Movies

"The Batman" isn't all work and no play -- as you can see he takes a load off whenever possible, and lets Hollywood magic do the rest. Case in point ... cool-guy stuntman A.

Matt Reeves' upcoming superhero epic about the early years of The Dark Knight is in the middle of filming right now out in Scotland -- and on Saturday ... the crew got some shots of Batsy riding around on his motorcycle. Well, sorta ... they got a close-up of his arm.

Check it out ... you see the stuntman -- doesn't really look like Robert Pattinson under there -- sitting next to the Batbike which is on top of a moving platform being pulled by a truck. The dude's got the Batsuit on, but he's not rockin' the cowl, 'cause there's no need.

Looks like this shot is just of the hero's arm gripping the handlebars, so the stunt double's chilling with a beanie on and a pair of shades as they run through it a couple times.

This mild shoot day isn't nearly as involved or complete as the one from a few days ago when what appeared to be another stuntman was doing a complete motorcycle ride through a graveyard, complete with a mask and some falls off the bike. Bat-mode, initiated!

Of course, this all comes about a week or so after Matt showed off what Pattinson's gonna look like in a sneak peek test shot (more or less), which already had fans squawking.

As for this latest look ... we're getting Caped Ski Bum vibes.

Quentin Tarantino just became a dad for the first time at age 56 -- because his wife, Daniella Pick, has finally given birth ... TMZ has confirmed.

A rep for the acclaimed director tells us ... "Daniella and Quentin Tarantino are happy to announce the birth of their first child. A baby boy born February 22, 2020."

According to reports, the child was actually born in Tel-Aviv, and thus ... he's half Israeli by birthright. Daniella -- a singer and model -- is from Israel, so it looks like they went back to the homeland for the delivery.

This would be Quentin's first kid -- same for Daniella actually, who's 20 years his junior. They got hitched in 2018 after first reportedly meeting in 2009 during production of 'Inglourious Basterds.' They first announced they were expecting back in August of 2019.

Clint Eastwood is doing a flip-flip of sorts ... endorsing former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg instead of President Trump -- whom he supported in the run-up to the 2016 election.

Dirty Harry gave his thoughts on this year's candidates to the WSJ, saying on this year's competition ... "The best thing we can do is just get Mike Bloomberg in there." Clint doesn't appear to elaborate beyond that, but did have something to say about DT.

CE says he wants Trump to act "in a more genteel way, without tweeting and calling people names." He adds, "I would personally like for him to not bring himself to that level."

What's interesting, of course, is that Clint -- a well-known Libertarian -- said he'd have to choose Trump over Hillary if it came down to it, back in August 2016 ... and while it wasn't an official endorsement, it was clear where his allegiance was during that cycle.

Now, he's backing a Dem -- who used to be a Republican for a while, BTW -- although it's unclear why. Funny enough, Bloomberg has tried positioning himself as a solid establishment Democrat, who'd further Barack Obama's policies and follow in 44's footsteps.

Of course, Clint skewered Obama at the 2012 Republican National Convention when Mitt Romney was selected as the party's nominee, talking to an empty chair on stage during his speech that he likened to BO's presidency at the time ... empty (in his eyes, anyway).

President Trump's disdain for Hollywood and the Oscars didn't end with "Parasite" ... he also lashed out at Academy Award winner, Brad Pitt.

Right after Trump got done ripping the South Korean film that won Best Picture -- which he seemingly didn't see -- because to him it doesn't live up to classics like "Gone With the Wind" ... he went after the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star.

Trump said ... "And then you have Brad Pitt, I was never a big fan of his, he got upset little wise guy statement. Little wise guy! He's a little wise guy."

The statement the Prez is likely referring to is Pitt's Best Supporting Actor speech, in which he blasted the Republican Senate for not allowing John Bolton to testify during Trump's impeachment trial.

Brad added ... "I'm thinking maybe Quentin [Tarantino] does a movie about it. In the end, the adults do the right thing."

The irony here ... Trump mocked and was dismissive of Hollywood's most prestigious awards show at his campaign rally in Colorado Thursday night, but it seems he watched the whole show.

This kid grew up to be a successful dancer, songwriter and rapper. He's also got an MTV Award but it's got nothing to do with any of what was just mentioned. A clue to his first movie would be a dead giveaway ... so here are some other clues to make this tougher:

This kid was born in Malibu to famous parents. He's 21 years old now and has a budding music career. He hasn't acted as of late, but it's his acting chops that burst him onto the scene. You probably remember him from "The Pursuit of Happyness" and the remake of "The Karate Kid."

Donald Trump is mocking the historic Oscars wins for "Parasite" ... and the movie studio is clapping back in epic fashion, calling the President illiterate!!!

The President just launched a sneak attack against "Parasite" during his Thursday campaign rally in Colorado, wondering how the hell a movie outta South Korea took home the Academy Award for Best Picture ... among its four Oscars wins.

It didn't take long for the studio behind the flick to fire back on social media. NEON says it can understand why he couldn't follow along with the English subtitles, because Trump "can't read." Sick burn!!!

Trump's scratching his head over Hollywood in general ... wondering when Tinseltown is gonna drop some movies like "Gone With The Wind." Seriously, he went there.

But, Trump's directing most of his frustration towards South Korea, ripping the Asian nation for giving the U.S. problems with trade and wondering why "Parasite" became the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture.

Joaquin Phoenix didn't wait long to walk the walk after mentioning the plight of mother cows and their babies in his Best Actor speech at the Academy Awards ... and a mama and her calf are living happily together because of it.

The "Joker" star visited a slaughterhouse run by Manning Beef in Pico Rivera, CA the day after the Oscars to have a sit-down talk with Anthony Di Maria, president and CEO of the company ... and it led to something remarkable.

Though the 2 butted heads over the nature of the industry, Phoenix and Di Maria found some common ground ... and the actor helped LA Animal Save liberate a mother cow and her newborn calf, a daughter.

Joaquin's seen carrying the baby cow away from the holding area where she was born and onto a trailer with her mom. The bovine family will now be able to live and grow together at a Farm Sanctuary location in northern L.A. County ... and they now have names.

Phoenix named the mama cow, Liberty, and the calf, Indigo.

Joaquin says ... "I never thought I’d find friendship in a slaughterhouse, but meeting Anthony and opening my heart to his, I realize we might have more in common than we do differences. Without his act of kindness, Liberty and her baby calf, Indigo, would have met a terrible demise."

He adds that he and animal rights activists like him will continue to "fight for the liberation of all animals who suffer in these oppressive systems" ... but he's happy about this victory.

Liberty and Indigo are the fifth set of mother and child cows saved by LA Animal Save ... but they're aiming for many more.

This isn't a first for Phoenix either. As we reported ... he passed on the SAG Awards after-parties last month and instead headed to a slaughterhouse, where he comforted trucks full of pigs on their way to be killed.

Joaquin joined dozens of protesters who congregate there twice a week, calling their demonstrations "pig vigils." Of course, Phoenix also reportedly convinced the Hollywood Foreign Press to serve an all-vegan menu at the Golden Globes.

Billy Corben could have ANOTHER big baseball-themed documentary coming our way ... because the man behind "Screwball" is considering taking on the Houston Astros scandal.

"Screwball" was a massive success for Corben -- he used child actors to tell the unbelievable story about Alex Rodriguez and MLB's Biogenesis scandal.

Now, with MLB in the midst of ANOTHER embarrassing controversy, Corben says he's VERY intrigued about the possibility of a "Screwball 2."

"It's writing itself as we speak right now," Corben tells TMZ Sports ... "And central to that story, as he was to the Biogenesis scandal and the whole A-Rod mess, is Rob Manfred."

As Corben points out ... Manfred was MLB's lead investigator into the Biogenesis scandal -- and now as MLB Commissioner, he's taking a lot of heat for the way he's handling those cheating ass Astros.

What concerns Corben about the Astros cheating scandal is the message it's sending to kids ... that you need to lie, cheat and steal to become successful in baseball.

FYI, Corben is one of the TOP guys in Hollywood when it comes to docs -- he's made huge hits like "Cocaine Cowboys" and did ESPN's 30 for 30 on "The U."

American actress and model Anitra Ford is best known for playing the super-sexy love interest in lace, Melissa -- who calls the cops after getting roughed up ... which leads to Paul doing hard time -- in the 1974 cinematic sports classic, "The Longest Yard."

Anitra Ford was cast alongside some classic actors including, Eddie Albert as the team-driven Warden Hazen, Ed Lauter as the hardball Captain Knauer ... and of course, Burt Reynolds as the pro player turned con player, Paul Crewe.

Anitra Ford was also widely recognized as one of the first models on "The Price Is Right."

'Sonic the Hedgehog' took a cue from the fan base -- and rightly so, because the movie's rolling in the dough as a result ... so says one of the film's stars.

Actress Tika Sumpter was leaving Craig's in WeHo Tuesday night, and she weighed in on the massive box office haul her new flick pulled in over the weekend -- upwards of $70 million here at home, and projected to make a lot more than its estimated $85 mil budget.

According to her, the secret formula for success here was the fact Paramount Studios listened to the feedback from potential viewers on social media earlier last year ... when everyone ripped Sonic's original look, and his eery human-like teeth that nobody seemed to like.

Tika says the proof is in the pudding in terms of Paramount's reward for taking note -- and it sounds like she thinks other studios may follow suit with future projects.

Funny enough, Tika invokes another animated classic with teeth issues of its own. She says we've advanced beyond the one-block denture depiction, but aren't quite ready to see cavities, it seems.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez will NOT be denied -- not when they're looking like this on their way into a schmancy Bev Hills boardroom.

The power couple dressed to the nines Tuesday, reportedly for a business meeting. Go ahead ... tell us who's gonna reject whatever they're pitching? We'll wait.

J Lo's never one for modesty -- we all still remember the Super Bowl halftime show, right? She showed off those famous dancer's legs in a mini-skirt and knee-high boots ... while stepping out of their drop-top Bentley.

If this is the new business casual ... go get that MBA, kids!

A-Rod's no slouch ... in his blue blazer, red tie and brown dress shoes, but even he knows his place when it comes to the couple's fashion hierarchy. Bonus points though, Alex, for the stylish bag ... bigger than J Lo's!!!

Okay, so ... who was saying no to them, again? Still waiting.

Veteran character actress Esther Scott -- who's been in countless movies and shows over the years -- has died.

A member of Esther's family tells TMZ ... Esther suffered an apparent heart attack last Tuesday at her Santa Monica home, and was later found unconscious and taken to a hospital. We're told she remained hospitalized for a few more days before eventually passing on Friday.

She was surrounded by family and loved ones at the time she died. Her sister, Shaun, tells us, "She loved what she did. She would get stopped on the street often and people would recognize her -- but they didn't know her name. Hopefully now people will remember her name, her work and the contributions she gave to the entertainment industry."

Esther had a massive resume, having appeared in at least 73 films and shows dating back to the '80s. She's perhaps most well known for her role as Bridget, one of Nat Turner's relatives, in 2016's 'Birth of a Nation.' Esther's been in several other projects, however.

She's also been the voice Shodu in the 'Star Wars' animated spin-off, "Ewoks" -- and had a memorably hilarious scene in "Boyz n the Hood." She played the grandmother of a girl who hooked up with Tre, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character.

Her resume is crazy impressive, with roles on "Encino Man," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Full House," "The Wayans Bros.," "Martin," "Nash Bridges," "Melrose Place," "ER" and "The King of Queens" ... just to name a few.

Esther was 66.

Tyler Perry's most famous character, Madea, is going out with a bang -- and in the Volunteer State, the one and only Chris Stapleton helped him send her off with a tune of his own.

TP's on a stage play farewell tour for his notorious alter ego -- the last time Madea will make an appearance on the road or onscreen, or so it seems -- and during his Nashville, TN stop last week, the famous country singer surfaced as one of the guests in the crowd.

Looks like someone pointed him out and put him on the spot to sing a little bit ... and Chris didn't shy away from the moment. He took the mic and sang "Tennessee Whiskey."

Tyler certainly appreciated the impromptu performance, writing on Instagram ... "Madea could not come to the end of the farewell tour and have @chrisstapleton in the audience in Nashville, Tennessee and not have him sing a verse of Tennessee Whiskey! And he KILLED IT!! Thank you Chris, blessings to you, your wife, and them babies!!"

That's one helluva way to go out.

Jason "Gummi Bear" Davis -- who voiced Mikey Blumberg on "Recess" for years -- has reportedly died.

The voice actor -- who's also the grandson of the late Hollywood billionaire mogul Marvin Davis and Barbara Davis -- passed away Sunday in Los Angeles ... according to a family statement provided to THR. The circumstances around his death are unclear for now.

Jason's mother, Nancy Rickel, tells the outlet ... "I am so heartbroken to share the saddest news of my life that my son Jason Davis passed away this morning in Los Angeles."

She goes on to add, "Jason had a true heart of gold with such a zest for life. He was such a caring soul to everybody who ever knew him. He loved his friends and his family above all else. We ask for privacy as we take time to grieve this most devastating loss."

Jason had struggled with addiction in the past, appearing on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" in 2010. Since then, however, he was said to have been working on his recovery and even co-founded a charity called Cure Addiction Now. He was heavily involved in running it.

When it comes to acting, Jason had starred in several other shows and movies besides "Recess" -- for which he served as the voice of Mikey since the '90s and in pretty much all the spin-off movies that followed. He also made appearances in "7th Heaven," "Roseanne," "Dave's World," "Beverly Hills Ninja," "Rush Hour," "Mafia!," "The Bathroom Diaries," "The Locusts," "The Crude Oasis" and more.

He's survived by his parents and his four siblings.

Jason was 35.

Nikita Pearl Waligwa -- a young actress who starred in a Ugandan Disney movie about a chess prodigy -- has reportedly died ... this after battling health issues a few years earlier.

According to the Ugandan news outlet, The Daily Monitor, Nikita recently passed away. While they don't say exactly how, the paper seems to link her death to a 2016 diagnosis ... which found she had a tumor in her brain. Unclear if she was fighting full-blown cancer.

Even more tragic ... the Monitor says a funding campaign was started for Nikita to get treatment in India, because local doctors were quoted as not having the proper equipment.

As for her acting career, it appears she only starred in the one Disney flick, "Queen of Katwe," playing a friend of the actual chess prodigy, Phiona Mutesi. It also featured Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo -- the film's got a great Rotten Tomatoes score, critics loved it.

Nikita was only 15 years old.

A reboot of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" without Rick Moranis would be like cereal without milk, it wouldn't be right ... according to the woman who played his daughter in the original movies.

Amy O'Neill played Amy Szalinski in the theatrical releases and tells TMZ ... the reboot would have been incomplete without Rick agreeing to return. Amy says without him ... the new production just couldn't work.

Josh Gad is reportedly the star attached to the film -- with original director Joe Johnston also returning -- but Amy told us why Rick's flair was the critical ingredient.

Something else she's fired up about is seeing the new special effects. Remember, when "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" was first released in 1989, its special FX were considered cutting-edge. She says the green screen the film used back in the day was the largest of its kind at the time. More than 30 years later ... she can't even imagine what kinda technology will be used to pull it off this time. She's champing at the bit to see it, though.