Matt Groening — The Walt Disney Company/Image Group LA via Getty Images
“Good news, everyone!” The beloved Fox series Futurama is returning, with an all-new season on Hulu. The cast from Matt Groening‘s futuristic show — including Billy West, who played Fry and Professor Farnsworth; Katey Sagal, who voiced Leela; and Phill LaMarr, who voiced Hermes and other characters — are returning, save one shiny metal exception.
John DiMaggio, who voiced foul-mouthed robot Bender and other characters, is not coming back for the first 20-episode order, although Deadline reports that he’s open to doing so if his salary request is met, and creators Groening and David X. Cohen want him back.
DiMaggio is a veteran voice-over artist, having played roles in countless hit video games, including Call of Duty, and hit movies like Zootopia, but perhaps most famously followed Futurama by voicing Jake, the shapeshifting pug on the long-running Emmy-winning series Adventure Time.
On an earnings call Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Chapek revealed that Obi-Wan Kenobi, the newest small-screen Star Wars effort for Disney+, will debut on May 25.
The release date is most appropriate: May 25th is considered Star Wars Day by fans, commemorating the initial 1977 debut of George Lucas‘ original saga film.
A new poster for the series that debuted today reveals Ewan McGregor as the titular Jedi Master, walking alone in the sand dunes of Tatooine, apparently with Anakin’s old lightsaber in hand. With the twin suns of the desert planet setting behind him, he’s looking off to his left, possibly to an unseen threat.
The closing moments of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith showed Kenobi dropping off a newborn Luke Skywalker with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on the Outer Rim planet, and promising Yoda that he’ll watch over Luke from afar while in exile.
As series director Deborah Chowhinted in a preview video, “It’s not safe. There’s Jedi hunters out there.”
For the uninitiated, after his Jedi purge seen in Episode III, The Emperor sends his minions throughout the galaxy to destroy any Jedi who managed to escape.
The most fearsome one of all, of course, is Kenobi’s fallen former student, Anakin Skywalker. While Kenobi thinks he’s dead after their climactic duel on the lava planet Mustafar, fans know that Skywalker-turned-Darth Vader survived, thanks to a fearsome black cybernetic suit.
Hayden Christensen is reprising that role in the series, the cast of which also includes Kumail Nanjiani, Rupert Friend, and Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse, the latter two reprising their Star Wars prequel roles as Owen and Beru.
Not coincidentally, the final episode of The Book of Boba Fett also dropped today on the streaming service.
FilmMagic/FilmMagic for Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival
Billie Joe Armstrong‘s stolen car has been found.
Over the weekend, the Green Day frontman posted an Instagram message asking for information about his missing vehicle, a 1962 Chevy II that he called “near and dear to all our hearts” and a piece of the band’s “family for over 30 years.” In a follow-up post Wednesday, Armstrong revealed that the car has been safely recovered and “all in one piece.”
“FOUND MY CAR!!” Armstrong wrote. “False alarm…turns out I forgot where I parked it…KIDDING! Truth is the person that stole it left it parked. Joy ride? Maybe…who knows. We live in desperate times.”
The punk rocker and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee added, “Thank god it’s all in one piece. No damage.”
Armstrong also thanked everyone who helped with the search.
“Love you all,” he wrote, alongside a trio of prayer-hands emojis.
FilmMagic/FilmMagic for Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival
Billie Joe Armstrong‘s stolen car has been found.
Over the weekend, the Green Day frontman posted an Instagram message asking for information about his missing vehicle, a 1962 Chevy II that he called “near and dear to all our hearts” and a piece of the band’s “family for over 30 years.” In a follow-up post Wednesday, Armstrong revealed that the car has been safely recovered and “all in one piece.”
“FOUND MY CAR!!” Armstrong wrote. “False alarm…turns out I forgot where I parked it…KIDDING! Truth is the person that stole it left it parked. Joy ride? Maybe…who knows. We live in desperate times.”
The punk rocker and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee added, “Thank god it’s all in one piece. No damage.”
Armstrong also thanked everyone who helped with the search.
“Love you all,” he wrote, alongside a trio of prayer-hands emojis.
Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn, usually keep their relationship locked down tight, never speaking publicly of it. But Joe broke that rule, slightly, while promoting his latest project.
According to E! Online, he did so in a media presentation for his new Hulu limited series Conversations with Friends, based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling book. The trailer for the series shows Joe’s character Nick hooking up multiple times with Frances, played by Alison Oliver, even though his character is married.
Commenting on his character’s apparent disregard for monogamy, E! Online reports that Joe said, “I think people can do what they want and makes them happy. I’m obviously happy in a monogamous relationship.”
Hear that, Swifties? He and Taylor are happy! And monogamous!
Joe went on to say, “I think one of the interesting things about Sally’s writings and what she explores is happiness, love, desire, and intimacy outside of those constructs that we create for ourselves…So, I think as a conversation, it’s endlessly fascinating.”
As fascinating as it might seem, Joe’s apparently been a one-woman man since he and Taylor started dating way back in 2016. The two are not only partners in life, but also in music: Joe co-wrote a number of songs on Taylor’s albums folklore and evermore under the name William Bowery, and co-produced six tracks on folklore.
(NEW YORK) — A juror was dismissed Wednesday in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights during the 2020 fatal arrest.
The juror was let go after informing the court he is coping with mental health issues going on with his son.
The panelist — a maintenance and facilities manager and Army veteran — was replaced by one of six alternate jurors. The replacement juror is a man who works at a data company and has two children.
The trial in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota, began on Jan. 24 with opening statements. The prosecution is nearing the end of presenting its evidence in the case against J. Alexander Kueng, 28, Thomas Lane, 38, and Tou Thao, 35.
All three are charged with using the “color of the law,” or their positions as police officers, to deprive Floyd of his civil rights by allegedly showing deliberate indifference to his medical needs when their senior officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on the back of the handcuffed man’s neck for more than nine minutes, ultimately killing him.
Kueng and Thao both face an additional charge alleging they knew Chauvin was kneeling on Floyd’s neck but did nothing to stop him. Lane, who appeared to express concern for Floyd’s well-being during the encounter, does not face the additional charge.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
Chauvin was convicted in Minnesota state court in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison.
Chauvin, 45, also pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges stemming from Floyd’s death and the abuse of a 14-year-old boy he bashed in the head with a flashlight in 2017. He admitted in the signed plea agreement with federal prosecutors that he knelt on the back of Floyd’s neck even as Floyd complained he could not breathe, fell unconscious and lost a pulse.
ABC News’ Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — As the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams prepare to take the field for the Super Bowl on Sunday, law enforcement officials tell ABC News they’re preparing to secure the big game from potential threats and criminal activity.
ABC News embedded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations to see the safety concerns around Sofi Stadium and the Los Angeles Convention Center — home to the Super Bowl and its various weekend activities. The stadium is close to Los Angeles International Airport and it is common from inside the stadium to see planes flying at low altitudes overhead. That creates a number of problematic scenarios, authorities say.
“Two things are kind of keeping me up at night. One is the population density of Los Angeles County,” said Brandon Tucker, the deputy director of air operations with CFP’s Air and Marine Operations in San Diego. “Additionally, airspace density.”
Law enforcement will have aircraft high above Sofi Stadium as well as choppers low to the ground to prevent and deter any potential attacks, authorities tell ABC News.
As a result, they say they will restrict up to thirty miles of airspace around the stadium on Sunday.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters at a press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday there are no credible security threats to Sunday’s big game.
“We have no information of a specific credible threat against the Super Bowl,” Mayorkas said. “What this is all about, is planning and preparation to prevent any incident from occurring.”
Mayorkas said there are more than 500 individuals from Homeland Security in Los Angeles to secure the game.
“There will be a major police presence for the Super Bowl to prevent any incidents,” Jack Ewell, the chief of the Special Operations Division at the LA Sheriff’s office, said at the press conference with Mayorkas. “There has not been any incidents at the Super Bowl Experience.”
Law enforcement officials said they are also concerned about drones around the stadium and the airport.
“Our message for a Super Bowl Sunday is come out, enjoy the game, but leave your drone at home,” said Kevin Morris, a drone expert with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Anyone flying a drone could face a fine of more than $30,000 and possible jail time, according to Morris.
Aboard U.S. Customs and Border Patrol boats, agents are also looking for smugglers trying to take advantage of the federal focus on Sofi Stadium.
Evan Wagley, an agent with CBP’s Air and Marine Operations, said they’ve seen a local uptick in criminals smuggling drugs and humans over the past couple of years.
“We feel it’s highly likely that any of these criminal operations will be trying to use that as a diversion and we want to be able to make sure to be that first line of defense so we can spot anything that would potentially make it into the interior,” Wagley said.
Nick Agro/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Meghan Trainor had much to celebrate on Tuesday — because it was the day her toddler Riley turned one! The “All About That Bass” singer and husband Daryl Sabara sweetly marked their son’s first birthday in an adorable tribute.
“Happy birthday Riley! You are my everything! I love you to the moon and back,” Meghan shared on Instagram, “Best year of my life.” The singer also shared several images of the birthday bash, including photos of the happy family posing with Riley’s two-tier birthday cake and the toddler stuffing a sticky, frosting covered-hand into his mom’s face.
Among those celebrating the toddler’s first milestone birthday in the comments were Mandy Moore, Nicole Scherzinger, Natasha Bedingfield and others.
Meghan previously opened up about Riley’s traumatic birth in an honest conversation with Parentsmagazine, where the singer admitted she suffers from PTSD after having to deliver her son via Cesarean section. She added Riley had to spend his first five days in the NICU because he had some breathing problems.
“When I saw Riley in the NICU, all hooked up to these wires, I just saw the most adorable baby redhead I’ve ever seen,” she said at the time, and doubled down that she hopes to give her little one multiple siblings. “I’m gonna try to get to four… We’ll see what happens after three. I’m not doing less than that. I need three.”
She also revealed how motherhood is influencing her creative process. “I heard that when you have a baby, you get more creative, and my lyrics are changing,” the Grammy winner said.
Chicago, Billy Idol and The Zombies are among a variety of artists that are taking part in a new charity initiative called F-COVID.
Created by the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund charity organization in partnership with fundraising platform Fandiem and concert database Bandsintown, F-COVID seeks to raise money for musicians and music industry professionals that continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign is raffling off a number of unique prizes, including an electric guitar autographed by Chicago and two tickets to an upcoming U.S. show by the band; a set list signed by Idol from a September 2021 concert he played in Port Chester New York; and a pair of tickets to one of The Zombies’ 2022 stateside concerts, plus a virtual hang with founding members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone.
The more you donate to the initiative, the more entries you’ll receive in the raffle.
Other artists participating in the initiative include Metallica, Darius Rucker, Nine Inch Nails, Social Distortion, Martina McBride, Kesha and Imagine Dragons.
“The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the music industry, shutting down touring, festivals, and live performances,” a press release reads. “Though we are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, the financial damage from missing two years of touring and work is unprecedented. Sweet Relief created the F-COVID fundraising campaign to help provide immediate assistance to artists and crews who have been financially devastated by the pandemic.”
Following two previous Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Will Smith hopes the third time is the charm as he was nominated Tuesday for his starring role in King Richard. The film received a total of six nominations, including Best Picture.
“This is rarefied air for me,” Smith tells Deadline. “I’ve been nominated two other times, but it’s never been this kind of blanket love…it is artistic nirvana.” Will was nominated for Ali in 2002, and The Pursuit of Happyness in 2007.
The biopic tells the true story of how Richard Williams defied the odds to develop his daughters, Venus and Serena, into tennis superstars.
The two-time Grammy winner loved learning how Williams used reverse psychology to motivate his daughters.
“One of the first things we realized was what Venus called his ‘Jedi mind trick’. He tricked them into pushing him to have them play tennis,” Smith said. “At every turn, he would say, ‘No, you can’t play tennis if you don’t go to Kingdom Hall,’ or, ‘Nope, you can’t play tennis if you don’t do your schoolwork.’ He was pushing against it as much as he was pushing for it.”
In other news, sports fans will have plenty to laugh about watching KEVIN HART’S WINTER OLYMPICS TAILGATE PARTY Friday on Peacock. Featured in the special are several current and past Olympic champions. Kevin will also receive a slapshot lesson from Blake Bolden, the first Black woman to play in the U.S. Women’s Hockey League.
Finally congratulations to Egypt Criss, the daughter of Sandra “Pepa” Denton of Salt-N-Pepa, and Anthony “Treach” Criss of Naughty By Nature, who announced on Instagram she got married last week. The Growing Up Hip Hop star and rapper Samuel Wright tied the knot on January 31 in Las Vegas.
