Movies

Fun fact: Harrison Ford's trainer is the guy who invented Body by Jake ... and he tells us Han Solo is progressing faster than the Millennium Falcon in a Kessel run.

Jake Steinfeld was hanging out in Beverly Hills when he gave us the 411 on Ford's injury.

Turns out Jake and Harrison have been working together since the "Indiana Jones" days ... and they still keep in close contact.

James Franco is going after a guy who claims the actor stole his idea for the actor's new movie, claiming the idea for the flick was hatched in his brain alone.

Short story ... Franco has a new movie -- "Bukowski" -- which is about to be released ... it's about Charles Bukowski, a famous fiction writer who died the year O.J. killed Nicole.

Enter Cyril Humphris, who owns the rights to Bukowski's autobiography. Cyril says back in 2009 he gave Franco the right to create a screenplay based on the book, but the option expired a year later.

Cyril says Franco's movie is clearly based on the autobiography ... in other words, he ripped Cyril off.

But Franco says in new legal docs Cyril is full of crap. Franco says he was inspired by Bukowski's writings and independently came up with the idea for the movie.

We've just seen the salaries for two young actors in Hollywood -- one 6 and one 13 -- and you better grab a cold one ... 'cuz it might ruin your 4th of July barbecue.

One of the actors is Nia Long's teenage son ... Massai Zhivago Dorsey Jr. ... who starred alongside his famous mom in "The Single Mom's Club."

According to his contract, 13-year-old Massai got paid the Screen Actor's Guild standard weekly rate of $2,921 plus 10%.

It gets even better for 6-year-old Bobbi Strayed Lindstrom -- whose mom is best-selling author, Cheryl Strayed. Bobbi was hired for the upcoming movie, "Wild," and her contract pays a daily rate of $859 -- or almost $4,300 a week!

1:33 PM PT -- TMZ just obtained a copy of the indictment which shows the film crew had asked for permission to shoot on the train tracks ... and had been denied -- resulting in the criminal trespass charge.

The director of a movie about Gregg Allman was just indicted in the tragic death of a crew member who was hit by a train during production.

The Wayne County D.A. in Georgia indicted director Randall Miller -- along with his wife and the film's executive producer -- with involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass for Sarah Elizabeth Jones' death back in February.

27-year-old Jones was helping set up a shot on railroad tracks for the movie "Midnight Rider" ... when a speeding train smashed into the set, killing Jones. Six other people were hurt.

Nick Cannon seems to think he has the role of Richard Pryor locked up for a new biopic ... but Pryor's kids tell us they don't think he cuts it ... but they say they know who can.

Richard Pryor Jr. and Rain Pryor say the man for the role is Marlon Wayans. They believe Wayans understands their dad's psyche and can connect with the character in a compelling way.

As for Nick ... they just don't think he has the acting chops to pull off the role. They say "Drumline" doesn't give him the cred to play Richard.

But the kids have a more fundamental problem with the biopic ... they tell us it dishonors their dad because it's become a vanity project for their stepmom, Jennifer Pryor, who they believe will skew Richard's life to make her look good.

The kids are also clearly pissed they've been cut out of the project.

This may explain why Nick was kind of coy on TMZ Live Wednesday ... reluctant to acknowledge if director Lee Daniels has tapped him for the role. It seems he wants his participation to fly under the radar, so the family doesn't kick up dust and scare the studio.

Nick Cannon did everything but say the words … he's playing Richard Pryor in an upcoming biopic.

Cannon was a guest on "TMZ Live" Wednesday, where he said the movie was not yet in production and he didn't want to jinx it.

Cannon said he's been meeting with director Lee Daniels about the project and has been doing all sorts of things to get ready ... like growing out his hair and taking up smoking. Nick even posted a photo on Instagram ... a side-by-side of him and Pryor (see below).

He wouldn't directly say he's got the part ... so we asked him to do a hat trick that would serve as confirmation.

We take that as a yes.

All of Robin Thicke's on-stage begging and pleading hasn't worked ... because he says he hasn't seen his estranged wife Paula Patton in FOUR MONTHS!!!

Thicke -- who's made very public apologies at the Billboard Music Awards and the BET Awards -- was on "EBRO in the Morning" Tuesday on HOT 97 ... when he said he's been persona non grata with Paula for months now.

But sources connected to the ex-couple tell us that's not entirely true -- he and Paula have literally seen each other several times ... particularly when they hand off their son for visits.

So, maybe Robin's just looking for more sympathy -- but at the same time he admits Paula hasn't even heard most of his new album (which bears her name).

Sounds like it's time for a new approach.

Lil Eazy-E thinks Ice Cube has BETRAYED the wishes of his former N.W.A. crew member by casting some no name to play Eazy-E rather than his own flesh and blood.

Lil Eazy tells TMZ ... his dad absolutely would have wanted him in the starring role. As Lil put it, "I am my father. I look like him. I sound like him."

And this part is especially galling to Eazy-E's son ... Ice Cube cast HIS own son O'Shea Jackson Jr. to play Cube. The way Lil Eazy sees it ... neither he nor O'Shea are seasoned actors, so why not cast both?

Dr. Dre's son is in the same boat ... he didn't get cast either.

Eazy-E died in 1995 after being diagnosed with AIDS.

Lil E is really disappointed, but in his dad's honor he's going to support the film and help promote it.

Harrison Ford isn't going to let a little broken foot keep him down -- he was spotted in London over the weekend with his banged up limb strapped to a contraption possibly borrowed from C-3PO.

Ford suffered the injury while filming "Star Wars: Episode VII" earlier this month. The injury required surgery, and some say reports say he could be on the shelf for as long as 6 months.

So far Disney is sticking to the release date of December 18, 2015 ... so the 71-year-old will have to heal quickly to stick to the shooting schedule.

Disney channel star Zendaya Coleman has officially dropped out of Lifetime's planned biopic about Aaliyah ... on the heels of the deceased singer's family speaking out against the flick.

Zendaya's rep says she's no longer involved with the project ... and sources close to the production say a whole bunch of factors played a part including the negative reaction from Aaliyah's family.

For now, Lifetime says production has been put on hold.

As we previously reported, Aaliyah's uncle/former manager told us no one from the network contacted them before announcing the movie. They believe Aaliyah deserves big screen treatment.

"Designing Women" star Meshach Taylor died Saturday night ... after a long battle with cancer.

Taylor's family says he passed away at his home in California while surrounded by loved ones.

Meshach is best known for the role of Anthony Bouvier on the popular late 80's show ... and he was nominated for an Emmy in 1989.

Taylor also famously portrayed Hollywood Montrose in the '87 cult classic flick "Mannequin" -- and had a TON of roles on hit T.V. shows ... like "Hannah Montana", "The Drew Carey Show" and "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide."

R.I.P.

Ted Levine -- the actor who played Buffalo Bill in "Silence of the Lambs" -- is being sued by his family who claims his craziness sent them into financial ruin, and they ultimately blame Hollywood.

Levine's brothers and sister say he's a sadistic and cruel bully who forced them to auction off the family's beloved BBQ joint in Holly Ridge, NC. -- for a fraction of its value.

Mick Levine tells TMZ ... he and his siblings agreed to sell the restaurant after their parents' deaths ... but Ted began making demands, berating Mick in emails, calling him "you crazy f***ing c**t."

Mick says his famous brother vowed to "fix it so his family members see nothing" ... and forced them to sell the property at auction.

Mick says in his docs Hollywood is the bad guy, exploiting his brother's mental illness, saying, "Hollywood only profits from his illness. It's more grist for the entertainment mill. They rattle Ted's chain and then roll the cameras," adding, "Ted then portrays another sociopath or psychopath."

The sale went down Wednesday. The property -- valued at $554K -- was sold to the high bidder for $325K.

As if Amy Adams wasn't lovable enough ... the Oscar-nominated actress sat in coach on a flight from Detroit Thursday ... because she gave up her first class seat to a soldier.

Adams' grand gesture was done on the DL, but it happened to be witnessed by ESPN's Jemele Hill, who was seated a few rows in front of Adams.

Hill spotted Adams eyeing the soldier as she got on the plane and later saying something to the flight attendant. Before long, Hill noticed Adams was gone ... and the soldier was in her place.

The "American Hustle" star ended up with us normal folk in coach, where a fan snapped the above photo with Adams and wrote, "Not the best picture of me but i just met Amy Adams on my flight to LAX, this is my claim to fame. #holys*** #selfies #amyadams #soexcited"

The delusional man who broke into the home of "Love & Basketball" star Sanaa Lathan and was found sleeping in her home just pled guilty to criminal trespassing, and he'll be undergoing some serious head shrinking for the next year.

Shawn Caples pled guilty Thursday to the crime and was ordered to stay away from Sanaa and her home for 3 years. He's also on 3 years probation.

Caples -- who told cops he was Sanaa's husband -- was shooed away from the house earlier this month but then reappeared later that day. Lathan told him to "get the f*** out of here" but he refused to leave so the cops came and arrested him.

Gary Oldman says he's remorseful for trashing Jews ... but he almost shockingly doesn't say a word about disparaging African Americans.

Oldman unloaded on Jews and African Americans in a Playboy interview, grousing that Mel Gibson and Alec Baldwin were treated unfairly because, "We have all said those things. We're all f**king hypocrites. That's what I think about it. The policeman who arrested him has never used the word n***er or that f**king Jew?"

He also said, "Mel Gibson is in a town that's run by Jews and he said the wrong thing because he's actually bitten the hand that I guess has fed him, and doesn't need to feed him anymore because he's got enough dough."

Oldman now says, "I am deeply remorseful that comments I recently made in the Playboy interview are offensive to many Jewish people."

Charles Manson will NOT be glorified in porn ... so vows the sister of Sharon Tate.

Debra Tate is incensed over the impending casting of "Manson Family XXX" ... a porn parody of the twisted Manson family murder spree that rocked L.A. in 1969.

Adult film director Will Ryder -- whose credits include "Not The Wizard of Oz XXX" -- will cast Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, Linda Kasabian, Charles "Tex" Watson, and others. Manson is the central figure who has sex with all of them.

Debra Tate calls it the lowest of lows ... vowing to sic her lawyers on producers if they dare use Sharon's name or likeness.