Movies

And, the Oscar for James Conner's biopic goes to ... The Rock?!?!

The Pittsburgh Steelers superstar tells TMZ Sports he's hopeful one day that'll be possible ... saying if his inspiring story ever hits the silver screen -- he wants Dwayne Johnson to play him!

"I need somebody to knock that role out of the park," Conner tells us.

James has put on some serious size this off-season (for real, check out his Instagram, dude is buff as hell) and he does have some tats ... so he says The Rock would be perfect for the role.

"I know he's getting up there, but ..." Conner says.

Of course, 25-year-old James definitely has the story worthy of a starring role from The Rock ... he famously kicked cancer's ass to become one the best running backs in the NFL.

For now, though, Conner's life is set for book form only ... the NFL star released his "Fear Is A Choice" memoir this week, and he says he hopes it'll help others overcome adversity.

"You have to kinda appreciate the dark days in order to move forward and have joy in the future," Conner says ... "I just want people to believe in themselves and realize how mentally strong that they are."

Well that didn't take long -- a day after AMC Theatres announced plans to reopen without a strict mask-wearing policy in place, it's reversed course ... all of its guests will now have to cover their faces when it reopens.

AMC CEO Adam Aron sparked a major controversy Thursday when he revealed he was trying to do the opposite ... by NOT requiring guests to wear masks when it resumes operations on July 15.

Aron said, "We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy ... We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary."

So, Aron said it would be up to guests in states where mask-wearing is not required to decide if they want to wear one or not. He added ... "We think that the vast majority of AMC guests will be wearing masks. When I go to an AMC feature, I will certainly be wearing a mask and leading by example."

No need to be an example now, though, because AMC announced Friday it had made an error. The theater chain says its lax mask policy "prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks."

AMC's 600+ venues have been closed for almost 4 months, but it's set to reopen 450 of those locations in mid-July, and plans to be fully back in business by the time Disney’s “Mulan” is released, on July 24.

Seating capacity will be greatly reduced, however, and eating popcorn ... well, that will simply be more challenging.

The abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness -- made famous in the 2007 film "Into the Wild" -- just hitched a chopper ride out of the wild, because people were literally dying to find it.

The decision to get the bus out of Denali National Park was all about public safety -- it had attracted adventure-seeking fans of the movie, which was based on Jon Krakauer's book. Problem is, it's a very dangerous backcountry ... according to Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige.

The bus is in a very secluded area with no cell service, unpredictable weather and often swollen rivers. If you aren't familiar, Christopher McCandless -- the subject of "Into the Wild" -- died there in 1992. The bus was featured on the movie poster.

Despite the cautionary tale, many people have continued to venture to the bus, which has resulted in multiple rescues ... including of 5 Italian tourists earlier this year. A Belarus woman also died in 2019 while attempting to hike to the bus, prompting local officials to call for its removal.

The Alaska Army National Guard did the job Thursday ... throwing chains around the bus and using a helicopter to airlift it. Fiege says the bus will be kept in a secure location while her department tries to find a new home for it.

The Guard says the crew that removed the bus also ensured the safety of a suitcase with sentimental value to the McCandless family. McCandless died of starvation on the bus after living there for 114 days. He couldn't reach help due to the swollen Teklanika River.

Sir Ian Holm -- perhaps best known for playing Bilbo in 'The Lord of the Rings' films -- died Friday morning after a long battle with Parkinson's disease ... according to his agent.

The Oscar-nominated actor died peacefully in the hospital with his family by his side, the agent added.

Holm was born in England in 1931, and got into theater acting at a young age, studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and graduating in 1950 to the Royal Shakespeare Company ... where he became a star of the stage.

Ian won the Tony Award in 1967 for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in "The Homecoming."

At the same time, his roles were increasing in film and TV, as well ... including appearances in "The Wars of Roses," "Oh! What a Lovely War" and "Mary, Queen of Scots."

His first major movie role came in 1979 when he was cast as the android, Ash, in "Alien." Then, in 1981, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for playing the coach in "Chariots of Fire."

Holm's other notable credits over the years included "Brazil," "Hamlet," "The Fifth Element," "Ratatouille" and of course ... playing Bilbo Baggins in 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' films.

Ian also took home the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for the starring role in "King Lear."

Holm was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1989, and in 1998 he was knighted for his services to drama.

He is survived by his wife, artist Sophie de Stempel, whom he married in 2003, and 5 children.

Ian was 88.

Jamie Foxx is BECOMING Mike Tyson -- he's got the voice down ... and now he's showing off his yoked out body!!

Foxx is starring in an upcoming biopic about the boxing legend -- he'll play both young Mike and older Mike. He's been working on the project for years.

But, the production seems to be picking up steam -- and during a recent episode of "Catching Up with Mark Birnbaum," Jamie revealed how he's transforming his body to look just like Tyson.

So, how's he doing it?

Foxx says he has a daily workout regimen of 60 pull ups, 60 dips, 100 push ups ... "It's changing the body. Top half."

As for lower body? There's a different plan for that.

"I ain't got no legs, I ain't got no calf muscles so we're gonna have to get some prosthetics for that."

Foxx says he'll be 216 pounds when shooting begins (he starts as young Mike) -- and then to play Old Mike, he'll "balloon to 225, 230 which will look like 250 on screen."

Jamie's been super excited about the project for years -- and even previewed the opening scene on HOT 97 back in 2015.

Treach believes his new movie about police brutality and tensions between cops and communities can provide common ground for everyone ... and even be used as a training tool in the future.

The Naughty by Nature rapper and actor joined "TMZ Live" Monday to break down his new crime drama with Ice-T, "Equal Standard," which he claims will provide an unbiased perspective on some of the policing issues plaguing our country.

Treach says the point of the movie is to show all sides of the story when it comes to tragic incidents like police shootings ... and delve into the reasons why these things keep happening.

The rapper says it's not as black-and-white as ya think, and insists the movie is not about cop-bashing either. Instead, it aims to get to the root of a problem that Americans have been protesting about since George Floyd was killed.

He makes it pretty clear, though ... this is something he wants the world to see -- regardless of race or political leanings -- because we're dealing with a crisis of humanity right now, and it's gonna take everyone to fix it.

Wisconsin born musician Jane Wiedlin made a name for herself as the punk rock princess and singer of The Go-Go's in the '80s ... but for movie buffs, Jane might be known for playing the sword-wielding Joan Of Arc in the classic 1989 time-traveling buddy comedy, "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure."

Jane Wiedlin was cast alongside other actors including Hollywood stuntman Al Leong as Genghis Khan, Terry Camilleri as Napoleon Bonaparte ... and of course, Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as Bill and Ted.

Wiedlin's other acting credits include 'Star Trek IV,' the movie "Clue" and the 1987 live-action version of "Sleeping Beauty."

Jason Derulo is feeling accomplished -- and full -- after eating 20 burgers in 2 hours ... and now he's challenging The Rock to a hot dog eating showdown on the Fourth of July!!!

The "Cats" star and "Swalla" singer just set the stage for what could be the biggest celebrity culinary face-off of all time ... calling out The Rock and prematurely declaring victory if they go dog-for-dog on Independence Day.

Jason's fresh off a pretty impressive start ... he challenged himself to eat 22 burgers in 2 hours to celebrate reaching 22 million followers on TikTok -- yes, this is what goes down on the app.

While Jason came up a little short on his burger binge -- eating 20 burgers instead of the full plate of 22 -- he says it made him realize he could be a pretty darn good competitive eater.

Jason's got his work cut out for him -- The Rock is known for his epic cheat meals when he's not getting shredded in the gym -- but he says one of his hidden talents is his massive appetite. Gotta feed that anaconda!!!

George Floyd's name could be worth a lot of money in the entertainment business ... and now one man is looking to lock up the rights to his name for movies and TV shows.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a man named Munemo Mushonga filed a trademark application to use the name George Floyd in the "production and distribution of television shows and movies."

It seems Mushonga is looking to capitalize on the Black Lives Matter movement that sprouted up in the wake of Floyd's killing, because he has no known connection to George's family and wouldn't tell us his grand plans.

Mushonga was mum when we asked him what he hoped to gain from the trademark, if approved, and refused to divulge why he filed the application or the inspiration behind it.

The guy could be facing an uphill battle in his quest to lock up the rights to George Floyd's name ... the United States Patent and Trademark Office generally doesn't allow trademarks for people's names unless certain conditions are met, such as getting the consent of the person, the name being very unique, or the name being part of a unique and widely recognized brand.

Matthew McConaughey's mission to do more to defeat racial injustice led him to an interesting chat with Emmanuel Acho ... where they broke down something referred to as "white allergies."

Matthew told the former NFL linebacker he recently learned of the term ... which he describes as white people's inherent prejudices -- ones they likely don't even realize -- based on their upbringing or history.

The actor suggests these "white allergies" apply to all white people -- even someone like him, who grew up in a diverse setting and has had black friends his whole life. He gives a prime example of one of these allergies too ... and says it SHOULD have been obvious to him.

Matty's eye-opening chat went down on Emmanuel's Instagram talk show, "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man."

BTW, Emmanuel said he's personally been exposed to a lot of "white allergies" -- he listed them off, and explained why they're really racist microaggressions in disguise.

"Gone With the Wind" is gone no more ... HBO Max is bringing back the 1939 classic but it'll do so by adding historical context and denouncing its racist depictions.

The streaming platform made an about-face mere hours after announcing it would temporarily pull the film from its library. The move came after "12 Years a Slave" screenwriter John Ridley published an op-ed Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times calling for HBO Max to remove a film that puts slavery in a positive light, set in the pre-Civil War South.

HBO Max announced late Tuesday night the original film will be brought back "with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement" of the depictions of slavery.

HBO Max added, "'Gone With The Wind’ is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society." When the movie returns, it'll be "presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."

It's unclear exactly how the streaming service will add "context."

In his op-ed, Ridley wrote the film "romanticizes the Confederacy in a way that continues to give legitimacy to the notion that the secessionist movement was something more, or better, or more noble than what it was — a bloody insurrection to maintain the 'right' to own, sell and buy human beings."

"Gone With the Wind" won 8 Oscars ... including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Hattie McDaniel would become the first Black winner ... Best Supporting Actress for playing Scarlet's house servant, Mammy.

Harry Potter himself is shutting down his own creator's views on gender identity and trans people, and his message about equality is pretty magical.

Daniel Radcliffe responded to J.K. Rowling's controversial thoughts about the subject through an essay on The Trevor Project -- an org that advocates for suicide prevention in the LGBTQ community -- and begged J.K. (he calls her Jo) to have a change of heart.

He wrote, "Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I."

He went on to cite alarming stats about discrimination against trans youth and non-binary people, writing, "It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm."

ICYMI ... J.K. caught a ton of flak this weekend for nitpicking the phrase "people who menstruate" which she came across in a NYT headline. Her feeling is ... only women menstruate, so when talking about that -- we supposedly oughta just refer to them.

The Internet fired back at her, pointing out trans men and others who don't identify with traditional gender identities ... can also menstruate. J.K. doubled and tripled down, refusing to cede ground and pissing off many Potter fans in the process.

Michael B. Jordan and Kendrick Sampson are demanding huge changes in policing, in Presidential politics and also in Hollywood ... and they're shouting it for everyone to hear.

The actors and activists led a long BLM march Saturday through parts of L.A. and also Bev Hills. "Insecure" star Kendrick was the most vocal, leading chants like "F**k Donald Trump" and "Black lives they matter here" as they went.

They led the crowd right to the doorstep of Bev Hills PD, and that's when Kendrick made a fiery speech that centered on two things: defunding police departments and getting President Trump out of office ... even before the election.

Michael also addressed the protesters but was much less political ... instead, he shouted down the Hollywood establishment. MBJ demanded studios and agents give black culture more of a voice and more power.

This wasn't their first time on the frontlines of the movement and, in fact, Kendrick was still scarred from an L.A. protest last weekend.

He says he was hit several times by rubber bullets and there's video of a cop beating him back with a baton.

Tom Hanks is not only a beloved actor, he's a trusted fatherly figure, so a fan asked for his advice on a very important aspect of raising a child ... and Hanks delivered.

Zack Teperman is the president of a public relations firm and has a daughter, Chloe, who is 2 and a half. He tells TMZ he decided to send Hanks a handwritten letter in early May to get his thoughts on the classic "high-five, down low, too slow" trick.

Zack says he asked at what age it's appropriate to pull his hand away from his daughter, and included a photo of him and his girl mid-high-five.

A couple weeks later, he got a letter back from Tom -- a typed response to his question ... and it's just wonderful.

Hanks says in order to properly establish the tradition, you must first lock down the "High Five! Down Low!" combo with a kid to gain trust. As he puts it ... "A relationship is born.

Then, years later when the child has matured a bit and learned to poke fun at their father -- Tom estimates around the age of 7 or 8 -- the time has come to "answer that child in affectionate kind."

This is when it's appropriate to withdraw your hand on the "Down Low!" and hit 'em with the "Too slow" ... and then, Hanks says, the kid grows up.

Tom adds that he has 4 grown kids, so he's experienced of course, but his 3 granddaughters have yet to get the "too slow" treatment. Only a matter of time, though, because as he concludes ... "This stuff works."

The "Grown-ish" family is looking after one of their own ... setting up a college fund for the daughter of late "Twilight" actor Gregory Tyree Boyce.

The sitcom has launched a GoFundMe for Gregory's 10-year-old daughter, Alaya, and the proceeds will be saved for her future college tuition.

Gregory's father, Deon Boyce, is an assistant director on the show, and Greg -- who often worked behind the scenes -- was super close with 'Grown-ish' star Trevor Jackson.

As we reported ... Gregory and his girlfriend, Natalie Adepoju, died last month in Las Vegas. The Clark County coroner says the former couple died from fentanyl and cocaine intoxication, and ruled the deaths accidental.

The "Grown-ish" family says the fundraiser honors Deon, their "beloved friend, co-worker, and all-around amazing human being ... who lost his son and best friend, Greg, a few weeks ago."

The cast says they figured the college fund would be the best way to show Deon how deeply they care about him and his granddaughter.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are remembering Breonna Taylor on what would have been her birthday ... had she not been fatally shot by cops in Kentucky.

The famous pals got together Friday afternoon and headed into downtown L.A. to honor Breonna, who should be celebrating her 27th today. They left rose bouquets in front of the Hall of Justice ... then walked over to join a protest.

Ben brought his kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel -- and some of their friends, apparently. The whole gang wore face coverings.

As you know ... Breonna was shot dead by police in Louisville back on March 13th, when cops stormed her home as part of a drug investigation.