Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson goes god mode in the new trailer for Black Adam, his eagerly anticipated DC Comics adaptation.
“I was a slave until I died. Then I was re-born a god…Now I kneel before no one,” the anti-hero intones.
Johnson’s impossibly powerful figure ends up on Earth, where he meets up with heroes including Aldis Hodge‘sHawkman, Noah Centineo‘s speedy Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell‘swind-controlling Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as the psychic Doctor Fate.
Suffice it to say, Adam’s outlook on life doesn’t gel with the usual superhero type. “In this world, you have heroes, and there are villains. Heroes don’t kill people,” Hawkman tells him.
“Well, I do,” Adam replies.
Fate tells Adam, “My vision has shown me the future. You have two choices: You can be the destroyer of this world, or you can be its savior. That’s up to you.”
Along the way, the trailer shows Johnson dispatching all manner of baddies — including a guy who tries to use a metal baton on Johnson’s bald head, resulting in the baton being bent around his noggin and the guy being hurled miles away for his mistake.
“This passion project has become my DNA and the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe will change,” Johnson told his millions of Instagram followers Wednesday morning. “The world needed a hero. It got BLACK ADAM.”
(WASHINGTON) — Amid new pressure for gun control on Capitol Hill, lawmakers on Wednesday will hear what’s expected to be dramatic testimony from a fourth grader trapped in a Texas classroom for more than an hour as a gunman killed 19 of her classmates and two of her teachers.
Miah Cerrillo, who emotionally described to CNN smearing herself with her classmate’s blood and playing dead as the Uvalde rampage unfolded, is expected to describe the horror she experienced to the House Oversight Committee in a recorded video.
But Cerrillo will no longer be in the room when the video is played. Her father will appear in her place and will introduce her video statement.
“The Committee has been in close contact with Miah, her family, and her pediatrician and has been prioritizing her safety and comfort first and foremost. Her decision to record her story and share it with the American people is courageous — and I hope all Members open their hearts and minds to what she has to say,” chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said in a statement moments before the hearing began. “Miah, her family, and her pediatrician have made the decision to have her not appear in person, and she will be represented by her father who will introduce her recorded testimony.”
Maloney opened the hearing by asking her colleagues to “listen with an open heart to the brave witnesses who have come forward to tell their stories about how gun violence has impacted their lives.”
“Let us honor their courage,” she said. “And let us find the same courage to pass commonsense laws to protect our children.”
The committee also will hear from other families traumatized by the massacres in Uvalde and in Buffalo, New York, that killed a total of 31 people just 10 days apart.
Also testifying are Felix Rubio and Kimberly Rubio, the parents of Lexi Rubio, a 10-year-old girl killed in Uvalde; Zeneta Everhart, the mother of Buffalo shooting survivor Zaire Goodman, who was shot in the neck while working at the store; and Roy Guerrero, a Uvalde pediatrician who treated the victims.
Guerrero told ABC News’ Mireya Villarreal and James Scholz on the eve of his testimony that the community is “strong” but they need more than “thoughts and prayers.”
“We need people to step up,” he said. “We need this to stop, basically. And I figured that if I didn’t take that step forward and take that initiative, I’d just kind of be sitting back doing nothing and not reaching my full potential with my obligation to these children. “
A second panel appearing before the House committee Wednesday includes various officials and advocacy group leaders: Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia; Greg Jackson, Jr., the executive director of the Community Justice Action Fund; Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association; and Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety.
Maloney spoke exclusively with ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, telling her the survivors and families reached out to her committee and insisted on traveling to the nation’s capital to share their experiences just mere weeks after witnessing horror — hoping to change the hearts and minds of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
“We were saying maybe it would be too difficult,” she said, referring to Miah Cerrillo, of someone so young wanting to testify before Congress. “But she felt strongly and her parents supported her wish that she be able to testify and tell her story.”
“She felt very, very strongly that her story — she didn’t want the loss of her teachers, the loss of her friends, but also the quick thinking that she had to play dead to smear blood all over herself to save her life. It’s an incredible story,” Maloney added.
The hearing comes as negotiations continue on gun control. A bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, are trying to reach a compromise this week on incremental measures like expanded background checks, incentives for states to implement red flag laws and funding for mental health programs.
Senate Democrats are looking for at least 10 Republican votes to get to the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. If they don’t reach that mark, they risk continuing a 30-year trend of inaction on gun reform even in the wake of such tragedies as Sandy Hook, Las Vegas and Parkland.
Murphy provided an update on the talks during an appearance on “The View” on Tuesday, stating he’s never seen this much public pressure for elected officials to act and he’s hopeful Republicans are “picking up this sense of urgency.”
“While we are very different in our views, we do both agree that we are not willing to do anything that compromises people’s Second Amendment rights,” Murphy said. “We are focusing on keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous people.”
President Joe Biden made an impassioned plea last week for more, including a ban on assault weapons like the AR-15 used in the Uvalde shooting, but most Republicans in Congress remain opposed to any gun restrictions.
“We spent hours with hundreds of family members who were broken, whose lives will never be the same,” Biden said in an address from the White House. “They had one message for all of us. Do something.”
Maloney said she feels there is a new air of urgency to get gun control legislation on Biden’s desk in light of the Uvalde mass shooting, and she’s hopeful Republicans will change their minds when they hear the witnesses speak firsthand.
“Absolutely, there’s a sense of urgency, and tomorrow we will be debating gun safety laws on the floor and voting. So, hopefully, their testimony will have an impact on the votes of these members of Congress,” Maloney said Tuesday.
In a letter to Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the House will vote Wednesday afternoon on the Protect Our Kids Act, the gun control package assembled after the mass shootings in New York and Texas.
In all, 19 young children and two teachers were killed by a gunman wielding an AR-15-style assault weapon at Robb Elementary School on May 24. Funerals for the victims are continuing until June 25.
In Buffalo, 10 Black people were fatally shot in a Tops grocery store on May 14. The Department of Justice is investigating the shooting as a “hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism.”
On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard from the son of one of the Buffalo victims as part of a hearing on domestic terrorism.
Garnell Whitfield Jr., the oldest son of Ruth Whitfield, and 86-year-old woman killed in the shooting, held back tears as he urged lawmakers to take action or “yield their positions” in Congress.
“You expect us to continue to just forgive and forget over and over again. And what are you doing?” he said. “You’re elected to protect us, to protect our way of life.”
ABC News’ Rachel Scott and Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
Taylor Hawkins‘ widow Alison Hawkins has shared her first public statement following her husband’s unexpected death in March.
The statement, which was posted to the late Foo Fighters drummer’s Twitter, begins with Alison expressing her “deepest thanks and admiration” to “the global Foo Fighters community and Taylor’s fans far and wide for the outpouring of love each and every one of you have shown our beloved Taylor.”
“Your kindness has been an invaluable comfort for my family and me during this time of unimaginable grief,” the statement reads.
Continuing to speak to the Foo Fighters fans, Alison writes that she “want[s] to share how much you meant to him and how dedicated he was to ‘knocking your socks off’ during every performance.”
“Taylor was honored to be a part of the Foo Fighters and valued his dream role in the band every minute of his 25 years with them,” Alison says. “We consider ever band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.”
She adds, “Taylor’s endearing spirit and deep love of music will live on forever through the collaborations he so enjoyed having with other musicians and the catalog of songs he contributed to and created. In celebration of his life, it is now up to all of us who loved him the most to honor Taylor’s legacy and the music he gave us.”
Alison’s statement coincides with Wednesday’s announcement of a pair of Taylor tribute concerts, taking place September 3 in London and September 27 in Los Angeles. Foo Fighters members Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee will perform alongside a lineup that will be announced “shortly.”
“Thank you all again for your love and sympathy,” Alison concludes. “Taylor loved all of you and we love you too.”
Ed Sheeran made the Saturday Night Live song “D**k in a Box” come to life for two popular Australian radio hosts.
Six months ago, when Ed appeared on Australia’s Nova radio to talk to DJs Fitzy & Wippa, he mentioned that he once bought his pal Elton John a gag gift: a giant marble male member. He then joked, “If you guys want one…” to which Fitzy and Wippy enthusiastically said yes.
Cut to this week, when the DJs unboxed two special gifts from Ed: a pair of marble willies of their very own, painted green and gold.
“We can’t thank you enough [Ed],” the jocks captioned the moment.
Ed’s Mathematics Tour will reach Australia next year for a 10-date stadium trek.
Billie Eilish gave fans a first listen of her new, yet-to-be-released track during her stop at the AO Arena in Manchester on Tuesday.
The song, titled “TV,” is a slow ballad in which Billie reflects on recent events, including her breakup with Michael Tyler Vorce, the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial, and the Supreme Court leak.
“What’s the point of anything / All of my friends are missing again / That’s what happens when you fall in love,” she sang. As Finneas strummed the acoustic guitar, the “bad guy” singer continued, “The internet’s gone wild watching movie stars on trial /While they’re overturning Roe v. Wade.”
“We haven’t played a new song live before it’s out since 2017 or 2018. This is one we just wrote, and we just wanted to play for you,” said Billie, who was accompanied by her brother Finneas, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Billie’s Happier Than Ever tour continues with a stop in London on Friday.
After receiving zero nominations for a 2022 BET Award, Lil Nas X gave fans a tease of his new song, which also takes aim at the awards show.
The “Industry Baby” rapper released a minute-long teaser of his new song featuring NBA Youngboy titled “Late to Da Party” and captioned the post “F*** BET! F*** BET!”
In a follow-up tweet, Lil Nas responded to a user who questioned why he appeared so upset about a BET award when he’s already won a Grammy.
“This is my point exactly,” Lil Nas X wrote. “How can i get acknowledged by the most acclaimed award show in the world and then not even just 1 nomination from my own people? is that not crazy? am i really tripping.”
Elaborating further, the 23-year-old added, “this not over no bet award this is about the bigger problem of homophobia in the black community, y’all can sit and pretend all u want but imma risk it all for us.”
In a statement per Variety, BET responded, stating, “We love Lil Nas X. He was nominated for a best new artist BET Award in 2020 and we proudly showcased his extraordinary talent and creativity on the show twice.”
“Unfortunately, this year, he was not nominated by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of an esteemed group of nearly 500 entertainment professionals in the fields of music, television, film, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, influencers and creative arts,” the statement continued. “No one from BET serves as a member of the Voting Academy. At BET, we are passionate advocates for the wonderful diversity that exists within our community. We are committed to using all of our platforms to provide visibility and inclusion for all of the many intersections of the Black community.”
(WASHINGTON) — Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to provide details about a review from the Justice Department that will examine the law enforcement response to attack on the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Twenty-one people, including 19 students, were killed in the mass shooting on May 24.
The review will not be a criminal investigation. It will involve a team of experts who will examine the actions of law enforcement and determine what worked and what failed.
A report will be issued once the review is done and will be published so that the public and law enforcement can learn from any mistakes. Similar DOJ reviews were done following the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, and the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Two concerts held in tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins will take place this September in London and in Los Angeles, the band announced Wednesday.
The announcement reads, in part, “Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee will come together with the Hawkins family to celebrate the life, music and love of their husband, father, brother and bandmate with The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts.”
One show will be held at London’s Wembley Stadium on September 3; the other is set for September 27 at The Kia Forum in LA. Tickets go on sale June 17, with the lineups for each show to be announced “shortly,” the band said.
The statement goes on to note that “several” of the musicians Hawkins idolized, who offered “passionate and sincere tributes” in the wake of his death on March 25, will appear at the shows, along with the Hawkins family and the band. The shows will feature Hawkins’ “bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.”
You can sign up for a mailing list to receive information on “timings, ticketing links and on sale dates.”
Hawkins died when the band was on tour in Colombia. Though there has been much speculation regarding his cause of death, no official cause has yet been publicly revealed.
Director Todd Phillips confirmed Tuesday on Instagram that the sequel to 2019’s Joker is moving forward. The post includes a pair of photos — one of the apparent cover of the script, with the title, Joker: Folie à Deux. A second pic shows star Joaquin Phoenix reading the screenplay. Phillips did not share any plot details about the new Joker movie. The first film was a box office smash, grossing over $1 billion worldwide. It also picked up a pair of Oscars, including a best actor win for Phoenix…
Carol Burnett is making a return to TV, starring opposite Kristen Wiig in the Apple+ comedy Mrs. American Pie, according to Deadline. The series, which revolves Palm Beach high society in the 1970s, follows Wiig as Maxine Simmons, “an outsider” trying to “cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots,” according to the streaming service. “Mrs. American Pie asks the same questions that still baffle us today: ‘Who gets a seat at the table?” Burnett will star as Norma, the grande dame of Palm Beach high society, a keeper of secrets with more than a few of her own. She joins an all-star cast that also includes executive producer Laura Dern, who is eyeing a key role, plus Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Josh Lucas and Ricky Martin…
Variety reports Queer as Folk and Big Sky star Jesse James Keitel has landed a role on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, guest starring as a nonbinary character. Keitel, a trans woman, will appear on the June 16 episode as Dr. Aspen, “who once worked as a Starfleet counselor, but whose experiences on the Federation border prompted them to shift careers and work as a humanitarian aid worker.” During the episode, which was directed by trans Reservation Dogs filmmaker Sydney Freeland, Dr. Aspen will develop a surprising connection with Ethan Peck‘s Spock. Keitel made history on ABC’s Big Sky as the first openly trans series regular on a primetime network TV series…
Sam Waterston will continue as DA Jack McCoy on Law & Order‘s upcoming 22nd season on NBC, making him the longest-tenured cast member on the flagship series, with 18 seasons under his belt, according to Deadline. Waterston and Anthony Anderson, two prominent cast members from the Law & Order‘s original run both initially signed one-year deals for the revival. As previously reported, Anderson won’t be coming back for season 22…
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s newest hero, Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel, makes her debut on Disney+ Wednesday in the colorful series that bears the heroine’s name.
The character, the first Muslim-American superhero in Marvel Comics, was co-created by Sana Amanat, who also co-created the series. She’s played by 19-year-old newcomer Iman Vellani, who, like the character, is also a Pakistani American — and who was a Ms. Marvel fangirl before she even got the role.
“The parallels are insane,” she tells ABC Audio. “…Kamala getting her powers and me getting this part, are hand in hand. I went on a very similar journey with this character throughout the entire show. And I honestly just put all of my real-life self into her.”
In fact, years before she became Ms. Marvel in the MCU, Iman cosplayed as the character. Also, the show’s first episode shows Marvel fan Kamala cosplaying as Captain Marvel — the superhero played by Brie Larson in the MCU — and the actress with whom Vellani stars in the upcoming big-screen movie The Marvels.
When Vellani got the part, Amanat, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and others told her on a Zoom call that went viral.
Amanat recalls of Vellani, “She pops up…like she’s standing in the middle of a road or something and like spinning the camera because of course, she’s…freaking out, and it was just awesome…I got so emotional. I was crying. I was like, ‘It’s Iman, like, this is such a big moment and historic…’ And just, you know, awesome, awesome, awesome!”
Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.
