As a sign that things are getting better following the pandemic, a poll of more than 6,000 ticket-buyers say they’re headed back to the movies this summer.
The survey, part of Fandango’s second annual Moviegoing Trends & Insights Study, reveals 83% of moviegoers plan to see three or more films on the big screen during the summer.
Those polled also said Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — which opens May 6 — is their most anticipated movie of the summer, followed by another Marvel movie, the July 8 release Thor: Love and Thunder.
Coming in third in the most-anticipated summer movie poll is Jurassic World Dominion, opening June 10, followed by Top Gun: Maverick on May 27.
Minions: The Rise of Gru, which opens July 1, rounds out the top five.
Furthermore, 93% of respondents will see movies of multiple genres, not just superhero movies, and 93% look forward to buying concessions at the theater — up sharply from 84% from last year. No surprise, popcorn and soda rank as the most likely buy for those moviegoers.
Also, 89% of those polled said going to the movies is their favorite activity outside the home, outpacing shopping or sporting events. What’s more, 99% of those who have been to the already movies say they were happy with their visits to the theater this year, up from 93% in 2021.
“As film fans head back to theaters, we are starting to see growing signs of recovery as we make the turn towards a great summer of movies ahead,” said Fandango VP Domestic Ticketing Melissa Heller in a statement.
“Our study shows moviegoers are happier than ever to be back at the theater.”
(ATLANTA) — National vaccination coverage for kindergarteners during the 2020-2021 school year fell below the nationwide target of 95% coverage, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis.
This includes MMR, DTaP and varicella vaccines, which protect against multiple diseases including measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, whooping cough, tetanus and chickenpox. The analysis did not include COVID-19 vaccines, which were authorized for children 5 and older after the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
Although the drop was small — down to 94%, representing a 1% drop from the prior school year — the CDC says the new analysis underscores growing concerns that pandemic disruptions could inadvertently lead to a growing number of vaccine-preventable illnesses among children.
“This might not sound like much, but it amounts to at least 35,000 more children across the United States that entered kindergarten without documentation of complete vaccinations against common diseases,” said Dr. Georgina Peacock, director of the Division of Human Development and Disability at the CDC.
Researchers attributed the drop in vaccination rates to pandemic-related causes, including lower school enrollment, missed pediatrician appointments and lower data reporting from schools.
In addition to the 35,000 children who entered school without completed vaccinations, remote and in-person school enrollment was approximately 10% lower than the previous year, according to data from 48 states and Washington, D.C.
“This means around 400,00 fewer children entered kindergarten than expected. Those children also might not be up to date on their routine vaccinations,” said Peacock.
Mississippi had some of the highest vaccine coverage rates, with over 95% for MMR, DTaP, varicella, while Washington, D.C., had some of the lowest reported coverage rates, with 78-79% coverage per vaccine.
During the 2020-2021 school year, fewer states were able to report data back to the CDC due to pandemic-era capacity problems. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia contributed to the new analysis, but Alaska, Illinois and West Virginia did not report vaccination coverage data due to the impact of COVID-19 on data collection, and were excluded from the analysis.
Some states allowed for eased vaccination requirements for remote learners and reduced submission of documentation by parents. This meant less time for school nurses to follow-up with students missing documentation or vaccines, fewer staff members to conduct kindergarten vaccination coverage assessment and reporting activities, and lower response rates from schools.
“This is further evidence of how the pandemic-related disruptions to education and health care could have lingering consequences for children. The good news is, routine vaccination coverage remains high and we can recover ground loss during the pandemic,” said Peacock.
Despite concerns about rising vaccine hesitancy, the rate of children with religious or medical exemptions remained low, at 2.2%, and the percentage of exempt children actually decreased in 37 states.
The report noted that more than half of the states’ schools are allowing under-vaccinated children to attend school under provisional enrollment, which allows a student without complete vaccination or an exemption to attend school while completing a catch up vaccination schedule or with a grace period status, which is a set number of days during which a student can be enrolled and attend school without proof of complete vaccination or exemption, according to Dr. Shannon Stokely, associate director for Science at the Immunization Services Division of the CDC.
“[With] most schools back to in-person learning, extra effort is needed to catch up children who missed vaccines and to maintain high levels of routine childhood vaccinations and equitable coverage to help protect children, their families and their communities against vaccine preventable diseases,” said Peacock.
Dr. Grace Cullen is an internal medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a contributor on the ABC News Medical Unit.
(NEW YORK) — The numbers “421” have apparently eclipsed “420” at least in New Jersey, where cannabis consumers celebrated Thursday’s first day of legalized pot sales and toking up for adults.
Weed buyers lined up before sunrise outside seven recreational cannabis dispensaries across the Garden State waiting for the doors to open and lay down some green for some green for the first time without a medical excuse or legal risk.
The first customer in line outside the RISE dispensary in Bloomfield described the moment as “Christmas morning.”
“I didn’t even sleep tonight,” Chris, who was in line before 6 a.m., told New York City ABC station WABC. “I was, like, working a later night, and I just knew I had to be here. I just want to be part of that. Today is the day that we’re just free to do it without any consequences.”
The landmark day comes 17 months after New Jersey voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to change the state constitution to allow for marijuana legalization.
State officials purposely chose April 21 for the inaugural day to legally light up to avoid dispensaries being overwhelmed with business on April 20, the traditional day pot smokers worldwide celebrate weed.
New Jersey becomes the 18th state in the nation to legalize the sale of recreational pot to consumers 21 and older. Vermont became the first state in 2018 to do so. Washington, D.C., and Guam, an unincorporated U.S. territory, also allow legal cannabis commerce.
“This is a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said ahead of the launch.
State regulators approved permits for seven dispensaries that already sell medical marijuana to start retailing recreational weed on Thursday.
State officials said they are considering more than 300 applications for retail cannabis licenses. New Jersey is prioritizing granting licenses to dispensaries run by minorities, women and disabled veterans, especially those whose careers have been harmed by marijuana convictions on their records.
Cannabis dispensaries also opened Thursday in Patterson, Maplewood, Phillipsburg, Rochelle Park, Elizabeth and Lawrence Township. Most of the stores plan to stay open until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.
The dispensaries are only accepting cash purchases because under federal law marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 drug, a status that discourages banks and credit card companies from extending services to cannabis operations.
The House of Representatives voted this month to approve legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and remove criminal penalties for certain cannabis-related offenses. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vowed to make marijuana legislation a priority and is working on a separate bill with Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., expected to be introduced soon but would need all Democrats and at least 10 Republicans to pass the Senate.
Melissa Correa of Plainfield told WABC that the historic day in New Jersey was extra special because it falls on her 42nd birthday.
Waiting to make a purchase of some party favors at the RISE dispensary in Bloomfield, Correa said, “It looks great. It smells great.”
Weezer is performing at the 2022 NFL Draft, taking place April 28-30 in Las Vegas.
Rivers Cuomo and company will take the stage on April 28 following the conclusion of the draft’s first round. The set will stream in full on NFL.com, and via the NFL’s app, Facebook page and YouTube channel. You’ll also be able to catch selections from the performance during the NFL Draft television broadcast on ESPN and the NFL Network.
If you happen to be in Vegas that day, you can check out Weezer’s performance in-person for free by registering for the NFL OnePass.
You can watch the 2022 NFL Draft on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network beginning April 28 at 8 p.m. ET.
Weezer, meanwhile, just dropped a new EP, SZNZ: Spring, last month. It’s the first entry in the band’s SZNZ project, a planned series of four seasonally themed EPs.
(WASHINGTON) — The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack is expected to meet with Donald Trump Jr. in the coming days, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
Trump Jr.’s appearance is voluntary and comes after the committee invited him to speak with their investigators, sources told ABC News. The panel has not subpoenaed him.
Trump Jr. would become the latest member of the Trump family to meet with the committee. In recent weeks, the panel interviewed Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, both of whom served as senior White House advisers to former President Donald Trump.
An attorney for Trump Jr. did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump Jr.’s fiance, met with the committee for a second time earlier this week in an interview that sources said was contentions at times and focused in part on the fundraising efforts around Trump’s “Save America” rally on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump Jr.’s text messages are among those that former chief of staff Mark Meadows turned over to the committee, sources said.
As ABC News has previously reported, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the vice chair of the panel, quoted extensively from text messages sent to Meadows during the riot from Fox News hosts, GOP lawmakers and Donald Trump Jr.
At the time, Cheney said the messages left “no doubt” the White House “knew exactly what was happening” at the Capitol during the riot.
“He’s got to condemn [the riot] ASAP,” Trump Jr. told Meadows in a text message, according to Cheney, saying that Trump’s tweet about Capitol Police “is not enough.”
“I’m pushing it hard,” Meadows replied. “I agree.”
“We need an Oval Office address,” Trump Jr. said in a follow up message. “He has to lead now. It has gone too far and gotten out of hand.”
The committee is expected to hold public hearings in June and eventually publish a report on their findings, ABC News has previously reported.
If you ever wondered what Madonna inspired her to write “Express Yourself,” look no further than Jennifer Grey. The Dirty Dancing star revealed she and Madge used to be close friends in the 80s.
“We did Bloodhounds of Broadway together,” Grey told People of the 1989 film. “She told me she wrote ‘Express Yourself’ about me breaking up with Matthew [Broderick],” whom Grey dated for four years after meeting on the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off set. She then dated Johnny Depp, whom she described as a “bonfire.”
Grey clearly remembers what happened when she first heard “Express Yourself,” saying Madonna “played it for me in her car. I was in my log cabin with Johnny and she said, ‘Come into my car.’ And I got in her Mercedes where she had a really good sound system and she was like, ‘Listen to this song I just did. It’s about you.'”
Grey said it made sense the song was about her, based on the lyrics alone. She also said that she may have been subtly shouted out in the 1989 hit, with Madonna mentioning the name of her Dirty Dancing character, Baby. Grey notes the lyrics “You deserve the best in life/ So if the time isn’t right, then move on/ Second best is never enough/ You’ll do much better, Baby, on your own.”
But, the actress isn’t convinced the song is entirely about her, adding she recently emailed Madonna about her in-the-car confession and asked, “Did you just tell that to everyone?”
Grey did say “Express Herself” taught her a valuable lesson, which was that back then, “I demanded second best.”
Grey later married Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actor Clark Gregg, whom she divorced last year after 20 years together.
Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes and Miranda Lambert are just a few of the artists getting the spotlight in a new Grammy Museum exhibit celebrating the genre’s female superstars.
“I was thrilled to have my very own exhibit at the Grammy Museum a few years ago. They are fantastic at bringing music memorabilia to the fans,” Dolly says. “So, of course I wanted to support the Women in Country exhibit. I hope you enjoy a little glimpse into my world, from one country fan to another.”
Called The Power of Women in Country Music, the exhibit launches May 27 and will run into October. Tickets for the general public go on sale April 30, but Museum members can pick up their tickets starting April 28.
The items on display include Shania’s outfit from her 1997 “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” music video — including the top hat — Reba McEntire’s pink dressing gown from her “Does He Love You” video, and Dolly’s custom, butterfly-inlaid Gibson banjo, which she used to perform “Joshua” on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in 1971.
The genre’s current superstars are represented, too: Ingrid Andress, Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce, Maren Morris and Caylee Hammack all have artifacts featured in the exhibit.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” – Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures has announced it has made some moves within its own Spider-Verse. First off, the studio has moved the sequel to its Oscar-winning animated hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse from October 7, 2022 to June 2, 2023.
Furthermore, the film formerly known as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One), has dropped the “(Part One)” from its title, but it will remain the first chapter in a two-part story, concluding with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Part II on March 29, 2024.
On a related note, Madame Web, starring Dakota Johnson, has been given a release date of July 7, 2023. As reported, S.J. Johnson, the executive producer and lead director of Netflix’s acclaimed Marvel series Jessica Jones, is calling the shots on the film, with Johnson playing the title character, first introduced in the pages of Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man #210 in 1980.
In non-superhero news, Sony Pictures also announced that a third Equalizer film, starring Oscar winner Denzel Washington, will hit theaters September 1, 2023.
Harry Styles kickstarted Coachella with a bang, attracting over 100,000 people to his opening night concert last weekend.
Variety reports the numbers are pretty fantastic considering COVID-19 postponed the music festival for two years in a row. While those attending Harry’s concert weren’t a record-sized crowd, since the venue maxes out capacity at 125,000, sources tell Variety his set was considered sold out.
Sources add the remaining 20,000 or so concertgoers watched musicians performing at other stages at the time the “Adore You” singer was headlining.
As previously reported, Harry dazzled on Friday night by performing several unreleased songs and also invited country legend Shania Twain onto the stage to perform “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and “Still the One.”
Variety also reports Apple CEO Tim Cook and late-night show host James Corden were among Coachella attendees Friday
While Coachella itself has yet to release its official numbers, Variety noted the potential for “fluctuating” numbers due to the ongoing pandemic. The music festival reportedly declined their request for comment.
Harry will take the stage again on Friday night for the second and final weekend of the iconic music festival.
(NEW YORK) — A New York City mother found stabbed to death inside a duffel bag was allegedly killed by a handyman she’d been having an off-and-on affair with for two years, the NYPD said.
The suspect, David Bonola, was arrested just before 1 a.m. Thursday, days after he allegedly dumped Orsolya Gaal’s body in her son’s hockey bag, police said at a news conference Thursday.
Bonola, 44, allegedly stabbed 51-year-old Gaal dozens of times at her Queens home early Saturday morning while her 13-year-old son was upstairs, according to police sources.
Police described it as a domestic dispute, saying “their relationship was considered at an end.”
After the murder, police believe Bonola sent a text message to Gaal’s husband from her phone that referenced a previous crime and indicated the rest of the family was in danger. Police said there was no past crime and no danger to Gaal’s husband and two children.
Authorities said Bonola was seen on video rolling the duffel bag, leaving a bloody trail behind him.
After disposing of the body, Bonola allegedly fled through a park, where police said they found his jacket.
Gaal’s body was found Saturday morning.
Bonola turned himself in Wednesday night after officers canvassed his Queens neighborhood, according to police sources. He’s charged with murder, criminal tampering and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the NYPD.
NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said Bonola “made incriminating statements” but he didn’t elaborate.
