Movies

The internet had good old George Clooney trending amid speculation he'd return as the Caped Crusader in James Gunn's DC Universe ... but the mastermind himself says it's BS.

The director and now-co-chief of all things DC shot down a rumor that started to pick up steam these past couple days ... namely, the notion that George could possibly come back and reprise his role as Batman in the new 'Batman' movie that was recently announced.

On Saturday, Gunn responded to a fan who flat out asked him if it was true he was going to cast GC in the 'Brave and the Bold' flick ... which features a much older Batman (and his son, Robin).

When someone pressed for further details -- asking if there was any truth to the idea he was going to cast an actor who'd previously played Batman, period -- Gunn again flatly denied that ... saying they were going in a completely new direction with a totally new actor.

The reason this began percolating at all is because a film journo claimed to have the inside scoop on DC's hopes when it came to who they wanted under the cowl in their latest reboot of the franchise ... suggesting it was either Clooney, Val Kilmer or Christian Bale, and that this person may even cameo in the new 'Flash' flick that's coming out this year.

She said she knew who the studio wanted -- noting a deal wasn't in place yet -- but refused to identify the alleged favorite in mind ... and Twitter handled the rest, making all 3 trend.

Considering plans for this new Bat-movie were literally just unveiled about a week ago, it's safe to say ... no one is cast until they're cast -- so it's probably best to just wait until this actually goes into production before diving head-first into conjecture.

Idris Elba is clearing up what he meant when he recently said he no longer calls himself a Black actor -- this after much debate online -- by now saying, my job ain't about race.

The actor's original quote showed up in an interview he did with Esquire magazine this past week, in which he said ... "I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realized it put me in a box."

IE added at the time, "As humans, we are obsessed with race. And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth. Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real. But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be. We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: It’s just skin."

His answer here sparked a lot of discourse, as many felt this was a controversial take ... seeing how it's in the same vein as what Morgan Freeman once said about Black History Month and racism -- namely, the best way to get rid of it was to stop talking about it.

Welp, Idris heard all the chatter ... and decided to set the record straight on how he feels about his Black heritage. On Saturday, he wrote ... "There isn't a soul on this earth that can question whether I consider myself a BLACK MAN or not. Being an 'actor' is a profession, like being an 'architect' ,they are not defined by race."

He added, "However, If YOU define your work by your race, that is your Perogative. Ah lie?"

In other words, Idris is saying that he finds it counterproductive to describe everything a Black person does -- especially as it pertains to work -- with a racial qualifier. Good of him to clarify, because -- for a minute there -- there were some who felt he was falling into the O.J. Simpson category.

Ben Crump doesn't just have a new law school named after him ... the institution's already getting jaw-dropping financial support from his very famous pals!

Will Smith was right by the famed civil rights attorney's side this week in Miami for the dedication of the Benjamin L. Crump College of Law at St. Thomas University -- and sources connected to the event tell us this was way more than a photo op.

We're told Will, funk music legend George Clinton and Bishop T.D. Jakes came together to raise a whopping $10 million for Ben's new school. As Will told the crowd ... he was honored to witness the historic event.

As of the naming ceremony, we're told Crump is now the first practicing Black attorney in the U.S. to receive such an honor.

As you know, Ben has become a renowned attorney taking on many high-profile cases -- most recently, he's been representing the family of Tyre Nichols, who was severely beaten by Memphis cops before dying last month.

He's also stood up for Jacob Blake and the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd -- no wonder he's frequently called Black America's Attorney General.

Cody Longo, a young actor who made his mark in both film and television, including a role on "Days of Our Lives" has died ... TMZ has learned.

A family member tells TMZ Cody's body was found Wednesday in bed at a residence in Austin, Texas. We're told Longo's wife, Stephanie, was at work at a local dance studio and got an uneasy feeling when she couldn't reach him ... so she asked police to go and check on him.

Cops responded to the home, and when Longo didn't answer, they kicked the door down ... finding him dead in bed.

The family member tells us Cody struggled with alcohol abuse for years -- and went to rehab over the summer. At this time, an official time of death has not been released, but the family believes he relapsed and alcoholism is likely what killed him.

Longo appeared on 8 episodes of "Days of Our Lives" back in 2011, he was also in "Bring It On: Fight to The Finish" and episodes of "Nashville" in 2016. However, fans of "Hollywood Heights" will most remember him as Eddie Duran on the show ... he appeared on 78 episodes.

We spoke with Cody's wife, Stephanie, who tells us he was really working hard on himself to fight for his kids. She says, "He was an amazing father and the best husband. Our whole world is shattered."

He leaves behind his wife, a 7-year-old daughter, as well as a 5-year-old son and 1-year-old son.

Cody was only 34.

The family of the late "Street Outlaws: Fastest in America" star Ryan Fellows claims both TV networks and studios put his life at risk for financial gain by having him race on an unsafe stretch of road ... and now they're suing over his fatal crash.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Fellows family is going after Warner Bros. Discovery and Lions Gate Entertainment ... accusing the media corporations of negligence they insist led to Ryan's death.

In the docs, the family says the area where 'Street Outlaws' filmed drag racing scenes was a dusty, weather-beaten, rough asphalt 55-mile per hour roadway in the Las Vegas desert, which didn't meet any of the industry safety standards for drag racing.

TMZ broke the story ... Ryan died back in August in a fiery crash during filming for his popular Discovery show. We were told Ryan was racing another driver when he lost control of his car near the finish line, with the vehicle rolling before catching fire.

In the docs, Ryan's family says the roadway where he crashed was only 12 feet wide instead of the industry standard of 30 feet. They also say the sides of the road featured broken asphalt and gravel shoulders with sheer drop-offs, instead of the industry standard concrete barriers.

Ryan's family claims there were numerous crashes during filming, including cars flipping, rolling and catching fire ... and they rip the media giants for filming life-threatening collisions and airing them on TV for profit.

The family claims the rough asphalt caused racecars to lose traction, the narrow lanes left drivers no room for corrections and the gravel shoulders and drop-offs sent racecars into out-of-control slides that only ended when the vehicles dug into the sand, flipped and rolled.

The Fellows say Warner Bros. Discovery knew it was extremely dangerous to hold races on the roadway ... and they claim it was an "extreme departure from what a reasonable careful person would do in the same situation to prevent harm to others."

It gets worse ... Ryan's family says Warner Bros. Discovery had multiple opportunities to move filming to a safer location after "numerous horrific crashes," but they say the network instead "sat back, flipped on the lights and cameras, and waited for the next inevitable crash."

That crash happened August 7, when Ryan's family claims his racecar lost traction on the roadway, slid off the road and flipped into a roll. The Fellows say Ryan's car rolled multiple times before coming to a rest upside down and catching fire, and they claim he hung upside down in the driver's seat on fire for more than 30 minutes before fire crews removed him from the car. By that time, the family says Ryan was horribly burned and dead.

The Fellows say after Ryan's death Warner Bros. Discovery moved the show to a dedicated 75-foot-wide drag strip at a professional California raceway ... and the family says the change "proves the availability and feasibility of a safer alternative to the unsafe desert roadway."

Ryan's family is now suing the media companies and they want punitive and compensatory damages because they say his death is causing suffering and loss of love and companionship.

YG and Ty Dolla $ign are riding shotgun for the release of "Let's Ride" ... the first official taste from the soundtrack for "Fast X" and it comes as the film's first trailer drops too.

The leading Left Coasters are joined by up-and-coming Cali rapper, Lambo4oe on the song, which samples The Notorious B.I.G. and BoneThugs-N-Harmony's classic collab "Notorious Thugs."

Ty$ dropped off the song's lyric video Friday so fans can rap along ... and the song is also featured in the trailer. It's highlighting all the explosions, and you know how important that is in a 'Fast and Furious' flick!!!

"Fast X" brings back veteran cast members Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and John Cena ... while introducing Jason Mamoa as a Marvel-esque supervillain who likes to lick blood off knives.

Alec Baldwin is going after the "Rust" prosecutor ... claiming she is charging him with something that wasn't even a crime when Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed.

As we reported, Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter with a firearms enhancement. That firearms enhancement allows the judge to put Baldwin in prison for a MANDATORY 5 years.

Baldwin's lawyers filed legal docs Friday, arguing the firearms enhancement law was not passed by the New Mexico State Legislature until May, 2022 ... 7 months AFTER the incident.

Now, there's an old version of the enhancement law that was in effect at the time of the "Rust" shooting, but that law requires that a firearm be "brandished," and that term is defined as follows ... "displaying or making a firearm known to another person ... with intent to intimidate or injure a person." Under any scenario, Baldwin had no intent to injure.

If the judge throws out the firearms enhancement charge, it significantly changes the punishment. He would only face up to 18 months in prison, and the judge could grant probation.

Johnny Depp's attorney, Camille Vasquez just scored another major legal win for a different celebrity client.

Camille and attorney Steve Cook from Brown Rudnick LLP represented "Yellowstone" star Q'orianka Kilcher in her worker's compensation insurance fraud case ... and the law firm announced Friday the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office dismissed all charges against the actress.

TMZ broke the story ... Kilcher hired Camille and Steve in September to help her win the case ... and they ultimately delivered.

Remember ... Kilcher was hit with two counts of workers' comp insurance fraud back in July, following an investigation by the California Dept. of Insurance. Officials said they found evidence the actress improperly collected over $90,000 in disability benefits.

CDOI claimed Kilcher collected the money over the course of 2 years, as a result of a neck injury she said she suffered back in 2018 during filming for "Dora and the Lost City of Gold." Officials claim she continued raking in disability benefits while filming "Yellowstone" episodes in 2019 and charged her with felonies.

Kilcher maintained her innocence, saying she suffered a serious and life-altering traumatic injury on the 'Dora' set, and Camille and Steve set out to clear her name.

The L.A. County District Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... "After the charges were filed, the Workers Compensation Insurance claims adjuster retroactively changed his conclusion regarding her ability to work. We therefore determined that Ms. Kilcher did not commit insurance fraud and advised the court that we were unable to proceed."

In a statement, Kilcher says she's "beyond grateful" her case was dismissed  ... and she's thanking Camille and Steve "for their steadfast belief in my innocence." She adds, "without their advocacy, we would not be here today."

John Cena spent his wrestling career wearing custom jerseys and baggy shorts ... but the future WWE Hall of Famer is sporting a different look for his new movie -- high heels, a short skirt and tights!!

The 45-year-old is currently in Melbourne, Australia shooting his upcoming comedy, "Ricky Stanicky" ... and by the looks of it, he's going all-in on the title role.

Cena has always maintained an incredible physique since becoming a WWE Superstar ... and it was on full display while filming, as he showed off his swole legs and balance.

The flick is about three friends who create a fictional character named Ricky Stanicky ... which they use as an alibi to get out of bad situations, according to IMDB.

Cena is part of a star-studded cast that features big names like Zac Efron, Jermaine Fowler and William H. Macy.

Earlier this month, Cena tweeted how excited he was for the film, saying, "Ricky Stanicky is a best friend to all — can't wait for you to meet him!"

Months after best buds Ben Affleck and Matt Damon hit the set of their new movie, AIR, portraying Phil Knight and Sonny Vaccaro, the trailer for the highly anticipated biopic documenting the rise of Nike just dropped!

The upcoming movie, also starring Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Marlon Wayans and Chris Tucker, is based on Knight and Vaccaro -- who brought Michael Jordan to the Swoosh.

Nike was launched in 1972 (Knight started another running company in the 60s), and was the opposite of the powerhouse it is today. The business began to grow, but really exploded when Vaccaro, played by Damon, got Jordan to sign with Nike.

Davis plays Michael's mom, Deloris Jordan.  Tucker plays Howard White, a Nike exec.

It's not the first time we've seen the guys in character ... back in June, we got photos from the set. Jennifer Lopez was even there supporting her man, Ben.

Back then, the guys received a mixed reaction ... but now that the trailer's out, fans seem excited about the movie!

But, they're not alone. We spoke with the real life Sonny Vaccaro last year, and he was pumped for the film.

"I'm 83 years old. It was complete surprise to me. It's an unbelievable honor and I believe in what they're going to do is going to be the truth on the film," Vaccaro told us last October.

"This is the best thing that I could have ever imagined."

It's obviously not the first time Damon and Affleck have teamed up together for a movie ... they've done it a bunch, including in the critically acclaimed "Good Will Hunting."

Cole Tucker clearly spared no expense when he asked Vanessa Hudgens to marry him ... 'cause the actress was seen rockin' her new engagement ring this week -- and it's HUGE!!

Hudgens was spotted with the bling while out grabbing a bite to eat with her family in Los Angeles on Wednesday -- and it ain't hard to see her MLB player beau picked out some fine jewelry for his future bride.

Sporting an oversized sweatshirt, sweats and slippers ... the diamond on the "High School Musical" actress' left hand stood out like a sore thumb -- appearing to be nearly the size of her knuckle!!!

Hudgens has only had the ring for a few months now -- the couple only got engaged at the end of 2022 -- but check out her smile, she's clearly loving it and the engagement life.

Hudgens and Tucker initially began dating in 2020 -- and have become inseparable ever since ... with Hudgens attending plenty of his baseball games, and Tucker spending most of his offseasons with her.

Just recently, Hudgens glowed about Tucker ... saying in a sappy Instagram post, "I'll stop the world and melt with you."

She added two emojis ... "❤️🥰."

Alec Baldwin has yet another lawsuit to deal with regarding the fatal "Rust" shooting ... family members of the late Halyna Hutchins are taking the actor and several others to court.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Halyna's parents and sister have named Alec -- as well as a slew of companies and individuals -- as defendants in the suit. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is one of the many named.

The docs claim several safety protocols on set were ignored, including their insistence that Gutierrez-Reed should've been the only one handing Baldwin the gun -- NOT Assistant Director David Halls, who's also named as a defendant.

The family says Baldwin "cannot hide" behind Halls' alleged statement on set that the gun was "cold" ... adding a veteran actor like himself should've insisted that it was demonstrated to him or checked it himself.

What's more, the docs say the scene they were filming didn't call for Baldwin's gun to be cocked or fired at all -- and they say there was insufficient plexiglass in the building at the time of the incident, which could've ensured Hutchins' safety.

Hutchins' family is suing for loss of consortium, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more ... and is seeking unspecified damages.

We've reached out to Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed -- Hannah's lawyer, Jason Bowles, had no comment ... no word from Baldwin's team.

Prized 'Star Wars' memorabilia that belonged to Peter Mayhew, the actor who famously played Chewbacca, is about to go up for auction ... and unrightfully so, according to the late actor's wife.

Angie Mayhew tells TMZ ... she's very upset an auction house in the UK is selling a ton of Pete's possessions from his 'Star Wars' days, including scripts, call sheets, signed photos and more.

The collection was given to Ryedale Auctioneers by a couple who moved into Peter's old home in northern England and found the items in the attic.

The couple didn't know the memorabilia once belonged to Peter, so they unwittingly gave it all up.

Angie tells us when they were moving out of the home, Peter attempted to snag his mementos from the attic, but couldn't get inside due to serious knee issues ... and he didn't want Angie to risk injury going up there herself.

She says Peter scooped up as many items within arm's reach as he could, but had to leave the rest.

Angie says leaving the memorabilia was one of her and Peter's "biggest disappointments" in life.

On Tuesday, Peter's wife saw the items were up for auction, and immediately got honchos at the Peter Mayhew Foundation to contact the auction house. Angie says she plans to speak with the auction house Thursday.

You'll recall, the iconic 'Star Wars' actor died back in 2019. Angie is hoping to reclaim the items and put them on display in the family's "Chewy" museum in Texas.

Leonardo DiCaprio absolutely has a thing for women many years his junior, but his latest reported romantic link, a 19-year-old model just ain't legit ... TMZ has learned.

Rumors about Leo and Eden Polani started to fly last week after the two were spotted hanging out together at a music release party in Los Angeles for Ebony Riley's EP.

A source close to Leo tells us despite a photo showing Eden and Leo sitting next to each other, they're not dating and not a couple whatsoever.

Our source says Leo and Eden just so happen to have been seated next to each other at the party, and were hanging in the same group.

Our source makes it clear ... just because Leo might be talking to or sitting with a girl doesn't mean he's dating her.

Leo ended his relationship with 25-year-old Camila Morrone last year after 4 years together. Since then, he's been linked to multiple women ... including Gigi Hadid and 23-year-old actress Victoria Lamas. Our source says Leo is not in anything serious right now.

The woman who accused Armie Hammer of raping her says he's trying to gain sympathy and manipulate her by now claiming he tried suicide after she spoke out against him.

Effie Angelova took to Instagram Monday and said the actor told her about his attempted suicide before she publicly claimed he raped her in 2021.

Armie broke his silence Saturday about the rape allegations, saying he was hoping to drown or get eaten by a shark in the ocean, but he changed his mind, thinking about his kids.

Hammer has denied her claims and said this was all consensual role-playing and she's the one who suggested they meet at Starbucks, pretending they were strangers ... and then she would go home and leave the door unlocked for him to come in.

TMZ broke the story, law enforcement has already decided no criminal charges will be filed, but the LAPD has not turned the case over to the D.A. ... it's been with LAPD for more than a year and a half.

In several IG posts, Effie said she was so worried about Armie and only wanted to take care of him after he told her about his alleged childhood abuse and had disappeared for a couple days.

"Now he claims his ocean story happened after I spoke out publicly," Effie said.

She added, "It seems so manipulative because he knows his ocean story shut me up last time and evoked sympathy and it's like now he's trying it again."

As we reported, Effie claimed Armie violently raped her for four hours, during which he allegedly slammed her head against a wall and physically abused her in other ways.

"Pez Outlaw," Steve Glew is thrilled his incredible story is hitting the mainstream thanks to a new Netflix documentary ... but he's got his eyes on bigger things, and already has a big-name celeb he wants to see play him on TV.

Steve tells TMZ ... he's been waiting 25 years for his story to be made into a documentary, and he's in preliminary talks to create a narrative TV show about his life ... and he wants to cast Jack Black as himself.

Netflix is getting rave reviews for Bryan & Amy Storkel's doc on Steve, "The Pez Outlaw," the story of how he made a ton of money selling rare Pez dispensers back in the day.

While Steve doesn't want to jeopardize his potential TV series deal ... our sources tell us Steve's in talks with CBS Studios and Andy Samberg's production company, Party Over Here.

Steve tells us why Jack would be the perfect actor to play him ... explaining he's the right guy to capture all of Steve's idiosyncrasies and bring him to life.

The Pez story is pretty wild ... Steve went to Europe in the '90s and smuggled back tons of rare Pez dispensers to sell to American collectors ... with some folks shelling out as much as $11,000 for a single dispenser.

Steve says he thinks the Netflix doc will inspire more folks to get into collecting Pez ... and he tells us why he warned current collectors to buy whatever they have their eyes on ASAP, before the documentary came out.