Movies

HBO is denying reports it yanked its Michael Jackson documentary off the air, and adds ... "Leaving Neverland" isn't leaving it's lineup any time soon, partly because of its popularity with celebs.

Rumors circulated this week that HBO had removed the 2-part documentary from its programming -- there were very few listings of it on the lineup, but HBO tells us that's standard ops for its documentaries.

It says 'Neverland' will stay on its TV cable service for another week, and then it will only be available for streaming on HBO On Demand, HBO GO and HBO NOW for months to come.

HBO also told us it's continuing to get very vocal support for 'Neverland' from celebs like Ellen DeGeneres, Sia, Bill Maher, Judd Apatow, Eve, Rosie O'Donnell and Gayle King.

Since its March 4 premiere on HBO, part 1 of 'Neverland' has pulled in 7.5 million viewers ... according to HBO, which it says is second only to a Scientology documentary it aired.

John Amos might not work with Eddie Murphy again ... but he's still holding out hope he can reprise his role as Prince Akeem's boss in the upcoming film, "Coming 2 America."

Sources close to John, who played Cleo McDowell in the original film, tell TMZ ... the veteran actor still hasn't been asked to bring the character back, but as he told us a few months ago, he'll jump at the opportunity if it comes his way.

Paramount reached out to his team back in February, but the movie studio has since gone radio silent. Wardrobe fittings for the film are already underway, which signals the storyline and the script could be nearing completion.

Translation ... the tea leaves don't look good.

When we talked with John earlier this year, he told us he was craving the chance to play Mr. McDowell again ... and he had tons of ideas for the new movie.

Akon just told us he hopes Eddie casts real Africans in the sequel -- but John's holding out hope at least one more African-American actor makes the cut.

We are too!!!

Akon has some words of encouragement and advice for Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall as they dive into the "Coming to America" sequel -- get some real Africans on the set!!!

The Senegal-raised singer got into it with us Wednesday at LAX, where he said he was stoked Eddie and Arsenio are running it back for a sequel all these years later. That said, he says he'd like it if they share the screen with talent from the Motherland (he can say that).

It's a perfect time for them to hear him out, 'cause the two leads just started getting fitted by "Black Panther" Oscar-winning costume designer, Ruth Carter.

According to Akon, Eddie and co. would be wise to cast someone like, say, Michael Blackson -- who's from Ghana -- or any number of African comedians or actors who would make the film feel authentic.

More than that though ... Akon says such a move would pay off big time at the box office.

Rick Fox says Magic Johnson's decision to leave the Lakers was a complete shock -- but if the NBA legend was truly unhappy, stepping down was the right move.

"I just feel for Magic," Fox tells TMZ Sports ... "I saw the emotion and I saw the love he has for this organization and the difficulty that decision was for him."

"We all care about him and we all care about the organization."

Fox says Lakers fans should keep their heads up -- saying, "Things always get worse before they get better."

Magic surprised EVERYONE when he announced Tuesday evening he'd be leaving his role as President of Basketball Operations ... but Rick tells us it would have been a "disservice" for Johnson to stay on if he lost his passion for the job.

Charles Van Doren, perhaps the most infamous TV game show contestant ever -- and the subject of an Oscar-nominated movie -- died Tuesday at his Connecticut retirement home ... according to his family.

Charles famously admitted cheating on the NBC game show, "Twenty-One," back in the 1950s. He actually testified before Congressional investigators and said the games were rigged. It was a huge scandal because prime time game shows were enormously popular back then ... drawing up to 50 million viewers.

Robert Redford directed the 1994 movie, "Quiz Show" -- with Ralph Fiennes playing Van Doren -- about the cheating scandal. The movie earned 4 Oscar nominations and 4 Golden Globes nominations.

Van Doren won $129,000 -- which would be more than $1 million today -- but later told Congress he had been given the questions and answers in advance. He also said he was coached up on how to create more drama as he pondered his answers on the show.

Although he was from a very prominent and wealthy Manhattan family ... Van Doren was disgraced after the cheating scandal. He went on to become an editor for Encyclopedia Britannica and wrote a few books.

He'd been living in the retirement community for several years before his death.

President Trump tried turning D.C. into Gotham with a little help from the music featured in one of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies ... but the bat signal was cut off quick.

DT posted a well-produced dramatic video on his Twitter feed Tuesday afternoon that hyped up his MAGA slogan and was basically fodder for his base -- but it also used one of the orchestral tunes in "The Dark Knight Rises" ... ya know, one of the epic ones.

And, of course, Trump slugged his tweet, "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

The problem ... Trump stole Hans Zimmer's music, "Why Do We Fall?" The tune belongs to the movie studio behind "The Dark Knight Rises" ... Warner Bros.

At some point early Wednesday morning, Twitter removed the video ... citing a complaint from the copyright holder, WB. A WB honcho publicly said shortly afterward the studio hadn't authorized the White House to use its Bat tune.

The Milwaukee Bucks' owner's daughter is on board with Giannis turning down a role in LeBron's "Space Jam 2" ... 'cause Mallory Edens tells TMZ Sports she thinks it's a GOOD thing!!!

"If you think about it right now, LeBron is Giannis' peer," Mallory says ... "I don't think he should idolize him in a way like a normal basketball fan [would]."

Of course, Giannis just told ESPN he's all OUT in the sequel to Michael Jordan's mega-hit ... saying he doesn't want to take time away from summer training to film a movie with the King.

Mallory -- who's also a model -- says she's just fine with that ... explaining to us she LOVES the idea that Giannis ain't trying to be super friends with LBJ.

"That's his competitor. That's his peer. It's somebody he wants to beat. I don't think he needs to be, like, buddy-buddy with him and run around and shoot a movie with him."

In fact, Mallory says she loves the original "Space Jam" so much -- and despises sequels that much more -- she thinks it's going to be tough for Bron to find ANY NBA superstars to join him on set.

William H. Macy's fully focused on getting a fresh start ... around his house, now that Felicity Huffman's agreed to strike a plea deal.

The actor was seen leaving an L.A. home improvement store Tuesday with a couple of brand new hoses in each hand. William looks to be in full-on dad mode to knock out some household chores -- something he probably didn't give a crap about while he and his wife weighed her legal options.

As we reported ... Felicity agreed to plead guilty for her role in the college admission scandal -- in which she was accused of paying $15k to have her daughter's SAT scores rigged. She pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

While her sentence will ultimately be up to a judge, prosecutors have recommended she get off relatively light ... with around 4 months in prison. Felicity, however, is reserving her right to argue for 0 days behind bars. The judge will get the final call.

Either way, Felicity has fully accepted responsibility for cheating the college system, and she apologized for it. She's still feeling the fallout though ... Netflix has shelved a rom-com she's in that was set to come out later this month.

Lori Loughlin, meanwhile, still hasn't come to the plea deal table and just got slapped with more charges because of it. A federal grand jury indicted her Tuesday for money laundering -- which could mean nearly 5 years in prison even if she cops a plea.

The new Netflix series "Our Planet" is pissing off some viewers distraught about graphic images of walruses falling to their deaths -- but the studio is standing behind the filmmakers and the disturbing scene.

In case you haven't heard, Netflix dropped the multi-episode series Friday. It documents the effects of climate change on wildlife around the globe. One episode focuses on Russian walruses that are dying off due to receding ice levels.

In covering the epidemic, filmmakers recorded several walruses scaling rocky cliffs near the ocean, and some of them fell over the ledge ... leaving them seriously injured or even dead from the impact.

The scene left tons of viewers traumatized.

Some critics accuse the producers of emotional manipulation and twisting facts ... and that includes some zoologists and prominent environmentalists, who claim the walrus scene is out of context.

For instance, Dr. Susan Crockford went public this week saying the walruses filmed for this scene were falling off the cliff to escape polar bears ... not because climate change is reducing their natural icy habitat. Patrick Moore, the co-founder of Greenpeace, backed that up too.

Worth noting the clip doesn't show any polar bears, and you also don't see any of the walruses attempting to flee a predator.

Netflix is standing firm behind what they say is a documented fact -- that walruses are being forced to gather on land because there's less ice available ... which leaves them in unfamiliar, dangerous territory.

Additionally, Netflix tells us the "Our Planet" team worked with a seasoned Russian biologist who's worked on that stretch of coastline -- and with those walruses -- for 35 years.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wants no part of a role in LeBron James' "Space Jam 2" ... saying he'd rather focus on basketball than his movie career.

"I don't like being Hollywood," Antetokounmpo told ESPN ... "I don't like all this extra drama. I am just going to try to be me."

Of course, LBJ is working on a sequel to the ultra-popular Michael Jordan flick ... and getting NBA studs for an on-screen battle with the Monstars is pretty necessary for the new movie.

But, Bron's reportedly having trouble locking up top-tier NBA talent for the roles ... and now, he'll have to move forward without the Greek Freak, one of the best players in the league.

According to ESPN, Giannis says he ain't down to give up 2 weeks of his summer training to join up with LBJ on the silver screen.

Which begs the question ... who will step up for Bron?

We know he's tight with Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul -- but those guys ain't exactly the young superstars taking over the NBA.

Guessing he's got names like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis on his wish list.

Jordan had Hall of Famers like Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing in his version of "Space Jam" ... and if LBJ can't at least somewhat match that cast, ya know the criticism will be flyin'!!!

Zachary Levi -- the superhero in the new DC Comics flick "Shazam!" -- ought to add an 8th superhuman strength to his arsenal ... superb singing!!!

We got video of Zachary out at a bar Wednesday night around 11 PM in NYC's East Village where he randomly decided to pop in and take a swing at the mic for a little piano sesh. Gotta say ... dude hit a freakin' home run.

Check out the clip ... Zachary -- who was there with friends when he decided to get up and perform -- belts out 2 incredibly popular tunes ... Frank Sinatra's "L.O.V.E." and a snippet from the famous musical "Little Shop of Horrors Suddenly Seymour." Listen and prepare to be amazed.

BTW ... true Zachary fans know his voice has been legit for quite some time. He teamed up with Mandy Moore back in 2010 for Disney's "Tangled" ... where you can see him sing his ass off.

Debra Tate is unmoved by the olive branch extended by the director who cast Hilary Duff to play her sister, Sharon Tate, in a horror movie ... because Debra says it's just an attempt to cover his ass.

Debra, who started blasting Daniel Farrand's independent film from the jump, tells TMZ ... the director only reached out to her AFTER the movie was complete, sending her a letter explaining what he was trying to express in "The Haunting of Sharon Tate."

Debra strongly feels the director's email was too little, too late ... and she's calling BS on his intentions, because she doesn't think it's the least bit earnest. What's more, Debra tells us she's convinced Daniel only reached out to make himself look better after she totally slammed his work.

It's a stark contrast to Debra's interactions with Quentin Tarantino, who cast Margot Robbie to play Sharon in his Charles Manson flick, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." Debra sat down for a 1-on-1 with Tarantino BEFORE production wrapped, reading the script and even being invited on set.

Hilary's movie just hit theaters, and Debra's warning moviegoers to spend their money elsewhere ... 'cause Debra says it's extremely exploitative and socially irresponsible, taking Sharon's life and spinning it for a new generation on the 50th anniversary of her violent death.

Debra, who was 16 when Manson's cult followers murdered her sis, also says the film is extremely hurtful and hateful ... and she thinks the director's just out to make a quick buck off her family's tragedy.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister -- best-known for playing Deebo in the "Friday" movies -- got a visit from cops after his girlfriend's live stream captured him arguing with her and smacking a phone out of her hands.

Police in Chandler, Arizona tell TMZ ... officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at the actor's home this week for a verbal altercation between Tiny and a woman.

We're told no one was arrested, and neither party wanted to press charges, but as you can see in the video ... Tiny and the woman were bickering during a car ride home. Several times during the argument he tries to swipe the phone away. While they were in the garage, he lunged at her and she screamed, "don't f***ing hit me!"

There's nothing "Tiny" about Tommy ... he's 6'5" and still looks like the neighborhood bully he played in "Friday."

Tiny tells TMZ ... he never put his hands on the woman and was only trying to get the phone out of her hands. For the record, he calls the woman his "girlfriend," and adds ... he and his wife are separated, but not divorced.

As for the argument ... Tiny says he was upset because she kept egging him on. He claims police looked at the video and advised him to get a restraining order against her.

Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman wants to get in a cage and beat the living hell outta someone ... and that person??? It's wrestling superstar Batista.

YES, Merriman wants to fight Dave Bautista ... the WWE legend turned Hollywood star in a real deal MMA fight.

"He looks good, man. I know that people will watch that," Merriman tells TMZ Sports.

"I know people wanna see that. If he was down to do it, I would do it in a second. I wouldn't even question that one."

Shawne knows Bautista's a busy guy -- he's fighting Triple H at Wrestlemania 35 this weekend and he's currently working on numerous films -- but still thinks they can make the fight happen.

"I know he's got other stuff going on, but why not give the people something they want to see."

The reason why we're even talking about this ... the former All-Pro linebacker just launched his own MMA promotion -- Lights Out Xtreme Fighting -- and he's seriously considering taking his first fight.

Thing is, 6'4", 265 lb. Bautista ain't ONLY a wrestler and actor -- he's actually won a pro fight -- and he still trains (peep this).

But, don't get it twisted ... Shawne ain't a chump. He's 34 (16 years younger than 50-year-old Batista) ... and he's a freak of an athlete.

Oh, and he's also 6'4", 265 lbs.

So, what's Shawne's message to Dave?

Will Smith's kicking ass in Miami ... 'cause he wouldn't be a true bad boy if he let a stunt double handle all the fight scenes!

Will did a little shadow boxing Wednesday to warm up for this "Bad Boys for Life" shoot. The scene goes down on the balcony of a hotel ... and from the look of things, nothing -- and we mean NOTHING -- was stopping Will.

Well, maybe a little lint that got in his eye.

But, seriously ... dude's winning at life and putting all dad bods to serious shame with his sharp fighting skills. Those 'Ali' moves still seem fresh in Will's mind -- as his foe in the motorcycle helmet will attest.

Big Willie was still his fun-loving self, though ... taking time to goof around with his stand-in and the crew.