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Comedy Icon Samir Ghanem Dies of COVID-19

Late Egyptian comedy icon Samir Ghanem
Late Egyptian comedy icon Samir Ghanem
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Comedy Icon Samir Ghanem Dies of COVID-19

Late Egyptian comedy icon Samir Ghanem
Late Egyptian comedy icon Samir Ghanem

Egyptian comedy icon Samir Ghanem died aged 84 on Thursday after having contracted the COVID-19 disease, Egyptian media reported.

Ghanem had been suffering from organ failure in his kidneys and was transferred to the intensive care unit, while his wife, renowned actress Dalal Abdel Aziz, was transferred to another hospital in Cairo due to an acute health deterioration from coronavirus.

Ghanem began his career in the 1960s as part of a celebrated comedy trio, including George Sidhom and El Deif Ahmed.

The trio starred in a number of hugely successful films, which cemented Ghanem's place as one of the essential figures of Egyptian cinema's golden age. He also helped discover actresses that would go on to be stars, like Athar El-Hakim, whom he had convinced to enter the limelight.

In addition, Ghanem supported several young actors by taking minor roles in their works, and he collaborated with his daughter on several of her works. In 2017, Ghanem was honored at the Cairo Festival, receiving the Faten Hamama Honorary and Excellence Award.

Mourning the loss, Egyptian Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem, said: "The artistic scene in Egypt and the Arab world has lost one of the geniuses of comedy who painted pages of joy in the history books of theatrical performance."

Abdel-Dayem pointed out that "his distinctive style managed to draw the public in over many years. His work will be remembered fondly for its uniqueness for many years.”

She and many artists expressed condolences to Ghanem's family, friends and loved ones.

Dr. Samia Habib, Head of Higher Institute of Art Criticism Academy, told Asharq Al-Awsat: "Samir Ghanem was a talented performer in all the artistic phases that he went through. He relied heavily on folk art techniques, especially in improvised theater. He was skilled in taking on female characters' roles, taking advantage of his comedic talent to diversify his roles and his ability to improvise.”

“A pioneer in Egyptian comedy, he passed his teachings to the generations that came after him, and many adopted his satirical performance style, which is a testament to his authenticity as an artist."

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Entertainment

‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ Make Gravity-Defying Theater Debuts

People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ Make Gravity-Defying Theater Debuts

People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)

With a combined $270 million in worldwide ticket sales, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” breathed fresh life into a box office that has struggled lately, leading to one of the busiest moviegoing weekends of the year.

Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates Sunday. That made it the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind only “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2.” It’s also a record for a Broadway musical adaptation.

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original, launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. With a price tag of around $250 million to produce it, “Gladiator II” was a big bet by Paramount Pictures to return to the Coliseum with a largely new cast, led by Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal. While it opened with a touch less than the $60 million predicted in domestic ticket sales, “Gladiator II” has performed well overseas. It added $50.5 million internationally.

Going into the weekend, box office was down about 11% from last year and some 25% from pre-pandemic times. That meant this week's two headline films led a much-needed resurgence for theaters. With “Moana 2” releasing Wednesday, Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“This weekend’s two strong openers are invigorating a box office that fell apart after a good summer,” said David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment.

The collision of the two movies led to some echoes of the “Barbenheimer” effect of last year, when “Barbie" and “Oppenheimer” launched simultaneously. The nickname this time, “Glicked,” wasn’t quite as catchy and the cultural imprint was also notably less. Few people sought out a double feature this time. The domestic grosses in 2023 – $162 million for “Barbie” and $82 million for “Oppenheimer” – were also higher.

But the counter-programming effect was still potent for “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” which likewise split broadly along gender lines. And it was again the female-leaning release – “Wicked,” like “Barbie” before it – that easily won the weekend. About 72% of ticket buyers for “Wicked” were female, while 61% of those seeing “Gladiator II” were male.

And while “Barbenheimer” benefitted enormously from meme-spread word-of-mouth, both “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” leaned on all-out marketing blitzes.

Both movies pulled out all the stops in global advertising campaigns that spanned everything from “Wicked” Mattel dolls (some of which led to an awkward recall) to an Airbnb cross-promotion with the actual Colosseum in Rome. For “Gladiator II,” Paramount even took the unusual step of simultaneously running a one-minute trailer on more than 4,000 TV networks, radio station and digital platforms.

Though “Wicked” will face some direct competition from “Moana 2,” it would seem to be better set up for a long and lucrative run in theaters. Even at 2 hours and 40 minutes, the film has had mostly stellar reviews. Audiences gave it an “A” on CinemaScore. The reception for “Wicked” has been strong enough that Oscar prognosticators expect it to be a contender for best picture at the Academy Awards, among other categories.

Producers, perhaps sensing a hit, also took the step of splitting “Wicked” in two. Part two, already filmed, is due out next November. Each “Wicked” installation cost around $150 million to make.

“Gladiator II” has also enjoyed good reviews, particularly for Washington's charismatic performance. Audience scores, though, were weaker, with ticket buyers giving it a “B” on CinemaScore. “Gladiator II” will make up for some of that, however, with robust international sales. It launched in many overseas markets a week ago, earning $87 million before landing in North America.