Movies

Tom Cruise might want to look in the mirror when it comes to making sure everyone on set is COVID safe -- especially if he sticks with what appears to be his go-to face covering.

The mask Tom's wearing in almost all the pics from various 'Mission: Impossible 7' sets is NOT recommended by the CDC ... and the agency actually warned against wearing any mask with valves like the one TC's rocking.

The mask, from Jupiter Gear, features a carbon filter and breathing valves ... and it retails for $14.99 a pop.

The manufacturer says the mask is meant to mostly be worn during physical activity, with the valves designed to "release hot, humid exhaled breath quickly." In other words, there's still a good chance respiratory droplets are escaping ... and that's dangerous with this airborne coronavirus."

In fact, the CDC spells it out, warning against masks with valves because ... "this type of mask may not prevent you from spreading COVID-19 to others. The hole in the material may allow your respiratory droplets to escape and reach others."

As you know ... Tom blew a gasket over film crew members breaking COVID protocols by standing too close together on set, and promised to fire them if it happens again.

Now, just as ineffective as Tom's mask -- and probably worse -- is what Tom's costar Hayley Atwell was seen doing on set in Rome. She's one of those folks who wear their mask under their nose which is also highly ineffective in stopping moisture droplets.

The world can now see Chadwick Boseman's last performance before he died ... and the role is sure to strike a high note, especially if you're into jazz.

The late actor starred in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," which premieres Friday on Netflix. Chadwick plays a trumpeter named Levee in an early 20th-century jazz band.

The movie's based on August Wilson's 1982 play of the same name ... and Denzel Washington is one of the producers.

As you know ... Chadwick died back in August following a 4-year battle with colon cancer. He was only 43 years old.

The deeply emotional response to Chadwick's sudden and recent death is fueling speculation he might receive a posthumous Oscar for his performance in 'Black Bottom.'

Tom Cruise is flying south for the winter break ... fleeing his now controversial 'Mission: Impossible 7' set after blowing a gasket over COVID-19 rules.

Production's reportedly shut down on 'MI7,' but not due to a breach in COVID protocols -- it's so Tom can start his Christmas break a little earlier than planned. Cruise is hopping on a private jet to Miami to hang with his son, Connor ... according to The Sun.

Of course, the early break likely does have something to do with the film's star and producer blowing his top ... and the audio of his rant leaking.

As you know ... Tom exploded on set after seeing two crew members breaking COVID protocols by getting within 6 feet of each other, and his tirades and threats of mass firings convinced at least 5 folks to call it quits.

Now, Tom's deciding he needs a break too ... and The Sun reports Friday will be the movie's last day of filming this year, as tensions rise on set.

Jeremy Bulloch, the actor who played Boba Fett in several "Star Wars" films, has died.

Jeremy's death was announced Thursday by Daniel Logan, who played young Boba Fett in 'Attack of The Clones.'

Jeremy played the iconic bounty hunter in the original "Star Wars" trilogy ... he was the man under the famous body armor and helmet, but not the voice you hear in the movies.

As "Star Wars" movie buffs might know, Jeremy also made a couple cameos without his Boba Fett mask -- playing Lieutenant Sheckil in 'The Empire Strikes Back' and Captain Jeremoch Colton in 'Revenge of the Sith.'

The timing is interesting -- there has been a resurgence in popularity of Boba Fett since discussions emerged about him being brought onboard in "The Mandalorian" series, and even rumors of a spinoff series surrounding Boba Fett in the works.

As an original trilogy cast member, Jeremy was beloved by "Star Wars" fans across the globe. He signed autographs and snapped pics at hundreds of tour stops and conventions.

Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Jeremy acted in BBC soap operas, "James Bond" films and TV shows before landing his famous role with "Star Wars."

He lived in London after retiring and is survived by his wife, Maureen, and their 3 sons. Jeremy was 75.

RIP

Tom Cruise isn't always a super stickler for COVID protocols -- not based on some on-set pics of him with his 'Mission: Impossible 7' costar.

'M.I. 7' has been filming for months all over Europe, and we found these images from October of Tom and Hayley Atwell shooting in Rome. In one of them, Tom is wearing a face mask and talking to Hayley, who's also got a mask on, but she's not up to CDC snuff. You can see hers is down below her nose, and as we all know by now ... that does not protect people from droplets that can transmit the virus.

Hayley's showing the same bad form in another shot where Tom doesn't have one on at all -- although it's possible he was about to shoot a scene.

As you know, Tom went nuclear on his crew recently while filming on a studio lot in England. He was pissed off at 2 crew members for breaking COVID protocols, standing less than 6 feet apart to look at a monitor.

Tom Cruise won't have to fire a bunch of people for breaking COVID protocols on the "Mission: Impossible 7" set, 'cause a lot of them are leaving on their own.

Tom's raging tirade seems to have sparked an exodus among ticked-off crew members. The Sun, which got the ranting audio, says at least 5 staffers have quit after Tom's outburst.

As you know, TC went nuclear on the UK set, tearing into crew members for breaking COVID protocols and warning them they'd be "f****** gone" if they did so again. He was reportedly set off by 2 crew members standing within 6 feet of each other around a monitor.

Apparently, things haven't cooled off around set since the epic rant heard round the world. The Sun says Tom had another meltdown Tuesday after audio of his first eruption leaked.

Tom Cruise takes COVID protocols very seriously on the set of the new 'Mission Impossible,' and tore into crew members for breaking the rules ... telling them they'd be "f**king gone" if it happens again.

Tom was on the U.K. set of 'MI 7' when someone recorded his expletive-laced tirade ... sparked by seeing 2 crew members standing within 6 feet of each other around a monitor ... according to The Sun, which first posted the audio.

It might sound like a minor infraction, but Tom makes it clear he and the entire production can't afford ANY slip ups when it comes to COVID safety. He raged at them, saying the cast and crew need to be the "gold standard" when it comes to filming safely.

With a ton of f-bombs -- and even one instance of calling the culprits "motherf**kers" -- Tom let it be known, in no uncertain terms, everyone he was pissed off at. The rant is reminiscent of Christian Bale's on a 'Terminator' flick -- but the root of Tom's anger is much different.

He explained the 'MI' production is under pressure from Hollywood -- specifically the studios and insurance companies backing his movie ... which, no doubt, want to avoid a COVID-19 outbreak. As Tom puts it, all of Hollywood is watching to see if they can safely pull off filming a blockbuster in multiple countries.

After basically yelling it's my way or the highway, Cruise summed up what's at stake -- "That’s it! No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f**king homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education."

Word is Tom has taken it upon himself to do safety inspections on the set, and literally goes around making sure everything is up to snuff as far safety and approved protocols.

Rachael Leigh Cook is coming back for more of that ... the "She's All That" star is jumping onboard the second coming of her '90s teen classic.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Rachael is being added to the cast for "He's All That" and she's playing the mom of Addison Rae's character, Padget. Rachael tells us it's nice to be reunited with some familiar faces and that the new film has a nice spin that she thinks fans of the original will like.

As you know ... Rachael starred in the original movie way back in 1999 alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. The OG version also featured Paul Walker and Gabrielle Union. Ah, the '90s.

Fast-forward 21 years and Rachael will be the vet on set for the gender-swapped reboot ... Addison wasn't even born when Rachael, Freddie, Paul and Gabrielle got this whole thing rolling.

"He's All That" is already a few weeks into production ... and it looks like Addison, Tanner Buchanan, Andrew Matarazzo, Myra Molloy, Peyton Meyer, Madison Pettis, Annie Jacob and Dominic Goodman are having a blast.

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, is about to get a huge assist from one Tyler Perry as he ramps up to fight a lawsuit from one of the cops who raided his home ... and by that, we mean major financial help.

Sources tell TMZ that the Hollywood producer and filmmaker just donated a whopping $100,000 to Ken's legal defense fund that was recently started on GoFundMe. The goal was $100k, but was somewhat lagging in the early going ... idling at less than $10k.

On Sunday, however, we're told Tyler threw down some big cash in four separate installments within minutes of each other. He donated 2 shipments of $10k, then donated $50k and topped it all off with a final donation of $30k. Now, Ken's over the finish line and then some.

As for why ... you can take a guess. Tyler wants to support Kenneth as he prepares to go to court against Louisville PD officer Jonathan Mattingly -- who was shot in the crossfire during the raid on Ken and Breonna's home.

As we reported ... Mattingly sued Kenneth for emotional distress and trauma -- this after criminal charges against Ken were dropped. The issue in Mattingly's lawsuit is the same as the investigation into Breonna's death. Did the police announce themselves before entering? Many neighbors, along with Ken, say no. The cops say they did announce themselves.

Leonardo DiCaprio is being shielded almost as much as the new movie he's in these days -- 'cause he's on location ... and has a forcefield around his mug.

Leo was seen this weekend boarding a one-time naval battleship in Massachusetts next to his costar, Jennifer Lawrence, who was following closely behind ... while in full makeup and costume for the upcoming Netflix film, "Don't Look Up," in which they play scientists trying to warn the world that a meteor is on its way to blow up the Earth. Talk about timely, huh?

As you can see, both LDC and J. Law had protective face shields on -- so this is clearly them getting ready to shoot ... with coronavirus on-set guidelines in full swing.

It's interesting -- based on other photos from the production ... it appears a lot of the talent and crew members have opted for shields rather than traditional masks. Granted, it's probably a lot less obstructive ... and has less of a chance at ruining somebody's foundation.

In any case ... good to see they're being safe on set, and that Hollywood appears to be back in full swing. It's also good to see that one Matthew Perry -- who's one of several A-listers is in the star-studded film -- back in good health and hard at work. He was photographed on the 'DLU' set as well a couple of days ago alongside fellow costar Jonah Hill -- plus a Kid Rock look-alike to boot -- as they filmed a scene that looked like a political rally.

Remember, he had emergency surgery a couple years ago for a serious gastrointestinal issue that left a hole in his stomach. He's also battled drug addiction for years -- but now seems to be on an upswing ... he's got a 'Friends' reunion on the horizon, and just recently got engaged.

Matt's also been promoting a new line of Chandler merch that he's hawking for charity. So the dude's doing really well these days, which is heartening to see.

As for this new movie everyone's buzzing about -- but also being hush-hush with -- something tells us it'll be pretty good. Like we said, the cast is second to none as far as star power -- it includes names like Meryl Streep (who plays POTUS), Timothee Chalamet, Chris Evans, Ariana Grande (yes, in an acting role), Kid Cudi (also acting), Ron Perlman, Cate Blanchett ... and a whole lot more. So yeah, the cards are stacked for this one.

Regina Hall turned 50 this weekend, but she has NOT lost her sense of humor ... if anything, it's sharper -- and she's leaning into it with an awesome song for her big day.

The actress and comedian rang in the big 5-0 Saturday with a hilarious home video and song she wrote -- in which she gives praise for reaching a life milestone ... and still looking great while doing it -- something RH is well aware of, as you can see.

Regina says her motive for the ditty's pretty simple -- "Because laughter keeps you forever young I wrote a special song for a special Birthday."

The song has the same refrain/hook throughout -- "A bitch is old today," which is sung a cappella style and carried on beat with claps in the background. It looks like Regina had a little help making this, and she shouted out all the cameos on and behind the camera.

Anyway, back to the song. It gets pretty raunchy -- right up Regina's alley -- because at one point she talks about being 50, but also still having good ... uh, well, all the parts still work. And then some.

The video shows you around her home, including her pool and trampoline -- where she bounces around for fun. She's also seen hanging out with some younger gals in bathing suits, who help hit a certain line home about shouting out young "bitches" ... and old ones.

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister's condition in the days before his demise was alarming -- but the guy was confident he'd be taken care of by the man upstairs.

Actor/rapper Chris La Vrar tells TMZ ... he was with Tiny Monday at the 'Friday' star's Marina del Rey home, where Tiny was recording a live stream video session with fans and fielding questions for a Q&A. Part of the convo was posted on social media -- and while you can see Tiny was not well here ... Chris says it was much worse up close in-person.

In the video, you see Tiny struggling to speak and breathe ... much like he had during his interview with Brandon Jay. Only difference here is that Tiny kinda nods off at various points, and his energy and focus are low compared to the rest of the chat room.

Good sport that he was, he did his best to engage with fans as best he could -- but Chris tells us that behind the scenes ... Tiny was startling him. He says the man was coughing nonstop, and when Chris asked if he was okay, 'Tiny' told him he was fine.

We're told Chris pressed to see if he felt like he needed to go to a doctor -- as Chris believed he did -- and Tiny responded ... "No, God's got me." Chris let it go.

BTW, as we reported, Tiny apparently contracted COVID 4 months ago, like many suspected -- Chris tells us it was confirmed, but Tiny believed he'd beaten it and gotten past the symptoms. As we can now see, that was not the case. After hanging out with Tiny for a couple hours and subsequently learning of his death days later -- we're told Chris is now concerned he might have COVID and plans to get tested ASAP.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister said he was looking forward to taking the COVID vaccine just days before his death, but when you listen to him it's apparent he's got serious symptoms, including labored breathing.

TMZ broke the story ... Lister's body was discovered Thursday ... this after friends and family couldn't reach him the night before. They were worried because he had been ill for a week and it was worsening daily.

During Tiny's interview with Brandon Jay just 5 days before his death, you hear Tiny struggling as he speaks. He was attempting to clear his throat throughout the interview.

Tiny, who wore a mask, told Brandon on his podcast ... he had lots of things to do in life, and was eager to take the shot -- inspired by the 3 ex-presidents who agreed to get vaccinated publicly -- so he could get back to work shooting movies. He had a shoot scheduled this week but had to cancel it because of illness.

Tiny apparently had COVID 4 months ago. It's unclear if he was re-infected or if the virus hadn't left his body.

He was truly optimistic about the future, saying he planned to spend Xmas watching basketball and spending time with his daughter, Faith.

If Tommy "Tiny" Lister died from COVID-19 -- as people close to him suspect -- it would have been his second bout with it, because TMZ's learned he fought it off months before his death.

The "Friday" star's rep, Cindy Cowan, tells TMZ ... "Tiny" tested positive around 4 months ago. He had many of the common symptoms ... he felt lethargic and struggled breathing, but his diabetes also made him high risk. She says he wasn't hospitalized but quarantined at home.

Fast forward to December 3 ... Cindy tells us Tommy was supposed to visit her home, but instead, he called and informed her he was feeling those painfully familiar COVID symptoms again.

She says he felt it was probably best for him NOT to enter her home out of fear of spreading whatever he had. Tommy's cause of death has not yet been determined ... but we've learned he feared he had contracted the coronavirus again.

TMZ broke the story ... Tommy sadly died the following week after the L.A. County Sheriff's Department conducted a welfare check and found him dead. Friends had been concerned when they hadn't heard from him since Wednesday night.

Tommy had been feeling so ill ... he was forced to cancel his first day of filming Sunday for a new movie with Sam Worthington. He also canceled a Zoom panel Tuesday.

He'd recently told Cowan he wanted to be one of the first in line to get the vaccine when it rolls out later this month. He just wanted things to go back to normal as much as possible ... and spend time with his daughter, Faith.

At this moment, it's unclear what funeral arrangements will be made, but look for some sort of celebration of life in early January, if possible.

SF 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is showing love to the man who inspired his nickname ... saying it was a "blessing" to meet Tiny Lister before he passed away.

In case you didn't know ... Samuel earned the nickname "Deebo" when he was a kid because he had that bully swagger that reminded his father of Deebo from the movie "Friday."

Tiny Lister LOVED the fact that Deebo Samuel was having success in the league -- telling us in 2019, "I'm a big fan."

At the time, Lister told us Samuel had his "blessing" to use the name forever and ever ... and was lobbying Ice Cube to cast Samuel to play 'Little Deebo' in the next "Friday" movie.

The two eventually came face-to-face during an interview for "NFL Countdown" -- Samuel was smiling ear-to-ear like a kid who just met his idol.

So, when Samuel learned Lister died this week -- he went to social media to say a few words and post a tribute.

"This crazy man frfrf. Was a blessing meeting you and getting to know you for sure. Rest up big bro."

Samuel is nursing a foot injury and may not play this weekend when the 49ers take on the Buffalo Bills, but here's hoping he balls out for Deebo whenever he does get back on the field.

BTW, tons of athletes have spoken about Lister since his tragic passing including Magic Johnson.

"Rest In Peace to my good friend of over 30 years, Tommy “Tiny” Lister," Magic tweeted ... "Sending prayer to his family and loved ones."

The SF 49ers also tweeted about Deebo -- "One of the nicest bullies we've come across. RIP Deebo. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lister family."