Movies

Disney princesses are returning to work in the middle of the pandemic ... but they're not going back to Disneyland ... they're hitting the road to do social distancing gigs for kids.

Here's how the folks who dress up as children's favorite Disney characters are earning a living these days ... performing from 6-feet away, and traveling with a social distancing enforcer!!!

Check out this video of a mermaid-themed birthday party in Tustin, CA for 6-year-old Summer ... the family hired Ariel, and she's singing from behind a velvet rope and hitting the notes from under a mask.

The 'Little Mermaid' was booked through a party company that we're told is charging an additional $50 for a "distance friendly" staff member to tag along. Ariel, by the way, charges $135.

Ariel's coronavirus bodyguard makes sure everyone at the party socially distances from the mermaid, enforcing distancing during everything from song and dance to photo ops.

As we reported ... Disney princesses and characters were hit hard at the start of the outbreak, but now it looks like they've figured it out and adjusted to the new normal. Oh, and the "distance friendly" staffer is a textbook definition of job creation!!!

This tale has a happy ending ... we're told the kids loved Ariel even though it wasn't a typical party folks are used to.

Take that, Rush Limbaugh, young folks really can adapt to the coronavirus!!!

"American Crime" actor Johnny Ortiz is facing a real-life attempted murder charge for his alleged role in an L.A. drive-by shooting ... TMZ has learned.

We broke the story ... Ortiz and another man, Armando Miguel Navarro, allegedly tried to kill a man named Brian Duke in a gang violence-related incident. Though Navarro's the one accused of pulling the trigger, prosecutors also hit Ortiz with an attempted murder charge ... now we know why.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... witnesses on the scene gave a description of the car, which was pulled over about an hour later in L.A. with 4 people inside, and Ortiz driving.

We're told all 4 were taken into custody, but the D.A. only charged Ortiz and Navarro ... the other 2 were released.

Our sources say prosecutors have some video evidence linked to the shooting.

Ortiz has also costarred in "McFarland, USA" with Kevin Costner, and with Aaron Paul in "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie." He was arrested in late May and is still locked up, being held on $1,120,000 bail.

Marlon Wayans is remembering his late mother on what would have been her 82nd birthday, and revealing the Wayans family matriarch, Elvira, has died.

We're told Elvira passed away a couple weeks ago, but Marlon waited until her birthday to share the somber news. He posted a touching tribute to his mother Thursday, on what is usually a very special day for them ... they share a birthday, and Marlon says it's hard to celebrate another year knowing his mom is gone forever.

The comedian wrote ... "Losing you shattered me into 1000 pieces. I'm putting my life back together piece by piece. You will always be my glue. Miss you. Today I celebrate for the both of. In the midst of this hurt... i just love you ma."

Marlon adds ... "i accomplished so much, made you so proud... but now i got angel to lift me. #loveofmylife #bdaygotl s*** ma, i gave you all my bdays... wth do i do now 😂 millions of weetahs sugtas and homies #myfirstmylastmyeverything rest well."

Damien Wayans also commented on his uncle's post ... "1,000,000 weetahs Indeed!"

Let's face it, Hollywood owes Elvira a debt of gratitude ... the woman brought 10 Wayans children into the world, giving birth to one of the biggest and most successful families in show biz.

Elvira's kids -- Keenan, Damon, Shawn, Marlon, Dwayne, Kim, Nadia, Elvira, Diedre and Vonnie -- have written, directed, produced and starred in countless movies and TV series, including "The Wayans Bros.," often working together on their content.

Elvira was 81.

Somebody get Liam Neeson ... 'cause it's time to release the Kraken!!!

Seattle's new NHL team just revealed it's new name and look on Thursday ... officially going with the legendary sea monster.

FYI, a "kraken" is like a giant, angry octopus.

Other options were thrown around -- including the Sockeyes -- but the org. says it listened to the fans and gave them what they wanted.

"215,000 fan votes, 50+ fan forums & speaking engagements and over 12 months of social media listening have supported this phenomenon," the team said on the site.

The Kraken name pays homage to the city ... "Our maritime city with a proud history of adventure is deserving of a hockey club as untamed as the sea herself. The Kraken represents the fiercest beast in all the world," the team says.

It's also fitting because the largest octopus on planet Earth allegedly lives in nearby Puget Sound!!!

The Kraken also showed off its new threads ... and we gotta say, they look sharp.

The team's official colors are 4(!!) different shades of blue -- deep sea blue, ice blue, boundless blue and shadow blue -- and red alert.

Seattle has a rich history in hockey -- the Metropolitans were the first American team to win the Stanley Cup as part of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association ... but they folded way back in 1924.

The Kraken will be the first Seattle-based team in the NHL ... and fans are stoked to welcome in the new squad.

And, just for fun ...

Kim Zolciak says she's smoothed things over with Marlon Wayans over his infamous "White Chicks 2" diss ... it's all water under the bridge now, but masks almost got in the way!!!

We got Kim and hubby, Kroy Biermann, at LAX Wednesday and our camera guy wanted to talk about her Instagram post with Marlon, which shows them hugging and masked up outside Nobu in Malibu.

Kim tells us why she captioned the pics, "WhiteChicks All Love ❤️ @marlonwayans" ... she says they bumped into each other outside the fancy seaside restaurant, and Marlon asked if she was still mad about his old "White Chicks" dig.

It's kinda funny ... Kim says she almost didn't recognize Marlon because everyone's wearing masks due to the pandemic, but she doubled back and they had a productive chat.

Quick refresher on the Kim and Marlon beef ... Wayans came under heavy fire back in 2018 after posting a photo of Zolciak and making a wisecrack about her appearance with a reference to his 2004 flick with his brother, Shawn, where the pair played undercover FBI agents dressed as white women.

Fast-forward to this week, and Kim tells us things between her and Marlon are good, now that time's passed and he's made what her husband termed a "prideful apology."

Remember, Marlon didn't apologize for the joke at the time ... but now he's made nice with Kim and Kroy.

Jennifer Lopez said love don't cost a thing, but getting her dune buggies out of the tow yard's another story ... as she quickly learned when her trip to the beach got cut short.

So, here's what happened ... J Lo and her crew were dressed and ready for some fun in the sun Tuesday in the Hamptons but instead of soaking up some rays they all ended up needing a ride to the tow yard after the 3 dune buggies they drove in got towed.

It turns out J Lo, wearing her mask and riding in the lead dune buggy, didn't see the parking lot attendants at the entrance checking permits or she completely ignored them. It turns out ... ya need the proper permits to park at the beach. J Lo, it turns out, didn't have any permits to show.

According to eyewitnesses, cops were called and the dune buggies were towed away. J Lo and her crew barely enjoyed the scenery before they had to call a friend to get picked up -- in A-Rod's blue Bronco, no less -- for a ride to bail out the dune buggies.

A hostage situation in Ukraine ended safely when the country's president met one of the gunman's odd demands -- posting a video encouraging folks to watch a Joaquin Phoenix movie.

Here's the deal ... a heavily armed man took 13 people hostage on a bus in western Ukraine, leading to a tense, day-long standoff Tuesday with police.

The gunman told cops he rigged the bus with explosives and was holding the passengers hostage, and gave the government a list of demands. Sounds a lot like the plot of "Speed," right?!?

The hostage-taker, later identified as 44-year-old Russian-born Maksym S. Kryvosh, finally surrendered and freed all 13 people after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy fulfilled one of the demands -- posting a video on his official Facebook account recommending folks watch the 2005 documentary, "Earthlings."

Can ya believe it? The guy didn't even request "The Joker."

The documentary, directed by Shaun Monson and narrated by Joaquin, focuses on human exploitation of animals. Ukrainian officials explained Zelenskyy reached an agreement with the hostage-taker during a 15-minute phone call, with the gunman surrendering once Zelenskyy posted on Facebook.

Once the gunman was detained and the hostages were safe, Zelenskyy deleted the movie suggestion from his Facebook page.

Johnny Ortiz -- who starred alongside Kevin Costner in "McFarland, USA" -- is currently sitting behind bars after being charged with premeditated attempted murder charges ... TMZ has learned.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ortiz and another man, Armando Miguel Navarro, allegedly tried to kill a man named Brian Duke "for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in association with a criminal street gang with the specific intent to promote, further and assist in criminal conduct by gang members."

Navarro is the one accused of pulling the trigger, and while it's unclear exactly what role Ortiz played in the crime ... prosecutors felt it warranted the attempted murder charge.

Ortiz -- who starred as one of the cross country runners in the based-on-a-true-story Disney flick, "McFarland, USA" -- was arrested in late May, and remains behind bars. The judge set his bail at a whopping $1,120,000.

His family insists he's not guilty, and is trying to raise his bail through crowdfunding. They wrote on the site, "Johnny is everything to our family. Johnny does everything to help the community and the Hispanic community especially ... he is in jail fighting for his case that he is innocent on."

The actor's also appeared in "Ali," "American Crime" and "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie."

Marilyn Monroe's pearls from her last ever photo shoot could be sitting in your collection -- the historic jewelry is hitting the auction block.

Marilyn wore faux pearl earrings and slipped on a faux pearl necklace for the photo spread -- famously known as the "Last Sitting" -- with legendary fashion photog Bert Stern.

The pics were snapped just 6 weeks before her death, and they're going up for sale through online auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll, where they're expected to fetch a pretty penny.

The jewelry is cool, but so is the Nikon camera Bert used to take thousands of photos that day, and it's also up for auction. While Vogue Magazine supplied the props, clothes, jewelry and accessories ... the camera was Bert's personal one.

Marilyn even used the camera as a prop, spontaneously grabbing the Nikon while Bert grabbed a spare camera and kept snapping away. The auction house expects the Nikon to fetch $60,000 due to its place in pop culture.

The pearls are expected to bring in $50,000 for the earrings and $8k for the necklace.

Some of Marilyn's extensive wardrobe is also part of the auction ... we're told a gown and shawl is estimated to go for $40k and a pair of black and white checkered pants could fetch $15k. MM owned and wore the clothing.

The auction opens July 22 ... good luck!!!

Mark Wahlberg dropped a fat stack on a new set of quarantine wheels ... a custom 3-wheeler that's eco-friendly AND street legal!!!

Marky Mark's newest ride is an Arcimoto FUV -- Fun Utility Vehicle -- which retails for just under $20,000 ... and it's super cool.

Sources connected to the deal tell TMZ ... Mark was one of the first people to test drive the FUV last year, when Arcimoto had a small junket in Los Angeles showing off the new electric whip. We're told Mark liked it from the jump and he finally pulled the trigger while in quarantine.

Our source says Mark's environmentally sustainable ride comes with a custom paint job promoting his health company, F45, and MW feels the FUV is perfect for zipping through his compound and getting around on set.

The FUV sounds pretty fun to whip around ... it tops out at 75 MPH and comes with heated seats and steering grips, Bluetooth speakers, removable doors and a panoramic roof.

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are going back to work on the Puerto Rican movie set where they first met ... and set in motion her split from Brian Austin Green.

Megan and MGK arrived Thursday in San Juan after flying in together from the mainland, ready to get back to business on the set of their upcoming movie, "Midnight in the Switchgrass."

As you can see, Megan and MGK are still super close and lovey-dovey as their relationship continues to bud ... and now they're back where it all began.

They met during filming, way back in March, and then started spending a whole lotta time together when the coronavirus pandemic brought production to a grinding halt.

Megan split from her '90210' star hubby after getting chummy with MGK on the Caribbean island and they've been pretty much inseparable ever since ... going on fancy dates, making music videos, traveling the country, sleeping over and having fun in Palm Springs.

These coffee beans are GUARANTEED to wake you up.

Italian police thwarted drug-smugglers who sliced hundreds of coffee beans open, stuffed them with cocaine and carefully encased them with dark brown tape.

The perps might have gotten away with it too ... if it wasn't for that darn John Wick.

According to police, they became suspicious of the package containing the coffee beans when someone noticed the name on it was Santino D'Antonio ... a mafia boss villain in "John Wick: Chapter 2" as well as the third film in the franchise.

The coked-up beans were shipped from Medellin in Colombia to Milan's Malpensa airport, and all in all ... the 2kg package contained 150g of cocaine powder via about 500 beans.

The package was addressed to a tobacco shop in Florence, and cops busted the 50-year-old man who came to collect it.

Italian police named their operation "Caffe' Scorretto" -- which means Improper Coffee, which plays off the name of the country's popular drink, '"Caffe' corretto" ... corrected coffee.

New York-native Rory Cochrane was only 20 years old when he landed the role of the long-haired high school burnout Ron Slater -- who gets stoned and sits shotgun with Matt McConaughey's cool character David Wooderson -- in the classic 1993 throwback film "Dazed and Confused."

Rory Cochrane was cast alongside a laundry list of stars on the rise including actors like Ben Affleck as the paddle-happy, Fred O'Bannion, Adam Goldberg as the punchy, Mike Newhouse, Milla Jovovich as the hot hippie Michelle Burroughs and of course Joey Lauren Adams and Parker Posey as the popular hazing seniors, Simone Kerr and Darla Marks.

Some of La La Land's most recognizable movie props in the filmmaking history are finally being released to the public -- but none of this stuff comes cheap ... not by a long shot.

The famous Prop Store -- which houses a treasure trove of on-set Hollywood memorabilia collectibles -- is hosting a MONSTER auction in late August that's going to put some iconic items up for bidding for the first time ever.

And, get this ... over 850 items are being sold in all, but they're expected to fetch upwards of $6 million, based on how the pros have priced each piece individually beforehand.

Okay, let's get to the loot -- Tom Cruise's actual fighter pilot helmet in "Top Gun" (RIP, Goose), the 11-foot model Nostromo space ship used in "Alien" and Robin Williams' Peter Pan sword in "Hook."

Tom's helmet is expected to go between $50k-$70k, Nostromo will probably be in the ballpark of $300k-$500k (DAMN!!!) and Peter Banning's weapon could snag $12k-$16k.

But wait ... there's more!!! Leo DiCaprio's yellow Cadillac Coupe De Ville and Brad Pitt's Karmann Ghia sports car from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" are up for grabs too. Those puppies are expected to haul in somewhere between $20,000 and $55,000 -- Leo's ride being on the higher end, naturally. It's a Caddy!

Some other neat items include Jennifer Lawrence's arena costume from "The Hunger Games," Sylvester Stallone's boxing gloves from "Rocky" and the camera Alfred Hitchcock used to film "Vertigo."

Don't worry 'Star Wars' super fans, they got you -- Darth Vader's promotional costume and helmet from 'A New Hope' is going on the block too.

Japanese actor Akira Takarada was only 20 years old when he gained international fame after landing the lead role of the sea captain who saves the day, Hideto Ogata, in the OG classic monster movie, "Godzilla," that was released way back in 1954.

Akira Takarada wast cast alongside Akihiko Hirata as the smart scientist, Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, who sacrifices himself to save the world, and Momoko Kochi as Ogata and Serizawa's beautiful love interest, Emiko Yamane.

Takarada went on to star in many more of the 'Godzilla' franchise films including "Mothra vs. Godzilla," "Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster" and even the 2004 film, "Godzilla: Final Wars."

Kelly Preston's quiet battle with breast cancer has ended -- the actress died Sunday ... according to a family rep.

The rep said John Travolta's wife of nearly 29 years was diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago, but chose not to reveal that to the public. The rep told People, "Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends."

Kelly is probably best known for her role in "Jerry Maguire" as Jerry's girlfriend, Avery Bishop, who he dumps -- but not before she gave him a few body shots.

She also starred opposite Kevin Costner in "For Love of the Game" and had roles in "The Cat in the Hat," "Battlefield Earth" and "What a Girl Wants."

Kelly and John met in 1987 on the set of the film, "The Experts" and eventually got married in 1991. Her last film was "Gotti" in 2018 ... when John played the mob boss and she played his wife, Victoria Gotti.

John and Kelly had 3 kids together ... Jett, Ella Blue and Benjamin. Jett, who had autism, died in 2009 after suffering a seizure.

The family rep added, "She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched."

Kelly was 57.

RIP