Movies

Rosie O'Donnell is on the warpath over the casting of Lindsay Lohan in the new Liz Taylor biopic ... saying LiLo simply isn't "capable" to perform the role because her personal life is still a disaster.

Rosie was on the "Today" show with Matt Lauer and Donny Deutsch ... when it was announced that Lohan will play Taylor in the upcoming Lifetime movie, "Liz and Dick."

O'Donnell instantly made her feelings known -- "I feel very sorry for her ... I think she needs a lot of time away ... She's had a lot of trouble doing every single movie, including SNL. She was out and not in rehearsal. I think she's not in a place to work."

When Deutsch suggested, "She's our generation's Elizabeth Taylor" ... O'Donnell lost it.

Rosie continued, "I don't think she's right for the role and I don't think she's capable at this point to portray that character."

The brainchild behind the porn parody, "Not the Three Stooges XXX" has been threatened by the guy behind the PG version that was released Friday -- to either put the brakes on the porn, or else.

Robert Benjamin, Executive VP and General Counsel of C3 Entertainment which produced the PG movie, fired off a letter -- obtained by TMZ -- to the lawyer for the triple X version, claiming the "low budget, clearly pornographic film" is not protected as a parody under the First Amendment.

But Michael Fattorosi, the XXX lawyer fired his own letter back -- which we also got -- claiming the only way Benjamin could stop him is with a proper trademark, and Fattorosi says the only Three Stooges trademark Benjamin owns is for Three Stooges bottled beer.

But even more basic -- Fattorosi lectures Benjamin on the fact that a parody is protected as free speech.

The PG movie came in second last weekend, pulling in $17 mil.

Lindsay Lohan's alleged nightclub assault -- and her weekend-long partying -- will not scare off the producers who hired her to play Elizabeth Taylor.

Lindsay's rep Steve Honig tells TMZ he spoke to the filmmakers this morning -- after the photos of LiLo at the Coachella Music Festival came out -- and says, "Producers have assured us everything is on track and there are absolutely no problems."

Sources close to the production tell us producers also aren't overly concerned about the ongoing police investigation into whether Lindsay assaulted a woman at a Hollywood nightclub. We're told they're sticking with her ... for now.

Musclebound god The Rock was spotted with his similarly buff, bald and green slimed body double on the set of his new bodybuilding film "Pain and Gain" in Miami this weekend.

Mel Gibson is telling friends ... he NEVER said John Lennon deserved to die -- in fact, he's a huge Beatles fan and he plays their music all the time.

Sources tell TMZ, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas' allegations the actor celebrated John Lennon's death are just false. As one source put it, "It's not uncommon to hear The Beatles at Gibson's house."

The source adds, Gibson was even playing "Imagine" at a recent function -- the same song Eszterhas says Mel bashed recently, claiming, "Imagine. I hate that f**king song. I'm glad [Lennon's] dead."

Mel is claiming ... he isn't surprised by Eszterhas' false claims in his 9-page diatribe -- because the entire letter reads like a "bad script."

We're told Mel is also convinced ... another major rift between him and Eszterhas had nothing to do with him -- or "The Maccabees" -- it had to do with Mel's other viking-themed film project, which Mel's been developing for years.

Joe Eszterhas tells TMZ ... he has hard proof that he witnessed the hate-filled rants he -- or someone -- just disclosed to the world, because his teenage son secretly recorded much of it.

Joe tells us, "A lot of the stuff is on tape." He says the recordings were made in Costa Rica -- by his son Nick. Joe would not say if the alleged comment about John Lennon -- "I'm glad he's dead. He deserved to be shot," or the comment about Oksana Grigorieva, "I want to f**k her in the ass and stab her while I'm doing it," or the comment about William Morris/Endeavor Chairman Ari Emanuel, "He's a C**t Jewboy," were all on tape.

In his letter to Mel, Joe wrote that his son recorded some of Mel's outbursts on his iPhone, but the letter did not disclose how much -- now Joe says, "a lot."

Joe also says people who allegedly witnessed Mel's rants are willing to come forward.

As for "The Maccabees" script that Warner Bros. rejected, Joe said, "I'm heartbroken. I put my heart and soul into a script for someone who hates Jews."

Sources tell TMZ ... Mel Gibson believes "The Maccabees" project with Warner Bros. -- the project that triggered nuclear war between Mel and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas -- is still alive, but in fact it might as well be buried in a rose garden.

A source connected to Mel tells us, "The project is going forward without Eszterhas. He [Mel] still has a relationship with Warner Bros."

As you know by now, Eszterhas has written a blistering, 9-page letter accusing Mel of making unspeakable anti-Semitic remarks and even celebrating John Lennon's death.

As for Mel's claim the movie project is still alive, a source intimately connected with it tells TMZ,"There are no plans on making it into a movie."

Our source, who has first-hand knowledge, tells us Warner Bros. was tentative in the first place about doing the project, but was banking on the script "being a heroic story, like Braveheart." The source says, "When the script was submitted, no one liked it ... including Mel."

We're told even if the script was good, the project would still have had to clear a number of hurdles, but given what was submitted, it's effectively D.O.A.

Mel Gibson celebrates John Lennon's death, claiming he deserved to die ... this according to the screenwriter of the failed "Maccabee" project, Joe Eszterhas.

In a scathing 9-page letter, obtained by The Wrap, Eszterhas claims Mel once ranted about the departed Beatle, "I'm glad he's dead. He deserved to be shot. He was f**king messianic. Listen to his songs! Imagine. I hate that f**king song. I'm glad he's dead."

According to Eszterhas, Mel saved his true fury for Oksana Grigorieva, saying, "I want to f**k her in the ass and stab her while I'm doing it."

And on the business side, Eszterhas claims Mel said this of Ari Emanuel, the head of the William Morris Endeavor Agency: "He's a c*nt Jewboy."

Mel has fired back at Joe, claiming the letter is a pack of lies.

Mel Gibson is lashing back at his "Maccabees" collaborator Joe Eszterhas -- claiming Joe's accusations of anti-Semitism are pure BS ... and saying the real issue is Joe's script was TERRIBLE.

Mel just penned a letter of his own in response to Joe's ... in which he states, "I will say that the great majority of the facts as well as the statements and actions attributed to me in your letter are utter fabrications."

Mel acknowledges he recently lost his cool with Joe during a conversation about the movie ... saying, " I did react more strongly than I should have." But he also explains "I promptly sent you a written apology, the colorful words of which you apparently now find offensive. Let me now clearly apologize to you and your family in the simplest of terms."

Mel then explains his frustrations with Joe ... writing, "Not only was the script delivered later than you promised, both Warner Brothers and I were extraordinarily disappointed with the draft. In 25 years of script development I have never seen a more substandard first draft or a more significant waste of time."

In his letter, Mel never specifically addresses Joe's claim that he "hates Jews" or made anti-Semitic statements.

As for Joe's claim that he wanted to get back in the good graces of the Jews, Mel says, "Contrary to your assertion that I was only developing Maccabees to burnish my tarnished reputation, I have been working on this project for over 10 years and it was publicly announced 8 years ago."

Mel's parting words -- "I think that we can agree that this should be our last communication."

Mel Gibson is sabotaging efforts to make a movie about Jewish biblical hero Judah Maccabee because he "hates Jews" ... this according to the film's screenwriter Joe Eszterhas.

Gibson and Eszterhas had been working on the project together ... until Warner Bros. suddenly decided to pull the plug ... and nobody seemed to know why.

But now, it's crystal clear -- there was a MAJOR rift between Gibson and Eszterhas ... with Eszterhas firing off a harsh letter to Mel earlier this week ... in which he says point blank, "I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason you won’t make ‘The Maccabees’ is the ugliest possible one. You hate Jews.”

The letter, obtained by TheWrap.com, reads, "You continually called Jews 'Hebes' and 'oven-dodgers' and 'Jewboys.' It seemed that most times when we discussed someone, you asked 'He’s a Hebe, isn’t he?' You said most 'gatekeepers' of American companies were 'Hebes' who 'controlled their bosses.'"

Eszterhas adds, “You said the Holocaust was 'mostly a lot of horses**t.' You said the Torah made reference to the sacrifice of Christian babies and infants. When I told you that you were confusing the Torah with The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, ... you insisted 'it's in the Torah -- it's in there!' (It isn't)."

He says Mel only wanted to make “The Maccabees” so he could “convert the Jews to Christianity.”

In his letter, Eszterhas says he witnessed Mel rail about his ex-GF and baby mama Oksana Grigorieva ... saying, "You were raving at Oksana even after you’d reached a custody agreement over Luci."

“And then you were even more explicit about your threat: “I’m going to kill her! I’m going to have her killed!” You said you’d become friends with two FBI agents (or former FBI agents) and they were going to help you to kill her.”

With reports Rihanna wants to play Whitney Houston should there ever be a biopic about the legendary singer -- Whitney's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, is telling friends there is only one person that can play that role ... HER.

According to our sources, Bobbi feels she is the perfect person to play the part of Whitney ... telling friends that no one knew her better.

Our sources say BK feels that if Easy E's son can play him in a movie, she can do it too.

So if such a project ever develops, the producers can expect a call from Bobbi Kristina.

People are lining up to see "Titanic 3D" ... which sounds suspiciously like that other movie "Titanic" -- just maybe a little sinkier. Anyhow ... spoiler alert? 100 years too late?

WWE honcho Vince McMahon is a HERO for booting Randy Orton out of the upcoming "Marine" movie ... this according to the guys who served in the military unit abandoned by WWE superstar back in 1999.

TMZ spoke with Cpl. Mike Vinn ... who tells us, "On behalf of all the Marines from Aco 1/4 98-02, that were outraged to hear about Randy Orton portraying a Marine in the next movie "Marine: Homefront", I'd like to thank the WWE for pulling Orton from the role when they heard about his disloyal service to the United States Marine Corps."

Vinn adds, "It shows respect for not only the unit I had served in, but for every person that has ever defended this nation. Thank you WWE."

TMZ broke the story ... WWE officials made the decision to pull Orton from the flick when they discovered the wrestler had received a bad conduct discharge from the Marines in 1999 after going AWOL on 2 separate occasions.

Steve Wozniak is officially endorsing Ashton Kutcher to play Steve Jobs in an upcoming movie about the Apple co-founder ... telling TMZ, "I'm glad that he's onboard."

The flick -- which begins filming in May -- will reportedly chronicle Steve's journey from "wayward hippie to co-founder of Apple."

Now, Wozniak tells us, "The fear that many might have is that Ashton was selected because he's 'hot' right now. But I feel that his selection was done in the most professional manner. And I'm glad that he's onboard. I think he'll put a lot into it and that he cares about this particular subject."

Apple's employee #2 adds, "It's almost too bad that Steve Jobs is gone. His opinions and guidance, as to the story and film crew and cast would have been invaluable."

Check out Steve's entire statement after the jump ...

WWE superstar Randy Orton has been 86'd from the lead role in the upcoming movie "Marine: Homefront" ... amidst outrage from several Devil Dogs who claim Randy deserted them during his brief stint in the USMC.

A rep for WWE tells us, "WWE demonstrated poor judgment in signing Randy Orton for the 3rd installment of the film."

The rep adds, "Despite Randy's popularity, the fact that he was dishonorably discharged from the USMC made it inappropriate for him to be cast in this film."

The move will surely satisfy Cpl. Mike Vinn ... one of Randy's former unit members who was FURIOUS the wrestler was ever up for the role in the first place ... since Orton received a bad conduct discharge in 1999 after going AWOL on two separate occasions and disobeying an order from a commanding officer.

Orton was court-martialed and served 38 days in a military prison.

Before Orton was scrapped from the project, Vinn told TMZ, "I am disgusted that his face and the word Marine are being used next to each other -- real or fake -- because of the fact that he quit us, the country, and the Marine Corps. [Randy] in the role of a Marine is a disgrace to those that have worn and are wearing that uniform."

The batcave was missing a few whips this weekend ... 'cause nearly every official Batmobile featured in a "Batman" movie was on display in L.A. ... and TMZ has the video.

It all went down at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank ... right near the Warner Bros. lot ... where 3 of the coolest rides in movie history rolled in ... followed by one of the crappier versions.

George Barris -- the guy who designed the original Batmobile featured on the TV show and the 1966 live-action movie -- led the convoy in the original classic car.

Among the rest ... the batmobile from Tim Burton's "Batman" movies ... Christopher Nolan's version from "Dark Knight" ... and the abomination from Joel Schumacher's "Batman Forever" (bottom left).