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Allan Rich -- a longtime character actor in Hollywood, who bounced back from being blacklisted -- has died.

The thespian passed away in New Jersey over the weekend due to complications from progressive dementia ... this according to his family. He was residing at an assisted-living facility called the Lillian Booth Actors Home, which houses people who were in the biz.

Allan hardly played the leading man in his filmography, but he did a helluva job with smaller roles in a number of huge hit films and shows dating back to the '60s and '70s. Perhaps most notably, he starred in flicks like "Serpico," "The Gambler" and "The Happy Hooker."

He also acted in TV series like "Hawaii Five-O," "All in the Family," "Kojak," "Little House on the Prairie," "Baretta," "Happy Days," "CHiPS," "The Incredible Hulk," "Alice," "Magnum PI," "Hill Street Blue" and countless others staples throughout the decades.

His acting career saw a nice steady rise in the '90s, with notable appearances in films like "Disclosure," "Amistad," "Quiz Show," "Jack," and many others. He often played a judge or a lawman of some sort -- Allan had a deep, authoritative voice ... and fit the part well.

What's crazy is that back in the '40s and '50 -- when he was doing more traditional acting in theater -- he was branded as a communist and blacklisted in Hollywood for a while as a result. He later said he got put on the "Red Channels" list because he tried helping free a Black man who had been wrongly convicted of rape.

Fortunately, he overcame that hard time in his life and went on to rack up well over 100 acting credits. He's survived by his children, step-children and grandchildren.

Allan was 94.

The Oscar-winning writer behind "12 Years a Slave" is coming back with a new project that'll see Batman's cowl donned by a Black man ... and fans already think they know who it is.

John Ridley is heading up a 4-issue, limited series comic for DC, in which the Dark Knight will NOT be Bruce Wayne, but a different character entirely ... one who will likely be African-American. The news was announced this weekend during the online Fandome event.

Ridley teased the fact Batman wouldn't be white, saying, "I think it's a pretty safe bet that if I'm writing Batman, it's probably a little better than a 47 percent chance he's going to be a person of color." Batman being Black, though, was confirmed when John said the story would likely focus on the character Lucius Fox and his family ... whom folks know all too well.

Lucius is the head of Wayne Enterprises in the comics, and was played by Morgan Freeman in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy. He's a bit too old to rock the cape himself -- but his son, Luke, is known in some iterations at Batwing ... one of Batsy's sidekicks.

Karen is going Hollywood ... with an upcoming suspense thriller starring Taryn Manning!!!

The "Orange Is The New Black" star just signed on to play a "Karen" on the big screen ... in a story about a racist, entitled white woman in the South who terrorizes her new African-American neighbors. Sound familiar?

The movie, from writer and director Coke Daniels, seems like a mixture of all the "Karens" who have become Internet famous. Taryn's playing a Karen who believes people should stick to their own kind. Yeah, that's a Karen hallmark.

Taryn's character, Karen White, makes it her mission to oust the new kids on her block, a black family, by any means necessary. It's a very 2020 movie -- the neighbors are staunch Black Lives Matter supporters.

Taryn makes a lotta sense for the title character ... if you've seen her work in 'OITNB' you know she was Karen-ing way before it, unfortunately, became so prevalent in real life, it's a bonafide part of pop culture.

Jason Mitchell's next big role is incredibly timely -- he's portraying the life of a Black man shot and killed by cops just hours before his wedding ... one of the most controversial police-involved shootings in recent history.

Jason, who's previously played Eazy-E in "Straight Outta Compton," has landed the role of Sean Bell in the film aptly titled "50 Shots" ... a reference to the 50 bullets cops fired in 2006, killing Sean in Jamaica, Queens.

Bell was only 23 and had just finished celebrating his bachelor party with his dad and 2 friends when cops opened fire on their car. Undercover cops investigating a nearby strip club believed the men were armed -- but they were not.

Four years later ... the city settled with Bell's family for $7 million, but 3 of the cops who opened fire were fully acquitted. It's one helluva story ... one Jason couldn't pass up when he read the script.

Jason will be an executive producer along with Tru of TruVision Films, as was first reported by Urban Hollywood 411. Jason initially read for the part of one of the undercover cops. But, as he read the script he immediately asked to instead play Sean's role because he wanted to help tell his story. Tru was all for it.

Will Smith's been brushing up on his Chinese during the pandemic ... welcoming folks back to movie theaters in China with a safety PSA in their language!!!

Here's the deal ... theaters are beginning to reopen over in China -- yes, other countries are way ahead of the curve -- and Will's sharing coronavirus safety tips so the Chinese can finally get a look at him and Martin Lawrence on the big screen in "Bad Boys For Life."

Will checks all the usual boxes for theater etiquette in the age of COVID-19 ... face coverings, social distancing, assigned seating, temperature checks, no eating, drinking or talking ... but he does it in a super fun way, and ya gotta watch him speak Chinese!!!

The world's last remaining Blockbuster store is getting an extreme makeover ... it's converting into a rental property for an epic end-of-summer sleepover!!!

Here's the deal ... Sandi Harding, the manager of the only surviving Blockbuster in Bend, OR, is converting the store into an Airbnb for 3 nights only ... and the once-in-a-lifetime experience sounds pretty freaking cool.

The 3 lucky folks who snag one of the reservations are in for a sleepover unlike ever before ... they get the keys to the store -- literally -- and can watch movies to their heart's content in a makeshift living room complete with a pull-out couch, bean bags, lamps and pillows.

Movies aren't any fun without snacks ... and this Blockbuster sleepover includes free pizza, Pepsi, candy and popcorn, plus whatever else you wanna bring.

The store's entire movie collection is up for grabs, plus video games too. Oh, and there's a VHS player, as long as you remember how to work it!!!

Reservations are available starting Monday at 1 PM PT, but ya gotta be a resident of Deschutes County to book the Blockbuster for one night only. The overnight sleepovers are set for Sept. 18-20 and the place accommodates up to 4 people.

Sandi says she wants to thank the local community for supporting the world's only surviving Blockbuster, which is why it's only being rented to locals and costs a measly $4.

The friendly neighborhood home of the Boggs family in "Edward Scissorhands" is on the market, and though there's no sign Edward's been trimming the hedges ... there's still plenty to like about the place.

The outside of the Florida house -- featured in the 1990 Tim Burton cult classic, starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder -- is a different color now but still looks very much the same ... and it's listed for $224,000.

The 1,432-square-foot residence comes with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, all of which have been recently renovated ... including a completely remodeled master bath.

The house still boasts some original attributes too -- like the kitchen cabinets and countertops and, of course, all the charm showcased in the movie.

The Boggs' house -- used for exterior and interior shots -- was built in 1989, just months before filming began for 'Scissorhands' in the Tampa Bay area. It's actually in a subdivision in the suburban town of Lutz.

Hopefully, all the neighbors are nice as well ... nothing like those Esmeralda or Jim characters.

Gerard Butler had himself quite the weekend -- one second he was putting on a show for his buddies, and the next he was getting stopped to pose with an adorable pooch. Quite the life!

The "300" star was hanging out Sunday at a cafe in the Marina del Rey neighborhood of L.A. -- right by the beach, pretty much. He was definitely dressed down and somewhat covered up to where you might not recognize him at first -- but that ripped bod's hard to miss.

Anyway, it seemed like he was with a lady friend and some other pals as well -- who were getting a nice little story out of Gerard with all his animated motions and gestures. From the POV of the person in the car, it kinda looked like a game of charades or something.

Anyway, it all came to a screeching halt when someone showed up with their pug and seemingly asked if Gerard would snap a photo with it. He did -- wearing his face mask at first -- but quickly realized life is much better when a guy's face-to-face with man's best friend.

THIS ... IS ... SO CUTE!!!!!

Wilford Brimley -- an iconic actor who was the face of Quaker Oats for years, as well as a spokesperson for diabetes education -- has died ... a rep tells TMZ.

We're told Brimley passed away Saturday morning at his home in Utah. Sources with direct knowledge of Wilford's health tell us he was in an ICU wing of a hospital on dialysis, and very sick for days.

Wilford had a lengthy career on camera, dating back to the 1970s with over 70 acting credits. He's perhaps most known for roles in cult classic films like "Cocoon," "The Natural," "The Thing," "Hard Target," and countless other memorable on-screen appearances, big and small.

Brimley started out as mostly a TV actor, landing one-time roles on TV series like "How the West Was Won," 'Kung Fu,' "The Oregon Trail," and then eventually ... a recurring part on "The Waltons." He went on to star in a bunch of TV movies, such as "The Wild Wild West Revisited," "Amber Waves," "Roughnecks," "Rodeo Girl," 'The Big Black Pill,' and so on.

In the '80s, he started breaking out into more traditional films, appearing in flicks like "High Road to China," "10 to Midnight," "Tough Enough," "Jackals," "End of the Line," and a bunch of other B-movies where he'd often play an authority figure or a grandfatherly figure with his deep, comforting Southern accent. One of the best character actors without a doubt.

He went on to star in countless other movies and shows, notably on "Our House," in which he starred in over 40 episodes, as well one-off appearances in hit series like "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Seinfeld," and so many others.

Folks might remember Wilford more for commercials though over the years -- specifically, his campaigns with Quaker Oats through the '80s and '90s, and maybe even more memorable ... his classic diabetes ads for Liberty Medical -- which was often spoofed, but also beloved.

Wilford was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus in 1979, and managed the disease ever since then -- obviously, he was very open about it. The American Diabetes Association honored him for his lifetime of advocacy in 2008.

A rep for Wilford tells TMZ, one of his favorite quotes was from a sign at a blacksmith's shop. It read, "There is nothing made, sold, or done that can't be made, sold, or done cheaper. If price is your only concern, please do business with my competitor."

He's survived by his wife, Beverly, and his three children.

Benedict Cumberbatch knows how to make friends and influence Marvel fans -- try walking off the street into a comic book store while in his full Doctor Strange costume.

Scott Derrickson, who directed the movie, posted a never-before-seen clip of the lead star popping into a Manhattan comic book store while filming back in 2016. It was all done in the spur of the moment, and you can tell no one in the store expected it by the way they reacted to seeing Doc Strange.

He kept it caj, chatting it up with shoppers and having a little back and forth with the guys behind the front desk, who were clearly starstruck. He even posed for a picture with them.

Benedict jokingly asked if he could have a job there if the movie flopped -- it didn't, "Doctor Strange" went on to gross over $670 million, in the U.S. alone -- and the comic boys said yes ... but only if he rocked an American accent. True pro that he is, Ben switched up right on the spot and got into character as Strange immediately. It's pretty freaking awesome to see.

Again, it's an old clip ... but Scott decided to share it just now, maybe to lift Marvel fans' spirits after a slew of blockbuster delays across the industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Because Gotham hasn't been through enough in 2020 ... the Joker's popping up his colorful head for some summer hijinks. Naturally.

Somebody dressed as the Clown Prince of Crime himself was spotted this morning riding a jet ski on the East River, in broad daylight no less. He cruised up to a group of bystanders who were recording him this weekend and flaunted his ride, his costume and makeup -- which we're on point -- then sped off.

As for which iteration of the Joker this fella went with -- probably the most popular among today's Batman fans ... Heath Ledger's portrayal from "The Dark Knight." He did it on camera more than a decade ago, but the look still holds up today.

If 2020 hadn't already brought a real-life pandemic that's killed nearly 20,000 in NYC alone, the sight of the Joker arriving in town might have fazed more citizens.

BTW, fun fact -- it seems like this jet skiing Joker has an annual tradition of hitting the water, assuming it was the same guy riding out on the East River with the same exact outfit in 2019.

He was spotted by some other New Yorkers around this time last year, and actress Olivia Wilde even seemed to confirm that she, too, had seen the Joker zipping along out there.

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!!!

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.

"Scooby-Doo" sleuth Velma is a lesbian -- at least according to writer/director James Gunn, who says she was definitely gay in his initial 2002 movie script.

Before the filmmaker rose to the ranks of director of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, he wrote the screenplays for the live-action "Scooby-Doo" and its 2004 sequel, 'Monsters Unleashed' ... and he says he intended for Velma to be "explicitly gay."

Gunn was replying to a fan on Twitter asking him to return to the franchise and make a live-action Velma gay ... he claims he already tried it.

According to Gunn ... the studio, which was Warner Bros., "just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel)."

Essentially ... Gunn's accusing Warner Bros. of putting the kibosh on a gay character riding shotgun in the Mystery Machine with Scoob & co.

Gunn replied to another fan, suggesting the 2002 film’s home video release hinted at what he was trying to do with Velma’s sexuality in the original script.

For the real James Bond buffs, peep this -- the 1992 Lamborghini Diablo that Pierce Brosnan's nemesis owned in "Die Another Day" is for sale ... but it'll cost ya a small fortune.

The folks over at Beverly Hills Car Club -- the world's largest dealer of European classic cars -- is selling a rare 1992 Lambo ... most definitely a rare opportunity for someone to own a rare piece of James Bond history.

The Lambo's ticket price is a cool $119,500 ... but the history it's attached to is undoubtedly priceless. The film -- starring Brosnan, Halle Berry, Judi Dench and John Cleese -- features tons of sweet rides including this Lambo, which was one of the personal cars belonging to Bond's nemesis, Col. Tan-Sun Moon, later known as Sir Gustav Graves.

The classic car features a timeless signature color combination of Diablo Rosso and eye-catching Nero leather and red piping interior. The Lambo features a 5-speed manual transmission, 5.7-liter engine, power windows and OZ racing staggered wheels. The only downside ... the clutch may have to be replaced.

And, if you're a stickler for mileage when buying classic cars ... this one's only got around 45k miles on it.

If ya need a little convincing, perhaps Alex Manos, owner/president of the Beverly Hills Car Club, put it best: "James Bond has always been about fascinating cars, exotic locations, and of course, beautiful women. It's a great combination and this car is no exception."

'Nuff said.

A Disney accessory depicting a noose is now in slightly less circulation after a collectibles site took action -- but the question remains ... how did this ever get made in the first place???

Back in 2006, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was released, the Mouse House also dropped a limited couture jewelry line as part of the promotional rollout. It featured rings shaped out of swords, pendants made to look like locks and keys ... basically, gimmicky 'Pirates'-themed bling that sold like hot cakes.

Now, one of those items was a 14k gold-plated 20" necklace with a noose pendant attached ... and it couldn't be any clearer as to what it is if you look at it for yourself.

Most of these 'Pirates' items sold out while being hawked at stores like Disney's online shop, Kitson and Nordstrom -- but some of the pieces are still floating out there ... including this noose necklace, which was recently spotted on the collectibles site, WorthPoint.

You can't buy anything from there -- it's a company that mines for old collectibles and antiques, providing stats, prices, and photos about any particular item -- including this noose.

When we reached out to WorthPoint to see why they were featuring the offensive and racist item, they told us they'd take it down immediately ... which they did. A rep went on to tell us it probably never should've been up, but might've slipped through their algorithm cracks.

Now, back to the real issue ... how something so racially charged could've ever found its way to the marketplace? We reached out to Disney ... radio silence.

The answer's probably in the movies themselves. If you've seen any of them, you know there are several scenes where people -- including Johnny Depp's character, Captain Jack Sparrow --  are set to be put to death by hanging. It's a recurring theme throughout the franchise.