Movie Business

Mark Ruffalo doesn't think he'll be pulled in for many auditions if Paramount and Warner Bros. merge ... because, according to him, David and Larry Ellison aren't the "forgive and forget" types.

The actor talked about Paramount Skydance's controversial acquisition on a new episode of the "I've Had It" podcast ... joking that he's "already on a list" after his open letter opposing the merger gained thousands of signatures.

Ruffalo says the Ellisons spark a lot of fear in people ... quoting one person who told him "these are some vindictive motherf***ers, the Ellisons."

Jed Wallace is trying to breathe new life into his dismissed defamation case against Blake Lively -- because now he's appealing ... TMZ has learned.

ICYMI ... Jed and his company Street Relations Inc. were named in Blake's 2024 civil rights complaint for allegedly smearing Blake after the "It Ends With Us" drama.

Wallace filed a defamation suit in Texas in response … but a judge tossed it last year for lack of jurisdiction.

The search for the next James Bond has officially begun ... and a big industry name is attached to help on the hunt.

TMZ has confirmed the 007 casting process started -- an Amazon MGM Studios spokesperson saying ... "While we don't plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we're excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."

A source with knowledge confirmed to TMZ ... renowned "Game of Thrones" casting director Nina Gold has been enlisted to help find the next British secret agent.

Vin Diesel got emotional in Cannes ... choking back tears while honoring his late 'Fast & Furious' brother Paul Walker during a special midnight screening of "The Fast and the Furious."

The longtime face of the franchise took the stage Wednesday night after the movie received a hero's welcome at the festival ... with the crowd inside giving the cast a 4-minute standing ovation as the credits rolled.

Diesel struggled to hold it together while reflecting on his bond with Walker ... telling the audience, "I tried to save my brother. It was all in the script at first ... this blonde haired, blue-eyed guy would be a brother to me. As the years went by, he wanted us to continue the story.”

Elon Musk is firing shots at director Christopher Nolan over his upcoming movie "The Odyssey" ... joining in with the chorus of trolls on X who are bitching it's an insult that Lupita Nyong'o was cast as Helen of Troy -- AKA the legendary beauty of Greek mythology.

The Tesla billionaire and owner of X went on a spree retweeting -- to his 240 million followers -- posts accusing Nolan of being a "coward" for casting Lupita in a supposed attempt to boost chances to win awards ... including one post by conservative commentator Matt Walsh, claiming "not one person on the planet" sees Lupita as "the most beautiful woman in the world." Sure, Jan.

Elon also endorsed Walsh's other dopey X post ... which argued Nolan knew he would've been slammed as racist if he'd cast a white actress instead -- even comparing the outrage to casting Sydney Sweeney as "the most beautiful woman in Africa."

Renowned film critic Rex Reed has died at the age of 87, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Reed died at home in New York City, a friend told the outlet Tuesday morning.

His final review was published in the New York Observer in November, for the film "Truth & Treason."

Reed was 87.

The federal judge presiding over Blake Lively's battle with Justin Baldoni seems to be on the same page as the public ... tired of the back and forth -- and told the actress that, for now, he didn't need to read any additional briefs from the parties before making a final decision on any fees or damages she may be entitled to in her final legal battle with Justin ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge denied Blake's request to file additional briefs and offer additional information as she argues she's entitled to recovery of her legal fees and damages based on Justin filing his defamation countersuit against her.

As we previously reported, Blake and Justin hashed out a deal that ended the legal battle in which she claimed to have experienced sexual harassment on the set of "It Ends With Us" ... except with respect to one final issue.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle their legal war, mostly ... plus, Jeffrey Epstein's suicide note raises more questions than answers and Timothée Chalamet makes Kylie Jenner fly solo to the Met Gala. So, we gotta ask ...

“The Rip” -- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s movie inspired by a 2016 drug bust in South Florida -- trashed the reputations of some Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

According to reports, the suit was filed against Matt and Ben’s production company, Artists Equity, and claims their Netflix film unfairly damaged the reps of the real-life officers involved.

MDSO deputy Jonathan Santana told NBC 7News ... “When you rip something, you’re stealing something. We never stole a dollar.”

Blake Lively may be calling her legal settlement with Justin Baldoni a win ... but Baldoni's attorney says it's really a surrender before the spotlight got too hot.

Bryan Freedman tells TMZ the "real reason" Blake settled was because she was terrified of taking the witness stand and facing cross-examination at trial.

Freedman says ... "Part of the reason Blake settled is because she was scared to take the witness stand at trial. She did not want to face cross examination by anyone because that would require her to tell the truth."

9:40 AM PT -- Justin Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman tells TMZ ... “Let’s be clear, this is a win and total victory for the Wayfarer parties. The court had already dismissed 10 of Ms. Lively’s 13 claims, including every sexual harassment claim, every defamation claim, and all claims against the individual defendants. Ms. Lively voluntarily dismissed the rest. In our view, they settled because they knew they were going to lose in court. All that remains is a pending request for fees based on a very narrow issue that has been with the court since September 2025.” 

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's "It Ends With Us" legal war isn't over yet, after all ... she just filed docs seeking money from him under a California law, and Justin's already agreed to abide by whatever the judge decides on the matter.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Blake's attorneys say part of the settlement they hammered out this week, allows her to keep alive one remaining claim against Baldoni and co. for having filed a defamation suit against her.

Remember ... Baldoni filed that suit after Blake filed her sexual harassment complaint against him. In the new docs, her lawyers say California law entitles her to attorneys' fees, and compensatory and punitive damages.

Ultimately, the judge dismissed Justin's defamation suit, which allowed her to use the Cali law to seek these damages. There won't be a jury trial, though ... the judge will decide whether, and how much, Justin's side has to pay.

Blake Lively may have reached a settlement with Justin Baldoni ... but one actor from "It Ends With Us" says the damage done to his friend still lingers.

Check it out ... Adam Mondschein -- who played the doctor in the film's controversial birth scene -- appeared on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" Wednesday and accused Lively of hurting Baldoni throughout the explosive court fight.

"I have very firm feelings about the actions that she took," Mondschein said. "She hurt my friend and has been hurting my friend."

Melissa Barrera just slaughtered the "Scream" franchise ... because the actress went scorched earth on the series after she was fired for comments on the Gaza War.

In an interview with Variety ... Melissa didn't hold back when she was asked about the success of the most recent flick ... which was panned by critics -- but made a boatload of money. MB straight up accused Paramount of inflating the box office numbers ... saying there's no way the film did so well.

Important to note ... box office numbers are third-party verified -- so it's impossible for a studio to fudge them.

As you know ... Melissa was booted from "Scream 7" and left her talent agent after friction from her pro-Palestinian messages on social media when the war broke out ... comparing Gaza to a concentration camp.

Blake Lively’s team was spiraling privately as backlash grew amid the promo for "It Ends With Us" -- according to newly-uncovered documents from the now-settled case against Justin Baldoni.

TMZ obtained emails and text messages that Blake's team at her alcohol company, Betty Booze, said they were receiving from companies amid the drama surrounding "It Ends With Us."

On September 10, 2024, a member of Blake's team wrote to other team members about a convo with Kroger, the mega-supermarket, saying "I just got off the phone with the SGWS Kroger VP, and the first thing he mentioned to me was that Betty Booze was just discussed" and adding "there is a negative taste in Kroger's mouth based on the [Blake Lively] interview (press) from the movie, and they said they will be closely monitoring sales on the brand."

Blake Lively said under oath she never asked anyone to destroy raw footage from "It Ends with Us" ... but an email from an executive at Sony indicates that might not be true.

Here's the deal ... during Lively's deposition in the case on July 31, 2025 last year, she was questioned about whether she had asked "anyone from Sony to destroy the dailies."

For those who don't know ... a daily is a clip of short raw, unedited footage shot during a single day of film production. The footage is quickly processed and reviewed by directors to make sure the shots look correct and that there aren't any glaring issues.

Marlon Wayans’ 3-year-old daughter is already getting into the Wayans family business, TMZ has learned.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Marlon’s daughter, Axl July Ivory Wayans, signed a deal to appear in a movie titled “Hudson Avenue.” Axl played the role of Princess Axl.

The docs note Axl’s mom, Brittany Moreland, signed off on the agreement. Axl was paid a daily rate of $1,246.