Two very different, very anticipated movies are headed into theaters Friday, and some prognosticators say it could lead to a new "Barbenheimer" box office bonanza.
Wicked and Gladiator II are Friday's big openers, and with both films getting strong reviews — and both with impressive sneak preview numbers — it's reminiscent of when Barbie and Oppenheimer's very different double bill led to a $235.5 million worldwide opening weekend in July 2023.
The Hollywood Reporter says Wicked made $11 million from showings on Thursday, but other special showings throughout the week bumped that take to $19.2 million in the U.S. before Friday's official opening day.
Gladiator II,Ridley Scott's follow-up to his 2000 Oscar winner, made $6.5 million in the U.S. ahead of Friday's opening day. Unlike Wicked, however, it opened up overseas first, and its global take already stands at nearly $99 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.
(WASHINGTON) -- Matt Gaetz said Friday he will not return to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general.
In an interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on "Real America's Voice," Gaetz said he is "still going to be in the fight but it's going to be from a new perch."
"I do not intend to join the 119th Congress," he said. "There are a number of fantastic Floridians who've stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service. And I'm actually excited to see northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation."
Questions swirled about Gaetz's future after he dropped his confirmation bid on Thursday amid sexual misconduct allegations. While he'd resigned from the 118th Congress just hours after being tapped by Trump to serve in the administration, he won reelection to serve in the 119th Congress beginning in January.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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While Jason Kelce can already be seen on ESPN as the host of Monday Night Countdown, the now-retired former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center will be testing out his game as a late-night host.
They Call It Late Night With Jason Kelce will kick off a five-episode run on Jan. 4 at 1 a.m. ET on ESPN, with the fifth episode, on Feb. 1, beginning at 1:30 a.m.
The sports network teases "an immersive experience ... showcasing the Super Bowl champion's oversized personality and infectious humor mixed with celebrity guests from the football world and beyond, in front of a live audience of NFL fans."
"The show's format will position Kelce and his guests to dissect NFL topics and storylines, mainly focused on that weekend's games" and will include "active participation from the fans in attendance."
The show will be available on ESPN+, ESPN YouTube and the Jason Kelce channel on YouTube presented by ESPN following its initial ESPN airing.
Jason and his younger brother, Travis Kelce, have been making their mark off the field for some time: Travis can be seen in the FX series Grotesquerie and also hosts the Prime Video series Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?
Jason has appeared in numerous commercials, in addition to hosting the sibling NFL stars' podcast New Heights, and making a headline-grabbing entry in the ring in the most recent WrestleMania.
Actor Jonathan Majors and his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari have agreed to resolve her civil claims that followed his misdemeanor assault conviction in New York, according to a court filing.
Majors and Jabbari stipulated to a dismissal of her lawsuit for defamation and assault that she brought against him in March, the filing said. A reason was not given.
Jabbari sued Majors about the same time he was sentenced to domestic violence intervention classes in April. She alleged he physically abused her and then defamed her by denying the assault in an interview with ABC News.
Majors was found guilty of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment, but was acquitted of two other counts of assault and aggravated harassment in a split verdict.
Since the verdict, Majors has been dropped from his management and PR firms. In addition, he was cut from future Marvel films and his role as Kang in Avengers:Kang Dynasty.
As part of his sentencing, Majors was ordered to complete a 52-week in-person batterers intervention program in Los Angeles, continue mental health counseling and stay away from Jabbari.
(NEW YORK) -- The Texas Board of Education will vote Friday on whether to implement its new K-12 curriculum that calls for expanding Bible teachings in classrooms, after signaling its passage in a preliminary vote.
The curriculum includes Biblical and Christian lessons about Moses, the story of the Good Samaritan, the Golden Rule, readings from The Book of Genesis, and more. The accuracy of the materials has come under scrutiny. For example, the curriculum claims "Abraham Lincoln and other leading abolitionists relied on a deep Christian faith," though Lincoln's religion has historically been debated.
The instructional materials, called Bluebonnet Learning, are developed by the state, according to the Texas Education Agency. The lessons would be optional, but districts can receive at least $40 per student for using state-approved materials, according to local legislation.
Some supporters of instituting religion in the curriculum say that these religious texts are important for the historical context of U.S. history and can instill moral values in the classroom. While some critics said, this violates the First Amendment right to freedom of religion for students and teachers, forcing classrooms to engage in Christian instruction.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has spoken out in support of the Texas Education Agency's curriculum after singing legislation directing the Texas Education Agency to purchase and develop instructional materials.
"The materials will also allow our students to better understand the connection of history, art, community, literature, and religion on pivotal events like the signing of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Movement, and the American Revolution," Abbott said in a May statement. "I thank the TEA for their work to ensure our students receive a robust educational foundation to succeed so that we can build a brighter Texas for generations to come."
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, an advocacy organization centering on the separation of state and church, has criticized the curriculum, claiming leaders are determined to "turn the state's public schools into Christian training grounds."
"The curriculum targets the youngest, most impressionable elementary students, starting by introducing kindergartners to Jesus," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said in an online statement ahead of the vote. "Religious instruction is the purview of parents, not proselytizing school boards. This is a shameful ruse by Christian nationalists in Texas who see the schools as a mission field."
States like Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and others have been behind the push to enforce Christian-based school requirements, including the implementation of Bibles, the Ten Commandments and other religious doctrines in schools.
(NEW YORK) -- New York Judge Juan Merchan has delayed President-elect Donald Trump's Nov. 26 sentencing date in his criminal hush money case, according to a brief order issued Friday.
The judge is allowing the defense to file a motion to dismiss the case, which he said is due by Dec. 2.
The judge provided no new sentencing date after adjourning the original Nov. 26 date.
Trump was scheduled to be sentenced next week after he was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Judge Merchan's order also puts off any decision about whether the Supreme Court's recent presidential immunity decision applies to the case.
While the $130,000 payment to Daniels preceded Trump's ascension to the presidency, Trump has claimed that prosecutors filled "glaring holes in their case" with evidence that related to official acts he subsequently performed in office -- which the Supreme Court ruled are off limits in its July ruling on presidential immunity.
Prosecutors have argued that the case centers on "entirely personal" conduct with "no relationship whatsoever to any official duty of the presidency."
Trump has asked that the verdict be overturned or the case be thrown out entirely. If Judge Merchan tosses the conviction, he could order a new trial -- which would be delayed for at least four years until Trump leaves office -- or dismiss the indictment altogether.
Trump's conviction carries a penalty of up to four years in prison, though first-time offenders normally receive lesser sentences.
(NEW YORK) -- Actor Jonathan Majors and his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari have agreed to resolve her civil claims that followed his misdemeanor assault conviction in New York, according to a court filing.
Majors and Jabbari stipulated to a dismissal of her lawsuit for defamation and assault that she brought against him in March, the filing said.
Jabbari's lawyer said the pair settled out of court.
"We are happy to announce that the lawsuit Grace filed against Jonathan Majors was successfully settled," attorney Brad Edwards said in a statement to ABC News. "It took tremendous courage for Grace to pursue this case. We are happy to have helped her close this chapter favorably so that she can move forward and begin to finally heal."
Jabbari sued the Marvel and "Creed III" star about the same time he was sentenced to domestic violence intervention classes in April. She alleged he physically abused her and then defamed her by denying the assault in an interview with ABC News.
Majors was found guilty of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment, but acquitted of two other counts of assault and aggravated harassment in a split verdict.
Since the verdict, Majors has been dropped from his management and PR firms. In addition, he was cut from future Marvel films, including his role as Kang in "Avengers: Kang Dynasty."
As part of his sentencing, Majors was ordered to complete 52-week in-person batterers intervention program in Los Angeles, continue mental health counseling and stay away from Jabbari.
LONGVIEW — The Longview Independent School District said their Education Support Center will be closed Friday due to damage from a fire just after midnight. According to our news partner KETK, a press release from the district stated the fire caused “significant damage” to the building’s northwest wing. No injuries have been reported from the fire and the Longview Fire Department is investigating the cause.
“We are incredibly grateful to the firefighters and first responders who acted so quickly to contain the fire and prevent further damage,” Longview ISD superintendent Dr. Marla Sheppard said. “Their dedication and skill ensured that no one was harmed and that the impact was minimized as much as possible.” Continue reading Longview ISD Education Support Center closed due to fire damage
Nearly two and a half decades after the monumental film Gladiator hit theaters, acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott is returning the iconic Roman-era epic to the big screen with Gladiator II.
The film, starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and more, is a Roman warrior story of redemption, family and nation, told on a scale big enough to match its preceding legacy.
In an interview with Good Morning America, the cast opened up about making the second installment of a classic, carrying on the Gladiator legacy and how Scott "built" Rome for the new film.
"We thought about it for 24 years -- not every day, it was always there in the back of my mind," Scott said of making the sequel. "But in that time, I did 17 other movies. Big ones. So, it really wasn't an incredible challenge other than saying 'It would be nice to get to it,' And we finally got to it by sitting down at a table and saying, 'Whatever happened to Lucius?'"
Enter: Mescal as Lucius, the son of Maximus -- the main character from Gladiator, played by Russell Crowe.
Mescal undoubtedly had big boots to fill, succeeding Crowe as the leading man in the sequel. According to two-time Oscar winner Washington, who plays Macrinus in the new film, Mescal was more than able to carry the staggering legacy of Crowe's character.
"First of all, he pulls it off," said Washington. "I can only imagine the pressure he must have felt coming behind Russell 25 years later."
Despite that pressure, Mescal made clear his dominant feeling was one of excitement. "Obviously there was a nervousness attached to it and concern because you care about the work that you do," he said. "But the predominant thing was one of getting ready to go -- and excited about it, to be honest."
Scott's Rome, which he built with production designer Arthur Max, featured more than 500 extras filling rows in a replica Colosseum that reached a third of the original structure's actual size.
"I'd never been on sets like that," said Washington, explaining the scope of the production. "They built Rome, basically."
Mescal said actors on Scott's set are immersed in the world of Gladiator -- barring the cameras of course, though he was sure to note that Scott even dresses up the camera operators in costume.
"It is a total, total gift," said Mescal of the elaborate set design. "You walk onto set, and if you can't act in that environment, I don't think this job is for you."
Netflix has announced Jan. 16 as the premiere date for season 2 of its To All the Boys I've Loved Before spinoff, XO, Kitty. The new season, filmed in Seoul, South Korea, "will follow Kitty -- played by Anna Cathcart -- as she returns to high school for a new semester at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS)," according to the streaming service. Season 2 will also introduce three new characters: Stella, Praveena and Jin -- played respectively by Audrey Huynh, Sasha Bhasin and Joshua Lee...
Starz has revealed Jan. 17 as the premiere date for its steamy, seductive thriller The Couple Next Door, along with a teaser trailer. The series follows a couple, played by The Illusionist's Eleanor Tomlinson and How to Get Away with Murder's Alfred Enoch, who move into the upscale neighborhood and strike up a friendship with the couple next door, portrayed by Outlander's Sam Heughan and Pennyworth's Jessica De Gouw, per Starz. The two couples grow increasingly close to each other and become sexually entangled in a way that will change their lives forever. The Couple Next Door will be available to stream weekly on Fridays on the STARZ app and all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms ...
TheSocial Network's Jesse Eisenberg has lined up his next film, an untitled musical comedy starring The Room Next Door's Julianne Moore and The Holdovers' Paul Giamatti, according to Deadline. The feature, directed by Eisenberg from his own script, "follows a shy woman who is unexpectedly cast in a local production of an original musical. Under the spell of the strong-willed and enigmatic director, she loses herself in the role and the high-stakes world of this community theater production," per the outlet ...
Disney+ has greenlit a second season of the Korean sci-fi fantasy series Moving, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Based on the popular webtoon created by Kang Full, Moving centers on three teenagers with genetic superhuman abilities and their parents who protect them from a group of South Korean spies. The series features some of the biggest names in Korean film and television, including Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo and Zo In-sung. Disney is the parent company of ABC News ...
(NEW YORK) -- Tech billionaire Elon Musk has kept busy since Election Day, advising President-elect Donald Trump and receiving an appointment to co-lead a new government efficiency commission.
Musk has also found time to promote Trump in scores of posts on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, which he owns. But such advocacy appears to have driven some X users to seek alternatives.
One such app, Bluesky, has drawn attention as a possible X rival and has amassed a total of 20 million users to date. Its growth accelerated in the aftermath of the election, when Bluesky added one million users in a single week.
Launched by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky has attracted some prominent users in recent days, including comedian Ben Stiller, author Stephen King, and pop star Lizzo.
Here's what to know about Bluesky, and how to join:
What is Bluesky?
Bluesky is a text-oriented social media platform on which users can post messages as long as 300 characters. Like X, the messages posted on Bluesky appear on a newsfeed displayed to users. The app is available on iOS and Android.
The platform operates on an open framework, meaning that users can post their messages to a server tailored for specific interests or communities. The system design resembles that which is used on another text-first app, Mastodon, as well as the decentralized platform Discord.
Bluesky began in 2019 as a venture at Twitter overseen by Dorsey, and was launched as an independent company in 2022, the year after he left Twitter.
Development of the site started after a 2020 tweet from Dorsey announcing Twitter's plans to fund a decentralized social media platform, Bluesky said in a blog post. The eventual leaders at Bluesky were among those who sent direct messages to Dorsey in response to his post, the blog added.
Who owns Bluesky?
The board of directors at Bluesky features Dorsey as well as Jeremie Miller, the founder in the late 1990s of a free instant messaging service called Jabber.
Bluesky's CEO is Jay Graber, who formerly founded an events-oriented social media site called Happening and worked as a software engineer on a cryptocurrency called Zcash, according to LinkedIn. She also serves on the Bluesky board.
The company is owned by Graber as well as "the Bluesky team," the Bluesky website says.
While Bluesky has retained a traditional corporate structure featuring a board and chief executive, the company said it aspires to take control of content away from a top-down entity and return it to creators.
"Traditional social networks are often closed platforms with a central authority," the website says. "There's a small group of people who control those companies, and they have total control over how users can use the platform and what developers can build."
Dorsey criticized Musk's leadership at Twitter on Bluesky last year, saying that things "all went south" at the platform after Musk's acquisition, CNBC reported.
Is Bluesky a viable alternative to X?
The steady growth of Bluesky has made it a destination for an increasing number of celebrities, elected officials and government entities. But the platform remains much smaller than X or the Meta-owned competitor, Threads.
Bluesky boasts roughly 20 million users, which amounts to less than 10% of the 229 million daily active users disclosed by Twitter in a June 2022 earnings report. X's user data is no longer publicly available since Musk took the company private.
In July, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads had exceeded 175 million monthly active users.
How do you join Bluesky?
During Bluesky's initial years, users could only join the platform if they received an invitation. The policy aimed to limit the app's user base as it underwent testing.
In February, however, the platform made itself available to all users. Individuals or organizations can navigate to the platform and follow instructions to create an account.
(NEW YORK) -- Some hospitals in the U.S. are seeing an increase in RSV and higher levels of "walking pneumonia" among young children despite overall respiratory illness activity remaining low nationally.
Cook Children's Medical Centers in Texas reported a "steep increase" in children visiting the emergency room due to respiratory-related illnesses.
On Tuesday, at the health system's Fort Worth location alone, there were 572 patients -- a near-record-high number -- in the emergency department. Officials said the increase in hospital visits is due to a spread of RSV and walking pneumonia in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Additionally, University of North Carolina hospitals reported 40 walking pneumonia cases in the last week of October compared to no cases the same time last year.
Infectious disease specialists say that although parents should stay alert when it comes to respiratory illnesses spreading, this season also may also be marking a return to typical seasons seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's the calm before the storm," Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News. "It feels that there's so much going on … that we almost forget about respiratory viruses, but they're very regular. They're kind of falling back into normal pre-pandemic cadence."
Walking pneumonia seeing cyclical increase
So-called "walking pneumonia" is a respiratory tract bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Infections are generally mild, and people may seem better than expected for those with a lung infection, hence the term walking pneumonia, the CDC said. Sometimes serious complications, however, emerge requiring hospitalization.
For the week ending Nov. 2, the latest for which CDC data is available, 2.8% of all pneumonia-associated ED visits led to an M. pneumoniae diagnosis, up from just 2% at the end of September.
Rates were highest among those ages 1 and younger, making up 7.8% of all pneumonia-associated ED visits with an M. pneumoniae diagnosis for the week ending Nov. 2.
Experts say mycoplasma infections have a cyclical nature and tend to surge every three to seven years.
"Just like other respiratory viruses, there was not a lot of exposure during the pandemic years because of social distancing and people staying away from each other, and so we're catching up to that," Chin-Hong said. "Mycoplasma may also be one of these things where you're kind of seeing the perfect storm. So, it comes back every four or five years and people are getting back to their normal lives."
RSV activity returning to pre-pandemic levels
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus with most children affected by their second birthday, according to the CDC.
Although it typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms and most people recover in one to two weeks, it can be a serious infection for infants and older adults, resulting in hospitalization, the CDC said.
Current levels remain lower than those seen at the same time during the past few seasons.
"While RSV activity is increasing in certain regions, particularly among young children, it's important to remember that we're seeing a return to more typical pre-pandemic patterns," said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor.
"This year's season is starting later and progressing more slowly compared to the past few years, which were marked by earlier and more severe outbreaks," he added.
Brownstein pointed out that while national levels remain low, certain regions in the southern U.S. and eastern U.S. are seeing localized surges, especially among young children.
When to go to the emergency room
Chin-Hong said if symptoms are mild, including low-grade fever, dry cough, sore throat, headaches and mild aches and pains, parents can keep their children home and contact their primary care provider with any questions.
However, when symptoms become more severe including difficulty breathing, a long-lasting fever or lethargy, then it might be time to visit the emergency room.
If you have "a child who's having a cough for more than seven days and maybe they're not shaking that off, then you worry about something like walking pneumonia," Chin-Hong said.
How to prevent RSV and walking pneumonia
To prevent RSV, there are three vaccines approved for adults ages 60 and older as well as some adults between the ages 50 and 59 who are at higher risk. There is also a vaccine available for pregnant women between 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy.
For babies under eight months, there are two monoclonal antibody products available. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins manufactured in a lab that mimic the antibodies the body naturally creates when fighting an infection.
"For walking pneumonia. or mycoplasma, there's no vaccine for that, but by getting vaccines for RSV, COVID [and] influenza, you reduce the probability of co-infections that can make things worse," Chin-Hong said.
Experts also recommended applying lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as wearing a mask in spaces with poor ventilation.
"Practicing good hygiene, like frequent hand-washing and covering coughs and sneezes, remains essential in preventing the spread of respiratory infections," Brownstein said.
