Movies

"Gone with the Wind" is gone no more ... HBO Max is restoring the film to its library after a 2-week hiatus, but this time the streaming platform's adding a disclaimer.

The 1939 classic will return to HBO Max with historical context that includes 2 videos -- the first showing TCM host and film scholar Jacqueline Stewart talking about "why this 1939 epic drama should be viewed in its original form, contextualized, and discussed."

Stewart said in the intro video for the film, "Watching 'Gone with the Wind' can be uncomfortable. Even painful. Still, it is important that classic Hollywood films are available to us in their original form for viewing and discussion. They reflect the social context in which they were made, and invite viewers to reflect on their own values and beliefs when watching them now."

The host added, "The film’s treatment of this world through a lens of nostalgia denies the horrors of slavery, as well as its legacies of racial inequality."

The second video is an hour-long panel discussion to talk about the complicated legacy of the film ... filmed at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April 2019.

As we reported earlier this month ... HBO Max initially pulled the film after "12 Years a Slave" screenwriter John Ridley wrote an Op-Ed calling for its removal given the film puts slavery in a positive light. Just hours later, HBO Max said it would bring back the film but would add historical context and denounce its racist depictions.

"Gone With the Wind" scored 8 Oscars -- including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel, who played Scarlett's house servant, Mammy.

Neo, Trinity and whoever the hell Neil Patrick Harris is playing are plugging back into the "real world" for the 'Matrix 4' -- 'cause they're back on set, and cameras are rolling again.

Leading man Keanu Reeves along with his costar and on-screen lover, Carrie-Anne Moss, were both spotted in Berlin this week and presumably heading to their trailers, as they looked ready to get back into character and start filming, after several months off due to 'rona.

NPH was there too. He's one of the big names who was cast in the 3rd sequel ... still unclear what his role will be. Either way, dude seems geared up to kick ass and dodge bullets.

Now, the last time we saw Keanu and co. was earlier this year in San Francisco -- where the freedom fighters were revisiting another federal-looking, bank-ish type building ... reminiscent of the first flick when Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) was being held captive by the agents.

Speaking of him ... we haven't seen him on set yet. One person we HAVE seen time and again nearby -- KR's girlfriend, Alexandra Grant.

Sure enough, she was there in Berlin as well ... laughing it up with Keanu and some of the crew members. It would appear they're still going strong after making their red carpet debut late last year.

The father of tennis' most famous female players is being sued by folks who claim they bought the rights to his life story before Will Smith produced his own movie with himself as Richard.

Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, is being sued, along with Warner Bros. Entertainment and Will's production company Overbrook Entertainment, by the competition, TW3 Entertainment and Power Move Multi-Media. TW3 and Power Move claim they locked up the rights to Richard's tale before WB and Will moved forward with a movie about him instead.

According to the lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- TW3 and PMMM claim they were cut out of the movie rights to the upcoming Warner Bros. biopic, "King Richard," which stars Will as Serena's pops.

In the docs, TW3 and PMMM claim they bought the rights to Richard's book "Black and White: The Way I See It" and life story back in 2017, an agreement they say barred anyone else from hitching a ride on his gravy train.

According to the suit ... Richard sold his rights to Warner Bros. for the movie for at least $1 million, which TW3 and PMMM claim WB knew would make their contract worthless.

In the docs, the production companies that claim they own the rights to Richard's story want an injunction requiring WB to put all the profits from the 'King Richard' movie, which is set for release this November, into a trust for their benefit ... and other damages too, of course.

Timothee Chalamet has a new boo to call him by his name -- one Eiza Gonzalez ... who's quite generous with the PDA, especially when they're chillin' out in her homeland.

Timmy and Eiza -- a Mexican actress he now seems to be dating after breaking up with Lily-Rose Depp -- are down in Cabo San Lucas for a romantic getaway with some in friends in tow. It's clear they're together ... he laid a wet one on her at one point.

But, the romancin' didn't end there -- TC picked up a guitar while they were all hanging poolside and started jamming out for Eiza and co. New GF seemed to dig that gesture too.

Eventually, young Tim lost the shirt and joined Eiza for a dip in the water. They definitely look good together -- especially Eiza, who showed off her hot bod with a two-piece bikini.

You are so criminal to MEEEEEEE ... is probably what cops said to the guy who once played Alfalfa when they busted him for allegedly sucking up air duster cans.

Yes, Bug Hall -- who had the lead role in the 90s "Little Rascals" movies -- was arrested over the weekend in a Weatherford, TX hotel ... where cops responded to a call for a possible OD.

Weatherford PD tells TMZ ... one of Bug's family members actually called in asking the police to check on him. They did, and when he opened up the door ... the cops say they saw a TON of air duster cans -- used for keyboards -- all over the room.

WPD says officers asked Bug if he'd been inhaling from the cans ... and claim he admitted it. They arrested him on the spot for misdemeanor possession for use to inhale or ingest a volatile chemical. We're told Bug didn't put up a fight.

In case you didn't know, what Bug is accused of is called huffing and it's super dangerous, and criminal too.

Steve Bing -- best known for writing "Kangaroo Jack" and investing hugely in the Tom Hanks' film, "The Polar Express" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the famed writer/producer died by suicide Monday after jumping from the 27th floor of a luxury apartment building in L.A.'s Century City neighborhood. Bing lived in the building, and sources connected to him tell us he'd been depressed about lack of human contact during quarantine. We don't know if that's behind the suicide.

Bing -- who founded Shangri-La Entertainment -- reportedly dropped out of Stanford his junior year after inheriting around $600 million from his grandfather, who was a real estate developer. After dropping out, Bing pursued a career in Hollywood ... and his first big-budget hit came as executive producer of the Sylvester Stallone film, "Get Carter," in 2000.

He went on to write "Kangaroo Jack" in 2003 ... and later invested nearly $100 million in 'Polar Express.' That was reportedly nearly half the production cost, and it went on to gross nearly $300 million globally at the box office.

Bing also produced "Hotel Noir" in 2012. That same year, Bing committed to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's "Giving Pledge" to give away the majority of his wealth over his lifetime. Bing donated to a lot of progressive issues.

Bing is survived by his 2 children -- Damian Hurley from his relationship with Elizabeth Hurley and daughter Kira Bonder, who he had with former pro tennis player Lisa Bonder.

Bing was 55.

Joel Schumacher -- the famed director behind "Phantom of the Opera" and a series of 'Batman' films -- has died.

Schumacher died Monday morning in New York City after a long cancer battle ... according to a rep.

The American director rose to stardom with "St. Elmo's Fire," "The Lost Boys" and "Flatliners." He also adapted two John Grisham adaptations -- "The Client" in 1994 and "A Time to Kill" in 1996. He also earned critical acclaim for "Falling Down" and "8mm."

A younger audience may know him best when Schumacher signed up in the early '90s to direct a series of 'Batman' films. He directed "Batman Forever" in 1995 and "Batman & Robin" in 1997.

He'd go on to direct "The Phantom of the Opera" in 2004 ... which earned 3 Oscar nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Original Song. The film also earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Musical or Comedy - Motion Picture.

Schumacher initially thought he'd go into fashion ... studying at Parsons The New School for Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. He ultimately realized filmmaking is his passion and moved to L.A. where he worked as a costume designer for Woody Allen before earning an MFA from UCLA. He wrote several screenplays before making his directorial debut in 1981 with "The Incredible Shrinking Woman."

The director was openly gay throughout his career in Hollywood. He was once described by a friend as a "sexual outlaw" and when asked during a 2019 interview with New York Magazine to guestimate how many people he's slept, Schumacher replied, "It would be in the double-digit thousands, but that is not unusual." When the reporter replied, "double-digit thousands, like 2,000 or 3,000?" Schumacher replied, "That's not double digits, that's single digits" before Schumacher confirmed 10,000 to 20,000.

Schumacher famously — and unapologetically — added nipples to Batman’s batsuit in the 1995 flick, “Batman Forever.”

The move was super controversial at the time, but Schumacher defended it for years ... and even joked to us about the decision and lamented that that's all he would ever be famous for.

Schumacher was 80.

RIP

Emile Hirsch is hoping the abandoned bus made famous by his 2007 film, "Into The Wild," lands in a safer location than the Alaskan wilderness ... and he's got the perfect spot.

Emile played the main character, Chris McCandless, and tells TMZ ... if it were up to him, he would put the bus in an area for people to visit without fear of getting lost in the wild or losing their lives in a raging river ... somewhere like, say, Emile's backyard!!!

As we reported ... the abandoned bus from the film -- based on a true story -- was a major, and sometimes deadly, tourist attraction in a remote area of Alaska's Denali National Park. On Thursday, the National Guard airlifted the bus from its location in the interest of public safety.

While Emile says the symbolism around the bus made a huge impact on fans around the world, he knows it presented some dangerous problems for people making the backcountry pilgrimage. Five Italian tourists had to be rescued earlier this year, and a woman died last year hiking to the bus, which spurred local officials to call for its relocation.

Emile says the cautionary tales were tragic to see, and he hopes the bus ends up somewhere safer ... as long it's not broken down and sold for scrap parts. For now, it's being held in a secure location until authorities find a new home for it.

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."