One of the biggest hits of 2022, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is coming to Disney+ on February 1.
The film made more than $436 million here and topped $821 million worldwide, landing it in the #2 slot for the highest-grossing films of the year on our shores and #6 globally.
Director and co-writer Ryan Coogler‘s sequel has Wakanda facing a new threat from below the sea, the advanced underwater nation of Talokan, as Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) and the other Wakandans mourn the loss of King T’Challa/the Black Panther, following the real-life 2020 cancer death of lead Chadwick Boseman.
Additionally, Disney announced a collaboration with Proximity Media, Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment for the new Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast. The six-episode ‘cast, hosted by author, journalist and Black Panther comics writer Ta-Nehisi Coates,takes fans on “the exciting and emotional journey to make the film.” The podcast features interviews with the cast, and those who brought the comics and the Black Panther film to life, and also celebrates “the legacy of the late, great Chadwick Boseman.”
Ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has announced a new live album and an upcoming tour with his Kings of Thrash project.
The live album, titled Best of the West…Live at the Whisky a Go Go, is due out March 24. It was recorded during a Kings of Thrash show at the famed Los Angeles venue last fall.
The tour, meanwhile, will run from February 16 in Joliet, Illinois, to March 15 in Atlanta. The shows will feature Kings of Thrash, which also includes former Megadeth guitarist Jeff Young, performing the Megadeth albums Killing Is My Business…and Business Is Good! and So Far, So Good…So What!
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit KingsofThrash.com.
Megadeth, meanwhile, released a new album, The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead!, in September. It marked the group’s first record since Ellefson was let go from the band in 2021.
Jimmie Allen hangs onto the top spot on the country charts for one more week, making “down home” the first #1 of 2023.
It’s the Delaware native’s fourth chart-topper, and a special one, since it was inspired by the memory of his late father.
Jimmie also just learned he’ll be headed home on May 12 to be the commencement keynote speaker at Delaware State University.
“Delaware State University is where I am proud to say I attended,” Jimmie says. “I met lifetime friends there and learned so much about who I am as a Black man, and navigating my way through life. I’m honored to be the keynote speaker and hope I can share something that will inspire the next generation of leaders.”
The university’s president, Tony Allen,also plans to nominate Jimmie to receive an honorary degree at the ceremony.
In the meantime, Jimmie hits the road for the next leg of Carrie Underwood‘s Denim & Rhinestones Tour February 2 in Miami, Florida.
(MOUNT DORA, Fla.) — A husband and wife in their 80’s were murdered in their home at a Florida retirement community in what the police called a “random crime,” and a female person of interest is now in custody.
Darryl Getman, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80, were “enjoying their golden years of retirement” at Waterman Village in Mount Dora, Mount Dora Interim Police Chief Mike Gibson said at a news conference Tuesday.
But “the golden years of Darryl and Sharon were tragically cut short by a ruthless and senseless double homicide,” he said.
Gibson was choked up as he told reporters, “I retired once. I think about those golden years. So this, I do take this personal.”
On Dec. 31, a concerned neighbor saw the Getmans’ garage door open and called security, according to police. Security responded and found the couple dead.
A woman has since been found driving the Getmans’ car and has been taken into custody in another state on car theft charges, the chief said.
Gibson, who did not release the woman’s name, said she is a person of interest in the homicides.
Police have not released a motive or how the Getmans were killed.
That woman was first seen at the retirement complex at about 3 p.m. on Dec. 30 and was escorted out by security, police said.
At about 4:14 p.m. on Dec. 30, the woman was caught on security camera back at the complex, police said.
At about 10:58 p.m. on Dec. 30, the person of interest entered the complex again and went to an apartment (not the Getmans’), knocked on the door and asked the resident if she could take a shower, according to Gibson.
The tenant “panicked” and hit her alarm button to alert security and police, Gibson said. The person of interest asked the resident if she called 911, and when she responded yes, the woman “took off,” and on her way out, she allegedly grabbed keys to the tenant’s car and mailbox, Gibson said. Officers responded but could not find the woman, according to police.
At 2:02 a.m. on Dec. 31, the Getmans’ car was seen leaving the retirement facility, police said.
About 10 or 11 minutes later, the person of interest walked to the complex but security wouldn’t let her in, Gibson said. Security followed her to the edge of property and then “lost sight of her,” Gibson said.
“We are shocked and saddened by the recent deaths of our residents which are currently under investigation,” Waterman Village said in a statement Tuesday. “We are cooperating fully with the law enforcement authorities and have additional police presence on property during this time. If you have any information that could assist the investigation, please call 352-735-7130 or contact Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.”
(SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif.) — A Southern California man has been arrested for attempted murder and child abuse after California Highway Patrol officials say he intentionally drove a Tesla over a cliff with a woman and two children in the car.
The driver of the car, Dharmesh A. Patel, of Pasadena, California, is being treated for his injuries and will be booked into San Mateo County Jail upon his release from the hospital, according to CHP.
According to Patel’s arrest report, the other occupents of the car were a 41-year-old female, a 7-year-old female and a 4-year-old male.
Investigators were not able to determine what driving mode the Tesla was in, but CHP said it does not appear to be a contributing factor in the incident.
CHP received a call about a vehicle plunging over a cliff on Highway 1, south of the Tom Lantos tunnels, CHP said in a statement to ABC News.
CHP officers and additional emergency personnel arrived at the scene and saw a white Tesla about 250 to 300 feet down the cliff, according to CHP.
Emergency personnel rappelled down to the vehicle and found two adults and two children inside, according to CHP.
All four people were successfully rescued from the car and taken to the local hospital with serious injuries, according to CHP.
CHP officers interviewed witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene. Based on evidence gathered, investigators developed probable cause to believe the accident was an intentional act, according to CHP.
CHP said it does not charge people for crimes, it only recommends charges after an arrest. It will ultimately be up to the district attorney whether charges will be brought against Patel.
The investigation remains ongoing and CHP said it will not release any further information at this time.
Billie Eilish won’t stop raising the alarm on climate change. She says her anxiety about the climate “makes me want to barf all over the floor.”
The 21-year-old singer is Vogue‘s January cover star and opened up about her thoughts on sustainability. Billie’s activism is highlighted through her green-focused tours, veganism, upcycled fashion, and participation in climate-focused summits and documentaries.
Billie said her approach is purposeful. “I’ve spent all of my effort trying not to be in people’s faces about it because people don’t respond well to that. It makes the causes that you believe in look bad,” she explained.
Instead, her approach is focused on telling people “why I do this” instead of “parading around like, ‘Look at me! I’m making a difference.'”
Billie is thrilled members of her generation connect with that message and are also taking climate change seriously. “They’re my age and they’re doing so much. It made me really, really, really hopeful,” she expressed.
Elsewhere in the interview, Billie revealed she turned to music after a growth plate injury when she was 13 benched her from dancing. “I got injured right after we made ‘Ocean Eyes,'” she recalled, noting she pursued singing once the song went viral.
She spoke of hating her body when she was younger and blamed her continued lower back injuries for robbing her of several opportunities, like her dancing dream. “I felt like my body was gaslighting me for years,” she explained. Eventually, she was diagnosed with hypermobility, which the NHS describes as extremely flexible joints that could be more prone to injury.
Billie recalled of the healing process, “I had to go through a process of being like, ‘My body is actually me. And it’s not out to get me.'”
YoungBoy Never Broke Again is gifting his fans with new music to start the year. According to Billboard, the rapper’s dropping his new album — the first under his deal with Motown Records — on Friday. The outlet also shared a photo of the artwork for the project, titled I Rest My Case, ahead of its release.
The cover art sees Youngboy seated on a black leather couch between two women dressed in black lingerie and ski masks. The lady to his left leans on his shoulder as he holds a cigarette up to the mouth of the girl on the right. On the wall above them, the name of the album is written out alongside images of a coffin, bat, skull and more.
I Rest My Case marks Youngboy’s first release of 2023 following a year that saw a lot of music from the Louisiana native. After dropping his Billboard 200 album Last Slimento in the summer, he came out with mixtapes Realer 2, 3800 Degrees and Ma I Got a Family.
Wynonna Judd is giving fans an update on her mental health more than nine months after her mother Naomi‘s death by suicide.
The 58-year-old took to TikTok on Tuesday to address a fan’s comment that she “doesn’t appear well.”
“I have heard some of the comments,” Wynonna began by saying, “and the first thought that I had was, ‘Opinions and buttholes.’ And then I realized people are genuinely concerned, so I want to respond to that piece.”
“I am working so hard on my mental, physical and spiritual well-being. I have a great team and I’m really blessed,” she continued. “And I’m broken and I’m working really hard at self-care — which is not selfish, it’s sacred.”
Wynonna explained that while she has a “very full schedule,” she also takes time off to “be on the farm and to walk in the woods and take the dogs,” noting that “tonight is Mexican night, we’re playing games and it’s family.”
“So I’m OK,” she added. “The last thing I’ll say is, you can’t keep a good woman down for too long.”
On January 26, Wynonna kicks off the 2023 leg of The Judds: The Final Tour with Ashley McBryde in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile will also join her on the trek, which continues through the month of February.
Whose songs will you be Shazaming in 2023? The music identification app has released its annual Predictions playlist via Apple Music, featuring 50 artists it predicts are “poised to have a breakthrough year.” But you’re probably already familiar with some of the five artists the app says have “global breakthrough potential” for 2023: Rosa Linn, charlieonafriday and Benson Boone.
In 2022, Rosa made waves with her song “SNAP,” which she performed on the Eurovision Song Contest as the official entry for her home country of Albania. Shazams for the song peaked in October, months after the competition, thanks to the song going viral on TikTok. It topped Shazam’s charts in Europe and Asia.
charlieonafriday, born Charlie Finch, currently has a radio hit with “Enough,” which showed up on Shazam charts in 40 countries. He tells Apple Music, “I’ve used Shazam as a fan first for as long as I can remember. It was a really exciting and full-circle moment for me when I realized my fans would be using Shazam to listen to my music in the same way I did, and still do, for my favorite artists.”
Over the past year, Benson Boone’s songs “Ghost Town” and “In the Stars” each got more than 1 million Shazams and entered the Shazam global chart. “Ghost Town” also got radio airplay in the U.S. He tells Apple Music that, “[It] blows my mind to know people are wanting to know what my songs are!”
Another artist on Shazam’s list of potential global stars is drill rapper Ice Spice, whose song “Munch (Feeling You)” peaked at #11 on Shazam’s Hip-hop/Rap chart and went viral on TikTok.
(NEW YORK) — A Maine teenager charged in a New Year’s Eve machete attack on three New York City cops near Times Square was arraigned from a hospital bed on Wednesday as an unsealed criminal complaint alleges he “wanted to kill an officer in uniform.”
Trevor Bickford, 19, who was shot in the shoulder during Saturday night’s rampage as he allegedly shouted “Allahu Akhbar” while wielding a curved 18-inch kukri knife, was arraigned on charges of attempted murder, assault and attempted assault. If convicted, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Bickford of Wells, Maine, carried out what a senior police official told ABC News was a terror attack likely motivated by Islamic extremism.
“I wanted to kill an officer in uniform,” Bickford allegedly told police, according to the criminal complaint. “I saw the officer and waited until he was alone. I said ‘Allahu Akbar.’ I walked up and hit him over the head with a kukri. I charged another officer but dropped the knife and I tried to get the police officer’s gun but couldn’t.”
Bickford did not enter a plea during Wednesday’s hospital room hearing. He was represented by an attorney from the Legal Aid Society who noted Bickford’s lack of criminal history and that his employment history includes working at a golf course in Maine.
“Earlier today, Mr. Bickford was arraigned from Bellevue Hospital after languishing in NYPD custody for nearly four days despite a well-established court requirement that an arraignment take place within 24-hours of arrest,” the Legal Aid Society said in a statement Wednesday. “We’ve just received initial discovery from the District Attorney’s office, and we’ll have more to say about this case after a thorough review and investigation. For now, we ask the public to refrain from drawing hasty conclusions and to respect the privacy of our client’s family.”
The suspect was ordered be to be held without bail by a Manhattan judge, who determined Bickford to be “a significant flight risk.”
During the arraignment, prosecutors alleged that Bickford said all government officials “cannot be proper Muslims because of U.S. support for Israel.”
“He knew what he was doing. He knew why he was doing it and he thought he would die in the attack,” Thomas Galati, NYPD Chief of Intelligence and Counterterrorism, told ABC News, this week.
Galati said the FBI interviewed Bickford last month in Maine after his mother reported her concern that her son was possibly becoming radicalized. The FBI determined Bickford wanted to fight in Afghanistan and placed him on a federal watch list to prevent him from travelling overseas.
Instead, Bickford acquired a large sum of cash, packed a machete and boarded a train to New York on Dec. 29. He arrived with what Galati described as intent to carry out an attack on “police officers or anybody in uniform,” seeming to advance jihadist propaganda that has called for such attacks using low-tech tactics like stabbings.
A diary found at the scene indicated Bickford thought he would die a martyr, law enforcement sources told ABC News. He ended up shot in the shoulder by an officer on the force just eight months.
“So the event happens outside the secure zone, not inside Times Square,” Galati said. “Means that our plan works.”
But some counterterrorism experts said the attack is yet another example of law enforcement, more than 20 years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, being unable to deal with threats they are aware of prior to an attack. Other examples include the Nov. 19 Colorado Springs nightclub shooting, the 2018 Parkland, Florida, high school massacre and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building.
Though the circumstances and law enforcement agencies were different, the problem and results are the same, said John Cohen, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security acting undersecretary for intelligence, and a former police officer and detective.
“It has become increasingly clear that the protocols used by federal and local authorities to assess the risk posed by individuals who exhibit threat-related behaviors is out of date and inconsistent with the current threat facing the nation,” said Cohen, an ABC News contributor.
“Yet again we have experienced a mass casualty attack by an individual who was known to law enforcement, who had exhibited the warning signs but was not subject to a threat management strategy. Unfortunately this has become an all too common occurrence and too many communities have suffered as a result,” Cohen said.
Cohen said traditional approaches to disrupting international terror plots do not seem to work when dealing with “ideologically motivated, domestic offenders.”
“How many mass casualty attacks need to occur before we change our approach to assessing and managing risk?” Cohen said.
