Movies

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."

Tommy "Tiny" Lister -- famous for playing intimidating, but lovable tough guys in films like "Friday" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us they got a call to the actor's Marina Del Rey apartment Thursday, just before 3 PM, for an unconscious male. Our sources say Tommy was not transported to the hospital, as he was pronounced dead on the scene.

We're told the coroner is at the home, but there's no word yet on a cause of death.

Though "Tiny" began landing his bullying bad guy roles in the '80s, he's most famous for his hilarious turn as Deebo in "Friday" and the sequel, "Next Friday."

He also played President Lindberg in the sci-fi action film, "The Fifth Element," and more recently appeared in the box office smash hit, "The Dark Knight." He voiced the character Finnick in "Zootopia" as well.

Along with acting, Tommy had 2 short pro wrestling stints, and starred alongside Hulk Hogan -- as the bad guy, Zeus, of course -- in the 1989 film, "No Holds Barred."

Oh, and if ya didn't know, his nickname is pure irony ... "Tiny" was 6'5".

When we last saw him out and about, "Tiny" couldn't have been nicer ... talking to us about another Deebo currently playing in the NFL, and dishing out some new "Friday" info.

Earlier this year, Lister used his bullying powers for the greater good ... getting word out to help grieving families -- and a few months before that, he was warning kids to stay inside during the early days of the pandemic.

Tommy was 62.

RIP

Scottish born actor Nicholas Rowe was only a teenager when he landed the iconic role as the pipe-puffing Sherlock Holmes -- who takes on the case of the murderous Eh-Tar -- in the 1985 old school mystery movie "Young Sherlock Holmes."

Nicholas Rowe was cast alongside some other awesome young actors to solve the mysterious poisonings including Alan Cox as the trusty sidekick, John Watson and Sophie Ward as Sherlock's young school crush, Elizabeth Hardy.

Nicholas can be seen more recently playing Jock Colville in the first season of "The Crown."

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Paul are goin' full Mickey Mouse -- with the NBA superstars getting Disney movies based on their lives!!

The entertainment company made the big reveal during its Investor Day live stream minutes ago ... saying "Greek Freak" will begin production in 2021.

The flick will follow the inspiring story of the Antetokounmpo family's rise from poverty as undocumented immigrants in Greece to helping Giannis reach the NBA, according to Sean Bailey, the Mouse's president of motion picture production.

Disney also announced the CP3 project is officially in development for Disney+ ... which will focus on the All-Star's "deeply moving story on family, legacy, and destiny that helped make him who he is today."

Matthew Morrison probably thinks fans who saw his performance in "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!" have hearts 2 sizes too small ... 'cause they're going off about his hyper-sexual take on the Grinch.

The "Glee" star drenched himself in the green getup for Wednesday night's musical on NBC, but instead of softening hearts around the world, things got strange.

With lots of moaning, heavy breathing and come hither stares into the camera ... many viewers felt MM went bizarrely overboard with his portrayal.

You could almost hear people at home screaming, "That's a no for me, dawg" ... which is a pretty good summary of the Twitter reviews. One viewer even said, "Sending matthew morrison the bill for all the therapy i’ll need after watching his bizarrely sexual interpretation of the grinch."

After the show, Matthew posted a video of himself taking off his makeup while singing "For Good" from the popular play, "Wicked."

Nice PR move, but it still didn't distract fans from taking out their frustrations. Some of them included concerned parents who said their kids had nightmares.

As one unhappy customer put it, "matthew morrison doing an incredibly cursed rendition of the grinch is the most fitting way to end this wretched year imo, we r in hell."

The house featured in "A Christmas Story" is normally a tourist hot spot during the holidays, but this year business is hurting as much as getting your tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole.

Folks running A Christmas Story House & Museum -- the Cleveland residence used for exterior shots of Ralphie's home in the 1983 classic -- tell TMZ ... they're projected to have about 50,000 less visitors compared to 2019.

On top of that, the home -- which guests can reserve for an overnight stay and sleep in Ralphie and Randy's beds -- is still available on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ... which we're told is unprecedented.

Since the place began allowing overnight reservations in 2008, it's usually booked for November and December 6 months in advance ... even though it costs nearly $3k per night!!!

But, with COVID-19 cases surging, stay-at-home orders and financial struggles for families across the country ... 2020's put the 'Christmas Story' business in a difficult spot too.

The good news is ... the museum's online gift shop is helping make up for some of the losses in tour and lodging revenue this year.

We're told the shop's sold around 14,000 different variations of the movie's famous leg lamp, 1,000 pink bunny suits, and a couple hundred Red Ryder BB Guns ... and there are plenty more in stock.

Natalie Desselle-Reid -- a prolific actor known for roles in "Eve," a 'Madea' film and 'B*A*P*S' -- has died after a battle with cancer ... one she'd kept private.

The veteran comedic actor passed away Monday morning. A family member tells TMZ she died of colon cancer after having been diagnosed earlier this year. We're told she was in hospice care in her final days, and was surrounded by family when she went.

An official statement reads, "It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning. She was a bright light in this world. A queen. An extraordinary mother and wife."

Actress Holly Robinson Peete also shared the news, writing ... "Just absolutely decimated by this news... Actress Natalie Desselle, a bright shining star passed away this morning. I got to know her when my mom was managing her.  She will be so missed...sending out prayers to her children and husband." She added, "💔🙏🏽😢 Rest In Peace, Sweet Girl🙏🏽"

Natalie was perhaps best known for her sidekick role opposite Halle Berry in the 1997 comedy film "B*A*P*S" in which she played the hilarious role of Mickey. She also starred on the sitcom "Eve" for three years, playing Janie Egins -- as well as having starred in Tyler Perry's "Madea's Big Happy Family" as Tammy.

Her acting credits go well beyond that though -- NDR also played a prominent character on the TV shows "For Your Love," and "Built to Last."

Her other big-screen credits include "How to Be a Player," "Set It Off," "Divas," "Gas" and quite notably ... the made-for-TV movie "Cinderella," featuring Brandy ... in which Natalie played the evil step-sister, Minerva.

Natalie leaves behind her husband, Leonard, and 3 children. She was 53.

Scottie Pippen says "The Last Dance" didn't tell the REAL story of the '90s Chicago Bulls ... and he was so upset about it, he directly voiced his frustrations to Michael Jordan.

The 10-part series documentary was one of the most-watched series in 2020 ... with fans getting an inside look at MJ and the Bulls' 6 NBA title runs.

The doc received mostly positive reviews -- it won an Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series -- but Pippen says he wasn't happy with the finished product.

"I don’t think it was that accurate in terms of really defining what was accomplished in one of the greatest eras of basketball, but also by two of the greatest players – and one could even put that aside and say the greatest team of all time," Pippen told The Guardian.

"I didn’t think those things stood out in the documentary. I thought it was more about Michael trying to uplift himself and to be glorified."

Pippen says he personally hit up MJ about his frustrations ... but it was only a brief interaction.

"I told him I wasn’t too pleased with it. He accepted it. He said, 'Hey, you’re right.' That was pretty much it."

While Pippen claims the doc was a fluff piece on MJ's legacy, he also admits he doesn't think it did His Airness many favors.

"I think it also backfired to some degree in that people got a chance to see what kind of personality Michael had."

Sounds like these two guys need to have a face-to-face and hash things out.