The director of "Precious" and the producer of a string of hits, including "The Expendables," "Rambo" and "Conan the Barbarian" got into a nuclear verbal fight on the set of a new movie this weekend, and exchanged racial accusations.

Lee Daniels -- the "Precious" director -- is directing an upcoming movie, "The Paperboy" starring Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman. TMZ obtained video of Daniels in a brutal argument with producer Avi Lerner that went down on Sunday afternoon.

It's hard to hear the entire argument, but at one point Avi says to Lee, "You call him a racist. You know you're racist too. You always pay attention to that."

It appears Avi threatened to fire Lee, saying, "I don't want you to leave, but if you don't apologize to me and you know you should ...." and then the audio is impossible to understand.

And it seems much of the argument involves money. At the end, Lee taunts Avi, saying, "Need some money, need some money?" Avi says, "We paid the scuba divers a lot.  Shame on you." It appears from the conversation ... the movie is way over the paltry $15 million budget.

We contacted reps for both honchos, and were told, "Both parties laughed it off," adding, "'We hope the footage also shows them hugging moments later."

Zac Efron almost committed the biggest party foul EVER – dropping a $100,000 dollar bottle of “Ace of Spades” champagne ... his baller gift from a Russian billionaire's son.
 
Sources inside Board Room nightclub in Chicago tell TMZ ... Zac attempted to lift the full 15 litre bottle on Tuesday night. We're told Zac learned the hard way it was too heavy for him -- but managed to hold on just long enough to avert the ultimate disaster.

Note: The massive guy pictured (above) delivered the bottle without breaking a sweat.
 
As we previously reported, the billionaire left a $22,510 tip for the server.

Zac Efron went to Chicago ... and all he got was a $100,000 bottle of champagne from the son of a Russian billionaire!!!

Efron was at the Board Room nightclub Tuesday night -- for an event organized by Elite Entertainment -- along with Heather Graham and other people from a movie they're working on together.

Sources at the club tell us ... the Russian saw the actors and wanted to send them a gift, so he fired over a 15 litre bottle of Armand de Brignac Nebuchadnezzar Champagne, also known as "Ace of Spades."

The Russian also bought some stuff for his OWN table, including 2 magnum bottles of Grey Goose, 2 magnum bottles of Dom Perignon, 4 bottles of Cristal and 3 magnum bottles of Laurent-Perrier Brut Rosé.

The total bill -- $112,550 ... PLUS -- dude dropped a $22,510 TIP for his server, Jasmine -- 20%.

Not bad for a Tuesday night.

Zac Efron was drinking with good friend Ryan Rottman literally minutes before Rottman was arrested for DUI.  The question, should Zac have said anything to his pal to prevent him from taking the wheel?



Sources inside the Dillon's Irish Pub in Hollywood tell TMZ ... Zac, Ryan, Rumer Willis and a few other friends ordered a total of  7 Kamikaze shots, 8 or 9 mixed drinks and 3 - 4 beers.

Zac and Rottman both left the bar at around 9:30 and went their separate ways.  We shot video of Zac running from the bar to his car, though it appears Rumer drove him away. By 9:45, Rottman was in police custody.



Rottman apparently was hammered.  Cops spotted him after he drove up a curb near Dillion's.  He blew a .19, more than twice the legal limit.

We asked Zac's rep if the actor urged his friend to take a taxi or find some other way home that would not have put him behind the wheel.  We did not get a response.

So we ask ...

A concerned Zac Efron was videotaped anxiously talking on his cell phone as his friend Ryan Rottman was being arrested for DUI last night ... and Bruce Willis' daughter was there too!



The new footage was posted on PopCandiesTV -- showing Zac (in a plaid shirt) pacing around Dillon's Irish Pub while LAPD officers spoke with Rottman (in the DARK blue shirt).

Rottman can be seen taking a field sobriety test around 2:00 into the video.

Rumor Willis appears at the end of the clip -- and can be seen driving Zac Efron away from the scene. 

As TMZ first reported ... Rottman -- star of Nickelodeon's "Gigantic" -- was originally pulled over in Hollywood after his car jumped the curb. Cops detected alcohol -- and a breathalyzer showed his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.

He was taken to jail, booked and released a few hours later without having to post bail.

Zac Efron may or may not have hooked up with his ex Vanessa Hudgen's BFF Ashley Tisdale, but if he did ... is that SO wrong? Apparently not -- in Harvey's head ... and soap operas.



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Zac Efron threw around cash like a BALLER at a San Diego hotel last Friday -- dropping $700 in booze and then leaving a 40% tip.



Efron hit the Float Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel with a group of friends ... and ordered up one bottle of Kettle One vodka ($350), one bottle of Patron Silver ($350) and a 6-pack of Red Bull ($30).

Sources at the hotel tell TMZ, Efron covered the $140 service charge on his bill ... then dropped an additional $150 just for the hell of it. Grand total -- $1,093.50.

In total ... that's about a 40% handout -- and we're told Zac played it cool the whole time he was there.

Must have been all the Red Bull vodkas.

Zac Efron showed off his ridiculously toned pecs, abs and biceps while skateboarding in Manhattan Beach the other day.


Is Vanessa Hudgens crazy?

Disney dudes Zac Efron, 23, and Joe Jonas, 21, put on their Sunday best at a fashion event in NYC this weekend.


Question is ...

Zac Efron took his mind off Vanessa Hudgens by having lunch and drinks with a group of pretty young things at a restaurant in L.A. the other day.


Bon appetit, Zac.

Over a week after news surfaced of his breakup with Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron -- who may or may not be already dating actress Taylor Schilling -- surfaced grabbing some Subway lunch by himself in L.A. on Wednesday.


It's unclear if he has a six inch or a foot long.