Movies

Shailene Woodley: You like apples?
Tom Cruise: Yeah.
Shailene: Well, I just kicked your ass at the box office with a sappy-tug-at-your-heart-strings flick about a girl dying from cancer! How do you like them apples?

Tom: Can I get a hit off your oxygen tank?

"Notorious" actor Jamal Woolard used both hands to choke his wife because he didn't like the way she was talking to their daughter ... according to the police report and 911 call obtained by TMZ.

We broke the story ... Woolard -- who played Biggie Smalls -- was arrested Saturday night by police in Snellville, GA after Woolard's stepson called 911 to report a family disturbance.

The 15-year-old boy told the 911 operator, "My stepdad, he hit my mom and he's acting crazy." At one point you can hear him yell at Woolard ... "You're going to jail!"

Woolard's wife, Alisha, told police her husband began screaming at her after she had scolded their daughter ... claiming he grabbed her by the throat, slammed her against the wall and told her, "Get the f*** off of my daughter."

According to police, the stepson said he heard his mom "making choking sounds" and confronted Woolard saying, "F*** you n****, I'm tired of you disrespecting my mom."

Police say when they arrived, they found broken furniture strewn about the house. Woolard told them he's very protective of his daughter because he loves her more than his wife.

The guy who played "Drop Dead Fred" in the 90s cult classic film passed away at home in England this morning ... and, so far, the cause of death is a mystery to his family.

Rik Mayall -- a huge comedic star in the U.K. -- was at home with family members when he died this morning ... but his rep says they're all puzzled about why it happened.

We're told the actor -- who was only 56 -- was not ill ... but his rep added they don't suspect foul play.

"Drop Dead Fred" was bashed by critics, but still became a financial success. Mayall was never able to score a second hit in the U.S. -- even though he's a big deal across the pond. He starred in several successful sitcoms there.

Mayall was married with 3 children.

The guy who played Notorious B.I.G. got busted this weekend for an alleged domestic violence incident in front of his stepson ... TMZ has learned.

Jamal Woolard was arrested Saturday night in Gwinnett County, GA after police responded to a call about a domestic dispute.

According to law enforcement sources ... Woolard's 15-year-old stepson made the call to cops ... and said, "Dad hit Mom." We're told Woolard's wife told the boy to make the call.

38-year-old Woolard -- who played Biggie Smalls in the 2009 biopic "Notorious" -- was booked for battery, cruelty to children, and simple assault.

George Lucas -- the man who gave the world 6 "Star Wars" movies -- wants everyone to know ... he could give a wookie's ass about 'Episode VII' set pics getting leaked because he's retired and LOVING it!

Lucas was leaving the St. Regis Hotel in NYC when our photog asked George his opinion about the new set photos TMZ posted ... showing the Millennium Falcon, new creatures and more.

Like a true Jedi master, GL had the perfect response -- especially for a guy who sold the franchise (and Lucasfilm) to Disney for $4 BILLION!

The kid who played 10-year-old Ricky Bobby in "Talladega Nights" allegedly caused a 5-car pileup in Alabama Wednesday while driving more than double the speed limit -- so cops shake-n-baked him.

The Trussville PD says they put out an arrest warrant for Luke Bigham this week for driving 80 mph in a 35 zone and crashing his Lexus into another car ... causing the multi-car wreck.

Bigham was the only person hospitalized ... and he turned himself in the next day for misdemeanor reckless driving. He was processed and released.

If you 'aint first ... you're arrested.

Prepare for more tales of cocaine pure as the driven snow -- George Jung penned a sequel to "Blow" during his almost 20-year prison stint ... and his people say Hollywood's already knocking.

The classic film starring Johnny Depp was inspired by Bruce Porter's 1993 book about Jung's life ... but we're told that was only a fraction of Boston George's cocaine adventures.

A rep for Jung says his new book, entitled "Heavy" ... will detail more of George's drug smuggling missions in the 80s and feature some of the same "Blow" characters.

Not surprisingly, we're told a movie production company's already interested in the book ... which comes out next month.

FUN FACT: Jung co-wrote the book with T. Rafael Cimino ... whose uncle Michael Cimino directed "Deer Hunter." Nice pedigree.

Evan Rachel Wood has more than 10 reasons to hate the movie "10 Things I Hate About You" ... because TMZ has learned she is being sued for a whopping $30 million for bailing on her part in the sequel.

According to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Wood was paid $300,000 in advance to play the lead in "10 Things I Hate About Life."

In the suit, the producers claim they had to shut down production in January 2013, which they say was within their right. But when they came back to Wood to resume production in November 2013, they claim she refused return to work.

The producers claim they pleaded with her to return to the film, and even agreed to pay her more money, but she still never returned to the production.

Wood is being sued for no less than $30 million ... plus damages and attorney's fees.

6:50 PM PT -- Wood's rep tells TMZ the lawsuit is a "bullying tactic from financially troubled producers" who ran out of money during production, and could never "get their act together" to resume shooting. The rep adds the producers didn't pay Evan money she was owed ... and says they are the ones who breached the contract.

If you thought Neil deGrasse Tyson hated "Gravity" -- and he seriously did -- wait until you hear him shred an obscure Disney sci-fi movie from the 70s that still angers him to this day.

The host of “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” was outside the Paley Center in NYC Wednesday night ... when we innocently asked him to name the most scientifically inaccurate movie in history.

Tyson immediately went HAM on 1979's "The Black Hole." If you're a fan of it ... you might want to look away.

He also weighs in on the old "Armageddon" vs. "Deep Impact" debate ... and told us about his awkward meeting with "Gravity" director Alfonso Cuarón.

Columbus Short is going back in front of the camera -- instead of appearing in front of a judge -- starring in a new romantic comedy ... and TMZ has a photo from the set.

Short is shooting the movie, "Mr. Right" in Atlanta and took this pic with a couple of his co-stars. The film also stars Erica Tazel from "Justified" (awesome show).

There was no way in the world "Star Trek" writer Brannon Braga would dare pick sides in the eternal nerd debate of who was the better "Trek" captain between James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard ... oh wait, YES HE DID!!!

Our photog caught up with Braga in New York City on Wednesday night and popped the question, 'cause let's face it ... dude's qualified. Braga's written for the TV shows ... "Next Generation," "Voyager," "Enterprise" ... and two of the Star Trek movies!

We didn't realize it was "Star Wars" week, but after TMZ posted two sets of awesome photos from the set of Episode VII -- we've now captured a real-life "lightsaber" battle in Central Park ... well as real as possible.

These aren't just some random nerds with toys ... they are the Empire Saber Guild, a group that performs at "Star Wars" events around the world and claims to have the blessing of Lucasfilm.

The ESG dudes say the photos we posted of the Millennium Falcon have them super excited for J.J. Abrams' new flick.

Bradley Cooper flashed his creamy white legs while sporting a pair of incredibly short shorts and a tight white t-shirt while on the set of his new movie, "American Sniper."

J.J. Abrams attempted to shoot down the Millennium Falcon dreams of 'Star Wars' fans -- but is actually going to send them into hyperspace with his first comment about TMZ's super secret set photos.

The Episode VII director tweeted a pic of a handwritten note ... complaining the photos got out and wished people would stop "making ridiculous claims that the Millennium Falcon is in the movie."

Sounds like he's dismissing the pics TMZ posted of what damn sure looks like the Falcon under construction -- but a closer look at his Twitpic reveals J.J.'s really giving fans a nudge and a wink.

J.J.'s note is pinned to something that looks JUST like the famous game board on Han Solo's ship.
So, he's either toying with fans' emotions -- or acknowledging the Falcon's gonna fly again in a very cool way.

We're going with the latter. Message received, J.J.

George Jung's tragic relationship with his daughter was the emotional core of the Johnny Depp movie "Blow" -- and TMZ has learned he's already reconnected with her since getting out of prison.

In the film, the infamous drug smuggler never sees his daughter Kristina Jung while in prison -- outside of that heartbreaking ending scene -- but Jung's rep tells us he and Kristina started to reconcile in the past couple of years.

We're told Kristina visited her father a few times in prison -- and they spoke on the phone Monday, shortly after he was released.

Jung's rep adds father and daughter have already made plans to see each other in the near future.

So far ... this is a much happier ending than the movie version of Jung's life.

"Meet the Parents" star Teri Polo has a house full of pets -- seven of the critters -- and while we're sure she loves 'em in her own way ... she just told the world they ain't worth jack.

We broke the story ... Teri's more than $700K in the hole to the IRS, so she filed for bankruptcy earlier this year -- and now she's taking inventory of her assets in new documents ... obtained by TMZ.

First, the sorta good news: Teri's assets include a 2012 Prius worth $16,800, jewelry worth $1,700, and some office equipment worth $225. Like we said ... sorta good.

Now the sad news: she also lists her 4 dogs and 3 cats as assets, but values them at a whopping ZERO dollars. She could be pulling an Aaron Carter -- who did the same thing last year claiming he didn't want creditors to liquidate his pooch.

Or maybe she just thinks they're worthless.

Terri's optimistic though ... she's hauled in $141K this year, and made more than $300K last year. In the docs, she lists her ability to continue working and earning residuals as her best asset.

Someone really needs a fresh 'Focker.'