Hollywood honchos Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks dined out together last night at Nobu in Malibu.



When the end of the night rolled around, who do you think reached first ...

That whole "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" isn't sitting well with the inspiration behind the classic film "Rear Window."

Seems the people who own the short story that ultimately became "Rear Window" are deeply disturbed over "Disturbia" ... so disturbed they've filed suit in NYC, claiming the Shia LaBeouf flick is a blatant ripoff.

When Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart did "Rear Window" in 1954, they first commissioned the short story, "Murder from a Fixed Viewpoint." The people who own that story say "Disturbia" is a carbon copy of "Window" and therefore Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks should have also obtained permission from the owners of "Murder from a Fixed Viewpoint."

The lawsuit claims "Disturbia" and "Rear Window" stories are "essentially the same" -- a Peeping Tom watches creepy neighbor type flick -- and attacks Spielberg's "back-door use of the 'Rear Window' story without paying compensation."

Calls to Spielberg's rep were not returned.

We got Dustin Hoffman last night at the Lakers game -- too bad our guy kept calling him "Dennis."

Also in L.A.: Tobey Maguire, David Arquette, Kristin Davis, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy and Steven Spielberg also went to see L.A. take on Boston. Kendra Wilkinson was classy as ever at CoCo de Ville, Elton John made a stateside appearance and Billy Bob Thornton showed how less cool his life is than Angelina's.

In NY: Steven Van Zandt had a near wardrobe malfunction.

Little boys like big toys, so Tom Cruise took his P-51 Mustang on a Scientolo-test drive with Steven Spielberg and Ben Stiller.

Production on the new untitled David Kohan/Max Mutchnick TV series is in full swing -- and on hand to witness the action -- none other than Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. No, he's not producing or directing ... just watching!

Stevie was on set to lend support to his wife, Kate Capshaw, and stepdaughter Jessica Capshaw, who are starring in the new sitcom. A TMZ spy tells us that while Jessica is funny and entertaining, Kate's not so great. Sorry, mom!

Being married to a genius doesn't necessarily rub off, but in Hollywood, being related to one helps!

After much speculation -- and denials from everyone involved with the film -- Shia LaBeouf has officially joined the cast of the next Indiana Jones flick.

Producer George Lucas dropped the casting nugget on 710 ESPN Radio's "The Big Show With Steve Mason & John Ireland" before signing off, telling the show, "My director [Steven Spielberg] gets very angry if I say anything at all about the movie ... I said we live in the age of the Internet, nothing's gonna be a secret, nothing is a secret, but he [LaBeouf] is in the movie."

Someone should have told Lucas what keeping a secret means!

Spielberg, via the film's official website, confirmed Lucas' slip, posting a statement saying, "We are excited about bringing Shia into our Indy family. His talent has impressed not only his audiences throughout his young career but the directors, producers and fellow actors who have worked with him in his television career and now his film career."

Mia Farrow lashed out at Steven Spielberg for his involvement with the 2008 Beijing Olympics, going so far as to compare the Oscar-winning director to a Nazi filmmaker! Oy gevalt!

Spielberg is consulting on the opening and closing ceremonies for the Beijing games. In a Wall Street Journal article titled, "The Genocide Olympics," Farrow accuses China of "bankrolling Darfur's genocide" in Sudan, and calls Spielberg (and various corporate sponsors) to task for attempting "to sanitize Beijing's image." Farrow wants them to use their power to put pressure on the Chinese government in order to end the slaughter in Darfur.

Farrow demanded, "Does Mr. Spielberg really want to go down in history as the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games?" Riefenstahl, who died in 2003 at age 101, was the German film director famous for her Nazi propaganda films, "Olympia," and "Triumph of the Will."

Notably, Spielberg produced and directed "Schindler's List." His proceeds from the film go directly to the Shoah Foundation, dedicated to preserving the testimony of genocide survivors, including the Holocaust.

TMZ contacted Steven Spielberg's rep, who had no comment.

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