Quick Takes: Justin Timberlake’s big week

Justin Timberlake’s comeback album has sold nearly

1 million units its first week out.

Nielsen SoundScan announced Tuesday that the singer’s “The 20/20 Experience” has moved 968,000 units. It is the 19th album in Nielsen’s 22-year history that has sold more than 900,000 albums in a single week.

“20/20” is Timberlake’s third album and the follow-up to his multiplatinum, Grammy-winning 2006 album, “FutureSex/LoveSound.” The new CD features the pop hit “Suit & Tie.”

FOR THE RECORD:
Justin Timberlake sales: A Quick Takes item in the March 27 Calendar section about first-week sales for Justin Timberlake’s album “The 20/20 Experience” said that it was the 19th album in Nielsen SoundScan’s 22-year history to sell more than 900,000 albums in a single week. It was the 19th album in that period to sell more than 900,000 albums in its debut week. The article also misspelled the title of Timberlake’s 2006 album “FutureSex/LoveSounds” as “FutureSex/LoveSound.” —

Of the 19 albums to sell more than 900,000 in a single week, Timberlake holds three slots. His albums with ‘N Sync, 2000’s “No Strings Attached” and 2001’s “Celebrity,” sold 2.4 million and 1.9 million in their first week, respectively. Backstreet Boys, Lil Wayne and Taylor Swift have two albums each that have hit that level.

—Associated Press

Morris returning to ‘Dutchman’

Tenor Jay Hunter Morris, who had to drop out of Los Angeles Opera’s production of “The Flying Dutchman” by Richard Wagner because of illness, is going to be performing in it after all — because his replacement got sick.

Morris will step into the role of Erik for the final two performances on Wednesday and Saturday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. He is replacing Corey Bix, who has withdrawn because of illness.

The company said Bix had to miss performances Thursday and Sunday, during which the role was played by tenor John Pickle.

Morris originally was cast in the role of Erik but left the production before opening night because of “a severe case of gastroenteritis,” according to the singer’s agent. Bix was Morris’ replacement.

On the opening night of “Dutchman,” soprano Elisabete Matos felt unwell and was replaced by Julie Makerov in the role of Senta. Matos has since returned.

—David Ng

ABC aims to run talk with Knox

Amanda Knox’s memoir and interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer will go on as planned, despite an Italian court’s overturning her 2011 murder acquittal.

Italy’s highest criminal court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for Knox and former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, overturning their acquittals in the slaying of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher.

Spokesman David Ford said an ABC News Primetime Special scheduled to air April 30 is moving forward. It will be the first in-depth interview Knox has given since returning to Seattle.

Knox also has a memoir, “Waiting to Be Heard,” due out on the same day as her television interview. HarperCollins spokeswoman Tina Andreadis said the book plans have not changed.

—Associated Press

Mirren contends for stage award

Helen Mirren received another accolade for her royal performance as Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday — a best actress nomination at Britain’s Olivier theater awards.

Mirren is nominated for “The Audience,” alongside Hattie Morahan for “A Doll’s House,” Billie Piper for “The Effect” and Kristin Scott Thomas for “Old Times.”

Best actor nominees are Rupert Everett for his turn as Oscar Wilde in “The Judas Kiss,” James McAvoy for “Macbeth,” Mark Rylance for “Twelfth Night,” Rafe Spall for “Constellations” and Luke Treadaway for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”

Nominees for musicals include Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton for “Sweeney Todd,” Alex Bourne and Hannah Waddingham for “Kiss Me, Kate,” and Heather Headley for “The Bodyguard.”

Winners will be announced April 28 during a ceremony in London.

—Associated Press

Film fest in L.A. announces slate

The 17th City of Lights, City of Angels French film festival announced on Tuesday its most ambitious slate to date with 38 feature films and 19 shorts.

Of the 38 features, three are international premieres, 11 are North American or U.S. premieres and 16 are West Coast premieres. The festival runs April 15 to 22 at the Directors Guild theater complex.

Opening night will see the North American premiere of the romantic comedy “It Happened in Saint-Tropez,” from director and co-writer Danièle Thompson (“Avenue Montaigne”). The comedy stars Monica Bellucci and Kad Merad.

Two films in the festival will be distributed this summer in the U.S. by the Weinstein Co.: “Populaire,” a romantic comedy with Romain Duris and Bérénice Bejo of “The Artist,” and “Haute Cuisine,” which is described as a comedy of “power and food.”

The festival also features two new series: Focus on a Producer and World Cinema Produced by France.

For the complete lineup, go to https://www.colcoa.com.

—Susan King

Finally

Renewed: ABC Family has ordered a fifth season of its biggest hit, “Pretty Little Liars,” and has green-lighted a spinoff, “Ravenswood,” about five strangers whose lives become intertwined by a deadly curse.