Movies

Lindsay Lohan is focused on her career now that she's off probation and to make sure nothing gets in the way of her upcoming roles, she has sworn off dating for the time being ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to LiLo tell TMZ she wants to avoid any relationships or emotional attachments as she gets ready to shoot her Liz Taylor movie for Lifetime. Our sources say Lindsay wants to devote all her spare time to reading the script and getting Liz's persona down pat ... rather than focus on a new relationship.

We're told Lindsay has had her fair share of intense relationships (ya think!?!?) and she doesn't want anything to derail her comeback.

Sorry, boys.

Stick a fork in Jar Jar Binks ... 'cause the "Star Wars" franchise is done ... FOREVER ... so says intergallactic space god George Lucas.

The Jedi Master's master was leaving Toast in L.A. yesterday when we asked when he was finally going to release the long-awaited 7th, 8th and 9th installments of the greatest space saga of all time.

But judging from Lucas' answer ... it looks like the series will remain frozen in carbonite for the rest of time.

Bacon ... hockey ... maple syrup ... Lindsay Lohan -- all things that've received the official Canadian stamp of approval ... TMZ has learned.

Lindsay has just been granted a Canadian work permit to film an upcoming Liz Taylor movie in Toronto ... which is a big deal because the Canucks usually aren't too fond of granting permits to foreigners with criminal records.

Sources tell us ... Canadian officials have realized Lindsay has been receiving positive marks from the court and her probation officer ... and signed off on the permit hours after she completed her community service requirements yesterday.

Bryan Adams could not be reached for comment.

Lindsay Lohan has just learned another lesson as to why crime doesn't pay ... because she's having to jump through hoops to get a Canadian work permit to shoot a movie that could jump start her career.

Lindsay has been cast as Liz Taylor in the Lifetime movie, "Liz and Dick," which will be shot in Toronto. Problem is -- Lindsay has 2 DUIs and a theft conviction on her record, and Canada doesn't much like convicted criminals earning cash in Canuck country -- then again, they like money.

So, there is a very complicated process that Lindsay must follow to get a work permit.

Lindsay is in court tomorrow, where Judge Stephanie Sautner is expected to take Lindsay off probation for her Beverly Hills DUI case. The judge is also expected to change Lindsay's status in the jewelry heist case, from formal probation to informal -- meaning she won't have to report to her probation officer or appear in court, as long as she doesn't break the law.

Justin Bieber insists ... 13-year-olds nowadays can handle a few F-words -- which is why it doesn't make sense to give the new "Bully" movie an R-rating ... especially when young teens can benefit from the message behind the film.

Bieber called in to "TMZ Live" moments ago -- claiming the anti-bullying message of the new documentary far outweighs any harm that comes from the F-bombs contained in the movie. As a result, the rating should be lowered to PG-13.

The mastermind who CREATED the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles back in 1984 isn't offended Michael Bay is rewriting TMNT history -- in fact, he LOVES the director's new vision ... and he wants turtle fans everywhere to back the hell off.

You'll recall ... Bay pissed off a lot of people when he revealed his remake of TMNT would see the loveable turtles as aliens ... not mutants -- outraging super fans across the globe, including Robbie Rist ... the guy who voiced Michelangelo in the 90s movies.

But TMNT creator Peter Laird -- who sold his rights to the story years ago -- is coming to Bay's defense via his blog, telling TMNT lovers, “It could be a genius idea -- for the first time -- someone has come up with a way to have as many freakin' Turtles as they want.”

Laird adds, "I would actually encourage TMNT fans to swallow the 'chill pill' Mr. Bay recently suggested they take."

He was DISSED by producers in the first "21 Jump Street" movie, but Richard Grieco (who starred in the classic TV series) tells TMZ ... he WILL be involved in the sequel -- REDEMPTION!!!!!!

Grieco -- who played alongside Johnny Depp in the TV series -- was noticeably absent from the Jonah Hill remake ... even though Depp got a cameo.

But last night, Grieco was hanging out in a funky shirt at the Pantages Theater in L.A. ... and he simply explained ... NOBODY EVER ASKED HIM!

Despite the burn ... Grieco did tell us producers are making things right ... saying, "I'll be doing the sequel."

Michaelangelo needs to back the hell off of Michael Bay and let the guy turn the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into aliens ... this according to the guy who voiced Leonardo.

TMZ broke the story ... Bay has been getting some serious flack ever since he announced he'll be changing the classic TMNT sewer-based origin story for his upcoming live-action flick.

But not every member of TMNT-nation is hating on Bay's idea to go intergalactic with the Turtles ... in fact, TWO former actors who starred in the original live-action movie are coming to Bay's defense.

TMZ spoke with Brian Tochi -- the original voice of Leo AND the Asian geek Takashi in "Revenge of the Nerds" -- who tells us, "If Michael Bay wants to do a different take on the turtles origin story ... Mazel Tov!"

We also spoke with Judith Hoag -- aka April O'Neal in the classic Turtles flick -- who says she's excited about Bay's new vision ... but her opinion might be slightly slanted.

"I was in "Armageddon" ... which Michael directed ... as well as "Nightmare On Elm Street" and "I Am Number Four" which he produced."

Michael Bay has a strong message for the panicked Ninja Turtles fans who are freaking out about his new TMNT movie ... CHILL THE HELL OUT!!!!

Turtle fans have been going INSANE ever since Bay announced he was planning to tweak the origin story in his upcoming live action movie ... with Leo and the gang belonging to an alien race instead of mutating from ooze in the sewer.

Now, Bay has released a statement ... saying, "Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story."

He continues, "Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world."

The guy who voiced Michaelangelo in the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movies is FURIOUS with Michael Bay ... claiming the director is "sodomizing" the franchise by changing "turtle" history in an upcoming flick.

The outrage stems from a comment Bay made about his upcoming live-action flick at a recent media event ... in which he said, "These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable.”

Of course, TMNT fans are FLIPPING OUT ... since everyone knows the turtles mutated during a brush with radioactive ooze after falling through a sewer ... duh.

One of those pissed off fans is voice-actor Robbie Rist ... who recently posted a letter to Bay stating, "You probably don't know me but I did some voice work on the first set of movies that you are starting to talk about sodomizing."

Rist added, "I know believing in mutated talking turtles is kinda silly to begin with but am I supposed to be led to believe there are ninjas from another planet? The rape of our childhood memories continues ... "

Still, Rist tells TMZ ... "Everything I have said here could be off base and wrong ... He has made WAY more money at this than I have."

Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Mission Impossible, Mission Impossible 2, Minority Report, The Last Samurai, War of the Worlds ... classics ... but NONE of which classify as the #1 action movie of all time, this according to Tom Cruise's son.

Katniss, Peeta and Gale -- more commonly known as Jennifer Lawrence (right), Josh Hutcherson (left) and Liam Hemsworth (back) -- arrived in Los Angeles yesterday as the March 23 release of "The Hunger Games" is almost upon us.

The movie is based on a book of the same name ... which at one point was on The New York Times list for over 100 consecutive weeks. Advanced tickets for the movie broke Fandango's record for advanced sales, beating out "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse."

The Lone Ranger is gonna have to travel a LOOOOONG way to catch bad guys ... 'cause brand new video shows the set for the new movie is MILES from any sort of civilization.

Producers have erected an authentic-looking old west town in the middle of the New Mexico desert ... complete with a saloon, a jail and a real functioning railway.

Price was no object ... the budget for the movie, featuring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, is reported to be north of $200 MILLION.

Marvel fans rejoice -- 221 of the coolest, awesomest “Captain America”, “Thor” and “Iron Man” props are hitting the auction block ... and they can all be YOURS ... if you got a 6-figure bank account.

The auction -- run by a group called Profiles in History with help from Marvel Studios -- is set to kick off online April 14th ... and in-person at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Among the ridiculously expensive collectibles (with their starting bids) --

-- The full Mark II “Autopsy” Suit from "Iron Man 2" ... $60,000
-- Chris Evans' complete Captain America Suit ... $20,000
-- Steve Rogers’ Hero Motorcycle (Harley Davidson) ... $12,000
-- Thor’s Hammer ... $4,000
-- Captain America Stunt Shield ... $3,000
... And hundreds of other pricey gadgets, props, and costumes from the movies.

Brad Pitt's "Moneyball" was 133 minutes of unbearable, brain-melting MISERY ... this according to Mickey Rourke.

Rourke was leaving the gym in L.A. yesterday when he joked about using the movie as a torture device ... "I'm gonna tie you to a chair and make you watch 'Moneyball' all f*cking night."

For the record, Rourke and Brad Pitt don't seem to have a beef ... in fact, there are all sorts of pics of them smiling together over the years. Guess he really just HATED the movie.

So, we gotta ask ...