Movies

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are back in Italy, and even though this time it's for industry biz ... there's always time to pack in a little PDA. It's what they do.

The couple arrived Thursday for the 78th Venice International Film Festival, and were all smiles -- and all over each other -- on the water taxi they took to get closer to the action.

Ben and Jen held hands and looked as romantic as ever as they boarded the boat, so it's safe to say their lovefest will continue abroad.

As you'll recall ... they were already in Italy once this past summer during the resurgence of Bennifer 2.0, and there was no shortage of hugging, kissing and lunchtime lapdancing as they made their way through Capri, down the Amalfi Coast, to Nerano and on a dock in Naples.

Jennifer Lawrence is about to become a mom for the first time ... she's expecting a baby with husband Cooke Maroney.

A rep for the actress tells TMZ the actress is pregnant, though it's currently unclear when she's due or if she's going to have a boy or girl. The 31-year-old and her art dealer husband Cooke Maroney have been spotted around NYC in recent weeks sparking pregnancy rumors.

Jennifer and Cooke got hitched in October 2019 in Rhode Island in a fairly small ceremony ... celeb guests reportedly included Kris Jenner, Emma Stone, Adele and Amy Schumer.

Lawrence is set to star in the highly-anticipated "Don't Look Up" with Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep and Timothee Chalamet, expected to be released later this year. TMZ broke the story, Jennifer suffered an injury to her eye when it was cut by glass on set of the film earlier this year ... but made a full recovery.

Baby Maroney will be the first child for both Jennifer and 37-year-old Maroney.

George Foreman sounds like he was really looking forward to Michael K. Williams acting in his biopic ... telling us the late actor could've carried the entire movie.

The boxing legend tells TMZ ... Michael was the perfect fit to play his trainer and mentor Doc Broadus in his upcoming biopic, and not just because he looked the part.

George tells us he liked the fact Michael could also relate to boxers. George also says once he saw a picture of MKW in a suit, he knew he was going to be the one to anchor the biopic.

As we reported ... Michael was found dead Monday in his Brooklyn apartment, a little over a week after being cast in the Foreman biopic.

George says he didn't have a hand in Michael's original casting and says it's going to be up to producers to fill the role ... but he says he'll be mourning Michael for a few days before thinking about who can play Doc.

Tributes for Michael K. Williams are pouring in from the sports world after his shocking death Monday morning ... with star athletes and pro teams honoring the late actor on social media.

Dwayne Johnson -- who worked with Williams in the 2013 film "Snitch" -- penned an emotional message on Instagram ... saying, "You’ll be missed, brother."

"A real pleasure to work with you and call you a friend. Strength, mana & love to your family during this very difficult and heartbreaking time. Go rest high."

Ex-NFL receiver Victor Cruz posted a shot with the actor at a previous event -- "Rest easy my brother. One of the most positive human beings I ever met."

Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson also paid tribute with an old photo of them together ... saying, "R.I.P. @bkbmg".

Tennessee Titans receiver A.J. Brown used a famous quote from "The Wire" to honor the Williams' role as Omar Little ... saying, "'Omar is coming.' Rest in peace."

Even racecar driver Lewis Hamilton paid tribute -- "Sorry to hear the news. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family. Bless your spirit."

The NBA community also showed love -- the New York Knicks posted a photo of the Brooklyn native courtside in MSG ... saying, "Rest in Peace. We send our deepest condolences to the family of Michael K. Williams."

"A true New Yorker and a friend to The Garden and Garden of Dreams."

NBA's Jamal Crawford said, "RIP Michael K. Williams . Prayers to his family."

"Life is short…Tell those you love, you love them. Try to be a good example. Help someone along the way on your own journey.."

As we previously reported, the 54-year-old actor was found dead by a relative in his Brooklyn apartment on Monday in a suspected drug overdose.

Besides his iconic role as Omar in "The Wire," he was in several TV shows and films ... including "12 Years a Slave," "Assassin's Creed" and "The Gambler."

Vernon Davis, former NFL star turned actor, is dead serious about dedicating his life to acting ... and has landed several big-time roles alongside A-list actors Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis.

TMZ Sports talked to 37-year-old, 6th overall NFL Draft pick (2006) about his burgeoning film career ... and the bond Davis has forged with Freeman.

"After working with [Morgan] on this film Muti, he's just brilliant. Not only is he a great actor, he's a great person," Vernon says.

"I mean he comes to work every day, great energy, joking, playing and I'm looking at this guy like this guy's 80-something years old and he still comes with energy unknown to mankind."

"Muti," starring Freeman, is currently filming ... and is expected to hit theatres in 2022.

In addition to the film, Vernon has 8 other projects in the works ... starring actors like Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo, Kevin Dillon and John Malkovich.

Davis -- who played 14 seasons in the NFL for San Francisco and Washington -- also told a story about a scene he recently filmed with the Academy Award winner, and it's pretty awesome.

Bottom line, what Vernon's doing is darn impressive ... but not necessarily surprising.

In fact, last February he told us he was gunning to be an actor post-football -- and now he's filming movies with Hollywood royalty.

Super Bowl ring ✅
Oscar award?!?

Takeshi Kitano, the famed Japanese actor/director, was attacked with a pickaxe by a man who was angry Kitano wouldn't help him break into showbiz.

Kitano was leaving the TBS studio in Tokyo Saturday night when the attacker used the pickaxe to smash his car windows and demanded Kitano get out of the vehicle. Fortunately, the attacker was subdued and then arrested. Kitano was not injured.

Police say the suspect is in his 40s and was carrying a knife with a 4-inch blade.

As for why the man attacked ... he reportedly was angry the 74-year-old icon snubbed him back in June when he kneeled in front of Kitano's car ... begging to give him an entree into the entertainment industry.

Rotimi says fear not, the "House Party" reboot is in good hands with LeBron James -- despite the less than stellar reviews for LBJ's take on 'Space Jam.'

The singer and "Power" star was cast in the new 'HP,' and he told us he's already shot his scenes. He gave us the lowdown about the vibe on set, and reassured fans of the 1990 cult classic comedy ... because, as he put it, the new cast is filled with a lot of rising stars who set out to prove themselves.

Jacob Latimore and Tosin Cole are playing the iconic roles of "Kid" and "Play" ... originally played by the hip-hop group, Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin.

That might be a good enough reason for fans to give the reboot a chance. Of course, some were wary about LeBron's company, SpringHill, producing it ... as the news came on the heels of "Space Jam: A New Legacy."

Not only did LeBron star in that, but SpringHill also produced it - and even though the movie grossed over $150 million worldwide, it was pretty universally ripped.

That being said, there are signs the "House Party" reboot's set up for success.

The film's script is penned by "Atlanta" writers Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori ... both Emmy-nominated writers. Stephen is Donald Glover's younger brother.

Also, Charles Kidd II -- better known as Calmatic -- is making his feature film directorial debut. He directed Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" music video, which won the 2019 MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction and the 2020 Grammy for Best Music Video of the Year.

New York Giants pass rusher Azeez Ojulari is starting off his rookie season in a Wakanda-kinda way ... by coppin' an insane "Black Panther" diamond chain -- that glows in the dark!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the outsider linebacker wanted to pay homage to Chadwick Boseman with some new drip before the Giants' season-opener ... so he hit up celeb jeweler Leo Frost.

And, Frost definitely delivered ... 'cause while the ice ain't exactly Vibranium, it's damn near close ... featuring 50 carats of white and black VS1 diamonds with 220 grams of 18k white gold!

The replica of Boseman's famous mask also comes with an insane white gold Cuban prong set -- with VS diamonds!!!

We're told Leo also amped up the bling by adding a special, glow-in-the-dark enamel coating ... which if you check out the video, is WILD!!

Unclear what the drip ultimately cost the former Georgia Bulldog ... but the 2nd-round pick just signed a 4-year rookie deal for $6.7 million, so his wallet's going to be just fine.

Bette Midler has a solution to get Texas legislators to reverse course on their anti-abortion law -- just stop banging them ... as in, women should.

The actress tweeted out her thoughts for the proposed plan earlier this week, writing, "I suggest that all women refuse to have sex with men until they are guaranteed the right to choose by Congress."

In other words, a sex strike -- which is so simple (yet effective) that it might actually work! At least, that seems to be the consensus online ... folks are giving Bette props for coming up with such a devious plot, and some even be down to get started right away.

On the other hand, there are some who are pointing out some flaws in her logic here ... for a variety of reasons. For one, liberal women not doing it with dudes -- presumably conservative ones who might support the law -- is probably already happening anyway.

More importantly, as one Twitter user aptly noted, it's counterintuitive to withhold something like that just to get a point across ... because, yes, women like sex too. Who knew?!?

Of course, BM was probably half-joking with the sex suggestion -- but one thing she's definitely not kidding around with is how serious this issue is for her ... and millions of other ladies. Her follow-up tweets since then reflect as much -- she's very outspoken on it all.

She wrote this just yesterday, "This isn't about guns, speech, money or war. It's about women, their lives, their bodies and their autonomy. That's what allowed the court to do shoddy work, with careless disregard, because who's going to stop it?"

"Really Love" star Kofi Siriboe says his new Netflix movie breaks the mold ... a romantic drama with Black leads where the story is not rooted in trauma or crime.

Kofi -- best known for his role in Ava Duvernay and Oprah Winfrey's TV series "Queen Sugar" -- says he grew up on love stories like "Love & Basketball" and "Brown Sugar."

Nevertheless, he was frustrated most films in this genre featuring Black actors do not make romance the foundation of the flick ... probably because studio heads fear audiences won't accept it.

In "Really Love," Kofi plays a promising painter named Isaiah Maxwell who is stopped in his tracks when he meets Stevie ... an ambitious law student played by Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing. And, so begins a delicate dance between pursuing love or success.

Kyle Brandt says '80s and '90s nostalgists are going to love the new "Frogger" game show ... because it brings the classic arcade game to life, kinda like "Wreck-It Ralph."

Kyle -- host of NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" show -- joined us on "TMZ Live" and downloaded us on the new game show he's hosting with Damon Wayans Jr.

It sounds super cool ... contestants basically get sucked inside the game, and they try to win a cash prize by navigating obstacles straight out of the timeless Konami game.

Naturally, competitors have to dodge traffic and cross over water ... and the winner gets a cool $100,000 and the title of "America's finest Frogger."

"Frogger" debuts on Peacock Sept. 9 and Kyle says the game show's a mix of sports, drama, comedy, nostalgia and even a bit of romance between him and Damon.

Kobe Bryant's daughter, Natalia, is gunning to follow in her dad's footsteps ... revealing the NBA legend inspired her to pursue a career in film -- and she's hoping to win an Oscar!!

The Black Mamba's 18-year-old daughter -- an aspiring filmmaker -- opened up about her favorite memories with her dad in a rare interview with IMG Models on Thursday ... saying they would spend countless hours watching movies together.

But, their time wouldn't end after the end credits -- the new USC student says the duo would take MONTHS dissecting storylines and comparing movies to their own experiences throughout the world.

Of course, Kobe was deeply invested in his off-court endeavors after retiring from the league in 2016 ... and won an Oscar for his animated short, "Dear Basketball" in 2018.

When asked where she saw herself in 10 years, Natalia said she's hoping to get the same recognition.

"I want to win an Oscar. I'm not sure for what, or for what Oscar category, but that's on my list," she said.

Aaron Rodgers appears to be looking forward to some time away from his fiancee ... 'cause the quarterback said spending the NFL season apart from Shailene Woodley is "going to be a good thing."

The superstar football player made the surprising admission to Haute Living ... after explaining his decision to return to Wisconsin and the Packers this year will likely mean he and Woodley have to spend most of the next few months apart.

"It's a busy work time for her, so [my decision] probably came at a good time for both of us to be able to focus on our work," Rodgers said.

"I think it's going to be a good thing."

Aaron added, "I mean, her work was shut down for an entire year, and she's booked a number of projects. She enjoys working and her own routine, which I obviously enjoy, too."

Rodgers and Woodley had been inseparable since announcing their engagement in the winter ... with the two quarantining together and then jettisoning across the globe for vacations.

They were spotted in Canada, Disney World, Mexico and Hawaii ... and they've been open about their love for each other nearly every step of the way.

In fact, Rodgers said in March he's looking forward to fatherhood after getting engaged to Woodley.

So, is Thursday's admission a sign of the honeymoon phase coming to an end?! Highly unlikely!

Dua Lipa's trading in one star-studded event for another -- the singer's missing out on the Met Gala ... because she's working on her big-screen acting debut.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the "Levitating" singer's among a slew of celebs invited to the famous fundraising ball in NYC this month, but she had to decline because she's busy filming for the upcoming action thriller, "Argylle."

The movie will be Dua's first acting role, and she'll be co-starring alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood ... Samuel L. Jackson, Henry Cavill, Bryan Cranston, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cena, Sam Rockwell and Catherine O'Hara, just to name a few.

We're told Lipa's currently in the UK shooting the film -- directed by Matthew Vaughn of 'Kingsman' fame -- otherwise, she'd be at the event. She previously attended in 2019.

The Met Gala will be held on Monday, September 13, and even without Dua, will feature HUGE names, with rumored attendees that include Beyonce, Kim Kardashian West, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Harry Styles, Lupita Nyong’o, Camila Cabello, Addison Rae and Lewis Hamilton.

Amy Winehouse's dad believes the production company planning to make a biopic about his late daughter is playing a losing game ... because it's "100 percent not allowed."

Mitch Winehouse, Amy's father and administrator of her estate, tells TMZ ... there's no way the recently announced project with Halcyon Studios can go forward, because the estate already has its own plans for a biopic and owns all the rights.

Mitch says Halcyon -- which is producing the film after it optioned Daphne Barak’s 2010 book, "Saving Amy" -- has not reached out to him, nor has it reached out to her record label, Universal, to use any of her music.

Amy's dad claims Halcyon needs permission from the estate to make a biopic because it controls her image -- and definitely hasn't gotten it -- and that Barak needs to do the same and has also failed.

For her part, Barak says the project is not a biopic, but rather her story with her footage featuring herself with Amy and Bill Gunasti. She claims ... "I have all of the releases and legal agreements needed. Just like the NFTs being marketed on OG2D, this material is also all legally my property to sell."

Mitch certainly seems to disagree, and tells us this isn't the first time something like this has happened -- where people and production companies try to use Amy's image in various projects ... but the estate has denied it.

Meanwhile, Mitch says there's an authorized biopic in the works with a large production company in the UK along with Universal ... with plans to begin filming next year.

As for taking legal action against Halcyon or Barak ... Mitch doesn't think it will get to that point. He says, "They can't be that stupid. Everyone knows proper licenses must be granted."

John Schneider's production studio lot in Louisiana has been ravaged by Hurricane Ida, and while his life was spared, the actor needs some help.

The 'Dukes of Hazzard' star's movie/TV magic sanctuary in Holden, LA got torn up this week as Ida continues to rip through the area. Among the casualties on his property was a massive tree that toppled over, crashing down onto his orange "General Lee" stunt car.

Don't worry ... it ain't John's one and only -- he has several models on hand.

John's rep tells us he's doing just fine, but was off the grid for a while due to bad cell service ... he's leaving for Nashville in just a few hours.

With that said ... JS uploaded a video that's pretty sad to watch considering the devastation he -- and thousands of other Louisianans -- are going through right now. He's asking the public to give him a hand by going to his studio store and buying merch ... which is gonna go a long way to getting the place up and running again.