Movie Business

Shorts, shades and a tank are locked in ... Sophie Turner is fully primed to step into Lara Croft’s boots, and the first look shows she’s ready to dominate the role of the video game icon!

The "Game of Thrones" alum is channeling peak globe-trotting archaeologist energy in the first photo from Prime Video’s "Tomb Raider" reboot -- braided ponytail, backpack strapped on, and yes ... gun in hand.

The first-look snap also confirms cameras are officially rolling on Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s live-action "Tomb Raider" series ... and based on the look alone, Sophie feels like a dead-on fit.

Jennifer Lawrence made a huge splash at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards Sunday night — and it was all thanks to her see-through dress!

The actress stunned everyone at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles when she showed up in a sheer gown embroidered with flowers that barely hid any part of her body.

Lawrence posed for paparazzi pics on the red carpet in her so-called "naked dress" with a satin shawl around her waist -- and it was total bedlam.

Check out the video ... shutterbugs are shouting for Lawrence to face them as she turns her amazing figure from side to side to accommodate their flashing cameras.

A new "Jackass" movie will head to theaters this summer, and Steve-O told us he's hoping all beefs get buried ... and Bam Margera makes a triumphant return to the cast.

We caught up with Steve-O at LAX Thursday, where he was visibly stoked to start shooting new stunts with his friends again, but he told us he wants "all the bros back together."

We broke the story ... Bam has cleared never-seen footage of him to be used in the new movie, but there's still no word on if he would rejoin the guys on set for new bits.

According to Steve-O, now that Bam is sober and doing incredible, there's "absolutely" a path for him to get back with the band, as it were.

Even though Ethan Hawke's been in Hollywood for more than four decades, his daughter Maya's getting all the attention these days ... which is totally fine by him!

The actor stopped by "Today" on Wednesday to talk about his recent Golden Globes nomination ... but the topic turned to his daughter's success -- thanks in no small part to her role as Robin Buckley in "Stranger Things."

"Today" cohost Craig Melvin played a clip from one of Maya's recent interviews -- she recalled an instance when she was walking with her dad and thought a fan wanted to talk to him ... but actually wanted to talk to her.

Ethan admitted the encounter wasn't a one-off -- turns out they'd been through the same kind of interaction multiple times before then!

He said seeing his daughter being recognized for her work was "one of the most incredible feelings" he'd ever experienced.

FYI ... Ethan shares 27-year-old Maya, as well as her brother, 23-year-old Levon, with his former wife Uma Thurman, who he was married to from 1998 to 2005.

Bela Tarr, a film director whose work was marked by long takes and oftentimes bleak imagery, has died at age 70.

The filmmaker's death was announced Tuesday by fellow filmmaker Bence Fliegauf -- who was speaking on behalf of Tarr's family -- on Hungary’s national news agency MTI, Deadline reports.

The European Film Academy wrote Tarr had died after battling "a long and serious illness."

Tarr was born in Pécs, Hungary, in 1955, and he later moved to Budapest. He began his career in film working at the Balázs Béla Stúdió, and he made his directorial debut at the age of 23 with the release of "Family Nest" in 1977.

He garnered further attention for his work on the 1988 feature "Damnation," and received international acclaim for directing the 1994 epic film "Sátántangó," which runs for nearly seven and a half hours.

Tarr's final feature film, "The Turin Horse," was released in 2011, and he subsequently established a film school in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Despite the often bleak tone of the director's work, he personally saw comedy in his films, and he told The Guardian viewers could "laugh a lot" while watching his movies.

Tarr was 70.

Longtime character actress Helen Siff, who filled small roles in dozens of films and shows throughout her multi-decade career, has died.

The performer's Thursday, Dec. 18 death was announced by her family, who told The Hollywood Reporter she'd died from complications from a surgery for a "long, painful illness."

Siff was born in Woodmere, New York, in 1937, and she began acting professionally nearly 40 years later, when she appeared in a commercial for Subaru in 1976.

She went on to play small roles in numerous films throughout the 1980s, including "The Karate Kid" and "Big Top Pee-Wee."

Siff continued well into the 2000s, filling parts in movies like "Hail, Caesar!" and "You Don't Mess With The Zohan."

Siff also appeared in scores of television shows, including "Will & Grace," "Modern Family," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," as well as various stage productions.

Her family said she had the ability to make "even the smallest part memorable." She's survived by two sisters, five of her children, and seven grandchildren.

Siff was 88.

Vanessa Bell Calloway has been turning in impeccable performances for more than 3 decades -- but in "What's Love Got to Do With It," she wasn't acting at all ... at least in the film's most iconic scene.

Fans will remember the 1993 biopic follows the meteoric rise of Tina Turner -- played by Angela Bassett -- and her then-husband Ike -- played by Laurence Fishburne.

Vanessa plays Tina's fictional friend Jackie in the movie, who gets slapped by Ike when she sticks up for Tina in a diner.

Awards season is picking up with the 2025 Gotham Awards ... and a bunch of huge stars turned up for the occasion ... with Rihanna and A$AP Rocky leading the way.

The award show is going down right now in New York City, and Hollywood is celebrating the best independent projects in film and television ... meaning this year's crop of blockbusters are not at the forefront of people's minds.

But, star power is not lacking at the Gotham Awards ... there's a bunch of famous couples, like Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, plus Adam and Jackie Sandler ... though neither is quite on RiRi and A$AP's level. Sorry.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson gave fans a history lesson worth the price of admission at Universal Studios Hollywood, derailing a backlot tour to greet everyone on the tram.

The 53-year-old actor announced he was there shooting "Jumanji 3" -- his first time shooting a movie in Los Angeles in a long time -- and addressed them in full wardrobe.

While his appearance was special for the crowd, it may have been more meaningful for Rock. He revealed to the screaming fans, "Life comes full circle, because I started my career here on this lot filming a little movie you guys might have seen called 'The Scorpion King,' so it's really cool to come back."

The exciting second act of "Wicked" is out now ... and we've put together behind-the-scenes pics from filming for you to scroll through all the movie magic before jumping back into Oz.

Filming kicked off back in late 2022 ... and it made fast friends out of Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, and the rest of the film's cast as they shot both films at the same time -- a massive undertaking led by director Jon M. Chu.

The cast couldn't help but strike a few silly poses in between scenes ... with Cynthia making a face we just can't imagine the uptight Elphaba emulating.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have been around the world promoting their new movie ... and now they're back stateside for one last rodeo.

Ariana and Cynthia were in lockstep Monday at the premiere of "Wicked: For Good" at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

The cast previously hit premieres in Brazil and Singapore, where things got dramatic when an unruly fan jumped a barricade and attacked Ariana.

Tom Cruise may risk life and limb for his own stunts, but writing his own speeches? Maybe not his most authentic flex -- 'cause his Honorary Oscar remarks sounded suspiciously like Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad playbook!

It was a huge night for Tom at the 2025 Governors Awards on Sunday … where he launched into a whole ode about the magic of the moviegoing experience -- and if you close your eyes, it almost sounds like he’s tag-teaming the same monologue with his ex-wife.

Check out our video mash-up -- because okay sure, it’s not an exact copy-paste job, but Tom goes on about how we come to the movies to laugh and cry together ... which, funny enough, is exactly Nicole’s whole spiel in her iconic preview ad for AMC Theatres.

4:16 PM PST -- Jeremy Renner's lawyer, Marty Singer, tells TMZ ... "There was no deal reached with Yi Zhou to resolve my client Jeremy Renner’s substantial multi million dollar claims against her."

He adds ... "I have no knowledge why Yi Zhou would fabricate a story that a deal has been made with her since she was notified that there was no deal with her, including her use of Jeremy Renner in an animated movie when he only agreed to be in a documentary."

It looks like director Yi Zhou and actor Jeremy Renner are putting their differences aside after a contentious battle over their recent relationship and professional collaborations.

We told you all about it -- the pair shot cease and desist letters at each other after their professional relationship soured ... with Zhou accusing the Marvel star of coming onto her and then refusing to cooperate professionally, and Renner saying quite the opposite -- that the filmmaker threw herself at him repeatedly.

But, that's all in the past ... 'cause Zhou tells TMZ they have "reached a peaceful and mutually respectful resolution" and will be moving forward with their joint projects, "Chronicles of Disney" and the AI-animated "Stardust Future."

2:25 PM PT -- A source with direct knowledge of the production tells TMZ … the film is based on a book, which Sony owns the rights to.

Tom Holland's set to star in an upcoming biopic about Fred Astaire ... but the late Hollywood legend's widow says the movie never got the green light from Fred's estate.

TMZ obtained a legal letter Fred's widow, Robyn Astaire, fired off to Amy Pascal -- one of the biopic's producers -- and Robyn makes it clear she hasn't authorized or granted permission for any portrayal of Fred in this biopic ... or any other film.

In the letter, Robyn says Fred "was explicit in his Will that he did not want his life story to be depicted on screen" ... and he says she "fully respects and upholds those wishes."

Justin Baldoni says Blake Lively improvised kissing him in a scene that was eventually deleted from the final cut of their film, "It Ends With Us," and that's one of the reasons he wants her lawsuit against him dismissed before the trial begins.

Part of Lively's lawsuit accuses Baldoni of kissing her during scenes where the script did not call for it ... but in new docs, he fires back that Blake herself did that to him during a hospital scene.

Justin actually included the scene in an exhibit attached to the suit ... and he claims the video proves she improvised the brief kiss. According to the docs, Justin says what's most appalling is, although he was directing, he claims Blake had rewritten this part of the script, and it didn't include any lip lock.

California State Senator Ben Allen says Hollywood is showing signs of life again ... and he thinks Governor Gavin Newsom has a delicate act to balance.

Ben joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, and we asked him about what a lot of folks in the film and TV industry in Los Angeles are feeling ... that Hollywood is dead because of overregulation, and other places are luring productions away from California with tax credits and incentives.

The Democrat -- who represents Santa Monica, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Torrance and other cities in L.A. County -- says the concerns are valid ... but he says a new bill he passed to increase the state's film and TV tax credit program from $350 million to $750 million is already paying off.