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Game of Thrones has been renewed for a fourth season.

HBO announced today (April 2) that another run of episodes will be filmed and shown next year.

The show is currently the network’s highest-rating programme.

Although it currently hasn’t been announced what season four will draw on from George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire saga, it is expected that material will come from the back half of the third book A Storm of Swords.

Martin previously announced that he would like to write more episodes. He has currently written three scripts for the drama but says his commitment to the original novels limits his involvement with the TV version.

He said: “There’s part of me that would like to be more involved with the television series – to write three or four scripts each season instead of just one.

“But I still have two gigantic books to write and I can’t possibly take off time to do that. So the books are my babies.”

Game of Thrones airs on HBO in the US on Sundays and on Sky Atlantic in the UK on Mondays.

The Croods has debuted at the number one spot at the US box office, earning $44.7m over the weekend.

The DreamWorks animated film tells the story of the first prehistoric family embarking on a journey to find a new home, with the help of a smart nomad named Guy, when their cave is destroyed.

Emma Stone, Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds and Catherine Keener lend their voices in the prehistoric adventure.

The Croods is followed by Olympus Has Fallen, taking in $30.5m in second place.

Olympus Has Fallen follows a former Secret Service agent who must save the White House from terrorists, and stars Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart.

Both new releases knocked Oz The Great and Powerful, which topped the US box office two weekends in a row, to third place with $22m. Its total earnings now are $177.5m.

After its limited release last weekend, Spring Breakers made a huge jump from 27th to sixth place, taking in $5m.

Spring Breakers – starring James Franco, James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine – follows four college girls who rob a restaurant in order to pay for their spring break vacation in Florida. After landing in jail for their robbery, the girls are bailed out by a drug dealer and takes them in.

Halle Berry’s thriller The Call slips from two to four with $8.7m, followed by new Tina Fey-Paul Rudd comedy Admission with $6.4m in fifth place.

Jack the Giant Slayer is now in eighth place with $2.9m. Its total earnings are $59m.

The fantasy-adventure film knocks last weekend’s eighth-placed Silver Linings Playbook out of the top ten list.

The Oscar-winning film takes the 11th spot, adding $1.6m to its total earnings of $127.1m.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Identity Thief and Snitch round up the top ten.

The top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) The Croods – $44.7 million
2. (-) Olympus Has Fallen – $30.5 million
3. (1) Oz The Great and Powerful – $22 million
4. (2) The Call – $8.7 million
5. (-) Admission – $6.4 million
6. (27) Spring Breakers – $5 million
7. (3) The Incredible Burt Wonderstone – $4.2 million
8. (4) Jack the Giant Slayer – $2.9 million
9. (5) Identity Thief – $2.5 million
10. (6) Snitch – $1.9 million

Oz the Great and Powerful has topped the US box office for a second week, taking in $42.2m.

The Wizard of Oz prequel debuted at number one last weekend with $80.2m. Its total earnings are now $145m.

Oz The Great and Powerful has topped the US box office.

The Sam Raimi-directed movie took in $80.2m for its first weekend, knocking last weekend’s number one movie Jack the Giant Slayer to second place with $10m.

Starring James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams, Oz The Great and Powerful tells the story of a small-time circus magician who arrives in the Land of Oz, attracting the attention of the witches.

Newly-released action Dead Man Down, starring Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace, also made it to the top ten list. The movie debuted at fourth place with $5.3m.

The Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy vehicle Identity Thief fell from second place to third place with $6.3m. Its total earnings are now $116.5m.

Both Safe Haven and Silver Linings Playbook held on to their respective spots from last weekend.

Safe Haven took seventh place with $3.8m, while Silver Linings Playbook added $3.7m to its $120.7m total box office gross.

Meanwhile, Escape from Planet Earth and The Last Exorcism Part II slipped down from their sixth and fifth spots.

Escape from Planet Earth made $3.2m, while The Last Exorcism Part II took in $3.1m.

Snitch and 21 and Over round up the top ten US box office list.

The top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Oz The Great and Powerful – $80.2 million
2. (1) Jack the Giant Slayer – $10 million
3. (2) Identity Thief – $6.3 million
4. (-) Dead Man Down – $5.3 million
5. (4) Snitch – $5.1 million
6. (3) 21 and Over – $5 million
7. (7) Safe Haven – $3.8 million
8. (8) Silver Linings Playbook – $3.7 million
9. (6) Escape From Planet Earth – $3.2 million
10. (5) The Last Exorcism Part II – $3.1 million

Jack and the Giant Slayer, also starring Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci and Bill Nighy, knocked down last weekend’s number one movie Identity Thief to second place.

The Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy comedy earned $9.7m, adding to its total earnings of $107m.

Two more new releases also made it to the top ten list – 21 and Over with $9m and The Last Exorcism Part II with $8m.

A Good Day to Die Hard, the latest instalment of the Die Hard franchise, slipped from five to nine with $4.5m. Its total earnings are now $59.6m.

The Bruce Willis action film debuted at the top spot when it was released three weeks ago, earning $25m.

Silver Linings Playbook remains the only award-winning film on the list. It took in $5.9m, which puts its total earnings at $115m.

Snitch, Escape From Planet Earth, Safe Haven and Dark Skies round out the top ten.

The top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Jack the Giant Slayer – $28 million
2. (1) Identity Thief – $9.7 million
3. (-) 21 and Over – $9 million
4. (-) The Last Exorcism Part II – $8 million
5. (2) Snitch – $7.7 million
6. (3) Escape From Planet Earth – $6.7 million
7. (4) Safe Haven – $6.3 million
8. (7) Silver Linings Playbook – $5.9 million
9. (5) A Good Day to Die Hard – $4.5 million
10. (6) Dark Skies – $3.5 million

Primeval: New World has been axed by Canada’s Space channel.

Parent company Bell Media has confirmed that the show is not being given a second season, according The Hollywood Reporter.

Described as a “darker”, “edgier” and “gorier” spinoff of sci-fi drama Primeval, New World debuted in Canada in 2012.

Actress Sara Canning said last month that she was “so hoping” for a second season of the show, explaining: “There are just so many possibilities for season two.”

The original Primeval aired for five seasons in the UK between 2007 and 2011.

New World‘s first series, which did not achieve strong ratings in Canada, is still scheduled to premiere in the US on Syfy.

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A Good Day to Die Hard has won the number one spot on the US box office, knocking last weekend’s number one film Identity Theft to second place with $23.43m.

The latest instalment in the popular Bruce Willis franchise managed to earn $25 million in its debut weekend, 25 years after the premiere of the original Die Hard film.

Nicholas Sparks romance Safe Haven also debuted strongly at number three with $21.43m, while animated family film Escape From Planet Earth came in at four with $16.06m in sales.

Horror rom-com Warm Bodies dropped from second place to number five with $9 million, but still managed to take in more than newcomer Beautiful Creatures, which came in at number six with $7.46m.

Side Effects slipped from third to seventh place with 6.307m, followed by Oscars contender Silver Linings Playbook in eighth place with $6.08m. Its total gross so far is $98.46m.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Zero Dark Thirty round out the top ten.

The top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) A Good Day to Die Hard – $25 million
2. (1) Identity Theft- $23.43 million
3. (-) Safe Haven – $21.43 million
4. (-) Escape From Planet Earth- $16.06 million
5. (2) Warm Bodies – $9 million
6. (-) Beautiful Creatures – $7.46 million
7. (3) Side Effects – $6.307 million
8. (4) Silver Linings Playbook- $6.08 million
9. (5) Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters – $3.47 million
10. (7) Zero Dark Thirty – $3.1 million

Warm Bodies has debuted at the number one spot in the US box office.

The zombie rom-com, starring Nicholas Hoult as a zombie and Teresa Palmer as a human, took in $19.5m over the weekend, earning a total gross of $20m in its first week.

Warm Bodies knocked down last weekend’s number one film Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters to second place with $9.2m, earning a total gross of $34.4m.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s fairytale Hansel and Gretel, in which the title characters grow up to be witch hunters (Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton).

Warm Bodies also beat out Sylvester Stallone’s new action release Bullet to the Head for the top spot. The film debuted at sixth place with $4.5m.

Meanwhile, two films starring Jessica Chastain are still in the top ten – Mama and Zero Dark Thirty.

Mama slipped from second place to fourth place with $6.7m, earning a total gross of $58.2m, followed by Zero Dark Thirty in fifth place with $5.3m. Its total gross is $77.7m.

Both Silver Linings Playbook and Lincoln climbed up one spot from their previous place.

Last weekend’s fourth place Silver Linings Playbook took the third place with $8.1m, taking its total gross to $80.3m. Lincoln, on the other hand, moved from its 11th spot to ten with $2.4m. Its total gross is $170.7m.

Parker, Django Unchained and Les Misérables round out the top ten.

The top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Warm Bodies – $20 million
2. (1) Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters – $9.2 million
3. (4) Silver Linings Playbook – $8.1 million
4. (2) Mama – $6.7 million
5. (3) Zero Dark Thirty – $5.3 million
6. (-) Bullet to the Head – $4.5 million
7. (5) Parker – $3.2 million
8. (6) Django Unchained – $3 million
9. (9) Les Misérables – $2.4 million
10. (11) Lincoln – $2.4 million

Jessica Chastain has continued her winning streak as two of her films ruled the US box office this weekend.

Horror Mama debuted at number one with $28.1m, while Zero Dark Thirty took second place with $17.6m.

Both films star Chastain, who recently took home a Golden Globe award for Zero Dark Thirty.

Two new releases also made it in the top ten – Broken City and The Last Stand.

The Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe movie Broken City came in fifth place with $9m, while Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Last Stand took tenth place with $6.3.

Silver Linings Playbook rose from ten to third place with $11.3m, earning a total of $55.3m.

Last weekend’s second-placed A Haunted House slipped to six with $8.3m. Its total earning is now $29.9m.

Meanwhile, the ensemble movie Gangster Squad was knocked down one spot from three to four with $9.1m, earning a total of $32.2m.

Three of the holiday period’s big movies – Django Unchained, Les Misérables and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – complete the top ten list.

The top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Mama – $28.1 million
2. (1) Zero Dark Thirty – $17.6 million
3. (10) Silver Linings Playbook – $11.3 million
4. (3) Gangster Squad – $9.1 million
5. (-) Broken City – $9 million
6. (2) A Haunted House – $8.3 million
7. (4) Django Unchained – $8.2 million
8. (5) Les Misérables – $7.8 million
9. (6) The Hobbit: Am Unexpected Journey – $6.4 million
10. (-) The Last Stand – $6.3 million

Zero Dark Thirty has risen to top the US box office this weekend.

The Kathryn Bigelow-directed thriller about the hunt for Osama bin Laden jumped from 16th place to number one upon opening on wider release, grossing $24m.

Last weekend’s first place winner Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D was knocked down to number nine, earning $5.1m and bringing its total gross to $30.7m.

New movies A Haunted House and Gangster Squad debuted at second and third place, making $18.8m and $16.7m respectively.

Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained slipped from number two to number four with $11m, while Les Misérables also fell one place to number five with $10.1m.

Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated film Silver Linings Playbook rounds out the list at number ten.

The top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (16) Zero Dark Thirty – $24 million
2. (-) A Haunted House – $18.817 million
3. (-) Gangster Squad – $16.710 million
4. (2) Django Unchained – $11.065 million
5. (4) Les Misérables – $10.127 million
6. (3) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – $9.08 million
7. (8) Lincoln – $6.314 million
8. (5) Parental Guidance – $6.1 million
9. (1) Texas Chainsaw 3D – $5.150 million
10. (12) Silver Linings Playbook – $5 million