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Will Smith tried cleaning up his Oscars moment, but it may not be enough for some studios who've got projects planned with him ... as his career seems to be getting halted, for now.

THR reports that at least a couple films of his (as an actor) that were supposed to be in the works are, for the time being, getting kicked to the back burner at both Netflix and Sony -- with the former quietly pivoting away from firing up production on "Fast and Loose," and the latter hitting pause on getting things going for "Bad Boys 4," per sources cited by the outlet.

For "Fast and Loose," Will is set to play the head of a criminal organization who suffers memory loss and has to put the pieces of his empire back together. Director David Leitch was originally attached, but he stepped away a week before the Oscars last week ... and Netflix was reportedly scrambling to find a replacement -- that is, until Will hit Chris Rock.

THR says other projects of Will's may also be put on ice, which presumably means other Netflix movies he's been attached to as well -- including "The Council" and "Bright 2."

On the Sony side of things, they've reportedly put production of his next 'Bad Boys' sequel on hold indefinitely too -- this after Will had apparently received 40 pages of the script recently, with the movie chugging along full steam ahead pre-Oscars.

There are other Sony-tied films of his (either as a producer or actor) that might see the same fate -- including a 'Hancock' sequel and a 'Karate Kid' sequel. He's got a production company now ... so beyond just starring in films, he's heavily involved in making them lately.

One film of Will's that's got movie watchers anxiously waiting on is his forthcoming Apple offering "Emancipation" -- which is in the can at this point, and due to be released this year. Apple has yet announce an official release date -- so it's unclear what they're going to do.

The movie has gotten a lot of buzz, and was expected to possibly earn Smith yet another Oscar -- as he plays a runaway slave from a Louisiana plantation, portraying the man who infamously posed for a photo in which he shows off the many scars on his back.

Will Smith stole the Oscars spotlight away from "CODA," the Best Picture winner and, in the process, he tarnished a major milestone in the deaf community ... so says the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness.

Dr. Patricia Hughes tells TMZ ... deaf people have been overlooked for so long, and their moment on a huge platform like the Academy Awards came and passed too quickly. Instead of people talking about the historic victory for "CODA," the majority of buzz was about Will slapping Chris Rock.

She thinks we should be focusing on the impactful moment for the hearing-impaired ... especially the heartfelt acceptance speech that gave the filmmakers a unique opportunity to appreciate the hearing-impaired.

Dr. Hughes says both of her children serve as her CODA -- child of deaf adult -- and the movie shows their community as a culture, something that doesn't happen often. The film also serves an educational purpose, teaching how kids can help deaf adults, and how deaf and non-deaf people can coexist.

Dr. Hughes would like to see more discussion in society about those issues moving forward -- something that could have been sparked by the film's big moment at the Oscars ... if not for Will.

Bruce Willis is educating the world about aphasia by opening up a discussion that wasn't there before ...  according to organizations that support the cause.

The National Aphasia Association saw an unexpected 30,000 hits on their website just one hour after the Willis family broke the news on Instagram ... so says Darlene Williamson, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The goal of NAA is to make those with aphasia feel accepted in the community, and Bruce's family's announcement is decreasing the stigma behind the disease. Darlene says they've received several modest donations since the news of Bruce's diagnosis ... some of the donations came with personal notes in Bruce's honor.

Justine Knight, the Executive Director at Triangle Aphasia Project Unlimited, tells us one of the worst things those with the disease could do is stay isolated ... but now, people are opening up about their experiences after seeing a celebrity in the same position as them.

Justine says they've seen a recent uptick in visitors online too with their Facebook page reaching over 4,000 users a day -- compared to less than 100 before Bruce's news broke.

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after slapping Chris Rock ... TMZ has confirmed.

Will wrote the following to the Academy's disciplinary committee ... "I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable."

He goes on ... "The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken."

And, there's more ... “I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the board deems appropriate."

He concludes by saying ... “Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”

The Academy is expected to hand down its disciplinary decision in a few weeks.

Chris Rock might have a lot going on right now, but that hasn't stopped him from takin' a trip to the movies to watch a flick.

Chris showed up by himself Thursday at the AMC Boston Common in MA -- the day after his first standup show since the Oscars. Chris got some popcorn, a hotdog and a water bottle to fortify him as he watched a film ... sorry, we don't know which one, though we're guessing it wasn't "King Richard."

The other dude in the pic -- Gerard Cole -- asked Chris for the photo, and Chris happily obliged.

As we reported, Thursday night was Chris' 2nd show at the Wilbur Theater in Boston ... fans were more rowdy than usual, with several getting kicked out. Some even shouted "F*** Will Smith," which Chris shut down right away.

"Anchorman" star David Koechner has been charged with DUI and hit-and-run ... following his arrest on New Year's Eve that had him ringing in the new year behind bars.

The Ventura County DA's office tells us ... they've charged the actor with one count of DUI and one count of hit-and-run -- both charges are misdemeanors.

We're told Koechner's case is due in court in a few weeks, and each count carries a possible penalty of up to 6 months behind bars. The reality ... first-time offenders almost never do time, so he'll almost certainly get probation and a mandatory alcohol ed course.

As we reported  ... police were tipped off after they got a call that an erratic driver allegedly hit a street sign with his car. Cops found him and say he failed the field sobriety test. He was arrested and booked into the Ventura County Jail.

Bruce Willis is no longer the recipient of this year's "Worst Performance" Razzie -- the org is pulling the title after learning the actor's battling a debilitating condition.

Willis had 8 films from 2021 highlighted within Razzie's "Worst of Hollywood" ceremony over the weekend. However, it was his work on "Cosmic Sin" that earned Bruce "Worst Performance."

Unfortunate timing for the Razzies ... just a few days later Bruce's family announced he'd been diagnosed with aphasia, a disease that hinders a person's ability to communicate and understand language.

On Thursday, Razzie co-founders Mo Murphy and John Wilson said in a statement, "If someone's medical condition is a factor in their decision making and/or their performance, we acknowledge that it is not appropriate to give them a Razzie."

Hence, they're taking back the award.

As we reported, Rumer Willis, broke the sad news, posting, "We wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities." She says her dad has stepped away from acting as a result.

Will Smith was NEVER asked to leave the Oscars after he slapped Chris Rock. In fact, the opposite is true -- he was told by the producer of the show he could stay ... this according to sources with direct knowledge who were present.

As you know by now, the Academy said Wednesday they had asked Will to leave the Dolby Theater after the slap but he refused. Three sources who were at the ceremony and witnessed various conversations tell TMZ ... yes, after the slap Academy officials were backstage with Will's reps and there were heated conversations about what had gone down.

We're told there was a split among the officials ... some did want him booted, but others did not. There were various discussions during several commercial breaks, but they never reached a consensus.

We're told Will was aware there was talk about asking him to leave the theater. During one of the commercial breaks, we're told Oscars producer Will Packer walked up to Will and said, "We do not want you to leave" ... this according to our sources.

Will Packer walked up to Will Smith just after 8 PM, around 35 minutes after the slap. That's when he told Will he could stay, according to our sources. Will won the Best Actor Award around 5 minutes later.

Will Smith was asked to leave the Oscars -- we know that -- but despite his refusal to leave the Dolby Theater after he slapped Chris Rock, forcibly removing him was never an option ... TMZ learned.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... the cops who were inside the venue were never consulted about removing Smith ... something we're told that would have been done if the Academy wanted him out one way or the other.

As we reported, Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson were "furious" at Will, and there was plenty of yelling backstage with Will's reps after the slap. As one source described it, the Academy honchos were "apoplectic."

Our sources say it didn't take long at all for the officials to make it clear they wanted Will out of the auditorium. The exact words used to his reps were unclear, but as we've reported, Will refused to exit.

The Academy could have buttonholed the Best Actor presenters and told them in advance ... if Will won, simply say he's not invited on stage and then quickly say "We'll be right back" and then they would go to commercial. That didn't happen, and we're told the reasoning was  the Academy officials felt it would make a bad situation even worse.

And, our LAPD sources say the officers on hand not only asked Chris Rock immediately after the incident if he wanted to file a police report, but we're told they followed up a second time and contacted Chris' rep and asked again ... both time cops were told Chris did not want to file.

Paul Walker's sunglasses from his fatal car crash are changing hands ... and Zak Bagans wants to get them back to the late actor's family.

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... earlier this year he bought the infamous pair of Maui Jim sunglasses recovered from Paul's crash site, but he doesn't feel comfortable displaying them at his Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.

Instead, Zak tells us he'd like to return the shades, worn by Paul at the time of the crash, to the Walker family for free ... and he's planning to reach out to the family directly.

You'll recall ... Paul died in a fiery car crash back in November 2013 and there was a ton of outrage when the sunglasses went up for auction in 2014 for $15,000. A man who was at the crash site allegedly found them in the bushes once the wreckage was cleared.

The man who found the glasses says shortly after the crash he tried getting in touch with Paul's family but never heard back. He then put the sunglasses up for auction, but after lots of backlash ... they never sold. The owner of the auction reached out to Zak earlier this year and Zak bought them from him.

If for some reason the Walkers don't want the sunglasses, Zak says he would seek the family's permission to display them in a new memorial exhibit at his museum.

Zak's already displaying different artifacts connected to dead celebs ... including a piece of the James Dean death car, Sharon Tate's wedding dress and a Patrick Swayze tooth ... but he says he would create a special display just for Paul, if it gets to that point.

The verdict is in and Damon Dash isn't gonna like it -- he has to cough up more than $800,000 to the director and producers of a movie he tried to claim as his own.

According to docs obtained by TMZ, Dash took the L Wednesday morning ... when the jury sided with director Josh Webber and Muddy Water Pictures who made the feature film, "Dear Frank" -- starring Brian White, Claudia Jordan, Nick Turturro, Lil Durk and Columbus Short.

The filmmakers sued the Roc-A-Fella co-founder 3 years ago for copyright infringement and defamation, alleging he tried to shop and advertise the movie as his own ... despite Dash getting dropped from the project.

To make matters worse, they say Dame sent promo material of the movie to outlets like BET, but changed the title to "The List."

Let's rewind a bit ... Josh and Muddy Waters say Damon was supposed to direct the film starting in 2016, but they claimed he wasn't fit for the job because he was often high on set while filming his Sherman Oaks property.

They cut him in 2018 and completed the movie without him. Damon fired back, claiming they shot the movie at his house and used his equipment, before stealing the footage to work on it without him.

The jury didn't see it that way, and now Dame's got a hefty tab to settle. Attorney Chris Brown repped the plaintiffs and tells TMZ, "I will get every penny due to my clients."

Bruce Willis won't be acting for the foreseeable future -- and it's all due to a medical condition he's developed that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for him to communicate.

Bruce's daughter, Rumer Willis, shared the sad news Wednesday ... posting a photo of her dad with a pretty revealing caption about his health: "To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities."

Rumer adds, "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."

She goes on to explain how this is a really challenging time for the Willis family and that they appreciate the compassion and messages of support. She also says she wanted to be up front about this because they all know how much their dad means to his fans and the public alike.

Rumer finishes with this ... "As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn."

Aphasia impacts the ability to comprehend words and/or speak. It can be caused by strokes, tumors or other brain damage -- but Rumer isn't saying what led to Bruce's diagnosis.

While Bruce hasn't been in many mainstream productions lately, he's still been busy ... acting in more than a dozen movies in the last 2 years.

The doctor who Will Smith portrayed in the 2015 film "Concussion" says the actor's physical outburst at Sunday's Oscars ceremony isn't indicative of who he is, and thinks when the dust settles, Will's image will be untarnished.

Dr. Bennet Omalu -- portrayed by Smith -- tells TMZ ... the actor transformed his life for the better, noting he's one of the most beautiful people he's ever met. He says the incident with Chris Rock doesn't sully the actor's reputation ... it simply shows a more human side of him.

While the doctor doesn't condone violence, he thinks the slap was simply an impulsive act, which proved to viewers he isn't like other "superstars" ... he's way more authentic.

He also attributes the outburst to pressure ... with the looming question of who will win Best Actor no doubt on Will's mind. Dr. Omalu says he loves Smith even more after the incident.

Jim Carrey is verbalizing what a lot of people have on their minds after Hollywood collectively gave Will Smith a standing ovation following his Chris Rock slap ... saying the whole thing was disgraceful.

The comedian and actor tore into everyone who got on their feet Sunday after Will won for Best Actor ... and after delivering a lengthy and emotional speech, which touched on both his work in "King Richard," but also seemed to address the slap moment just minutes earlier.

Check out Jim's take, he's got some pretty choice words while chatting with CBS's Gayle King -- calling the Academy/the attendees "spineless" ... and showing how stars often preach one thing but demonstrate another.

He doesn't finish there ... Jim says if he were in Chris' shoes, he'd sue Will.

JC went on to call the whole thing sickening and sad, especially since it overshadowed pretty much the entire ceremony and everyone else who went on to win that night. And, as many have since argued -- Will could've opted for any other way to express his objection to Chris' words ... but that he had no right to resort to violence.

Jim also pointed out that there seemed to be something deeper bothering Will -- beyond just the joke about his wife's hair loss -- and it would appear most agree with that as well ... in other words, this was about way more than just being offended over a tasteless crack.

As we've reported, Will finally apologized to Chris and to everyone else -- but he did it in a social media statement ... as of Monday, our sources said the two had not spoken personally.

J.K. Rowling is back in the thick of the wizarding world ... hitting up the premiere for a new 'Fantastic Beasts' movie after being noticeably absent from the recent 'Harry Potter' reunion.

The author and creator of the wizarding franchise was front and center Tuesday for the world premiere of "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" ... wearing a plunging violet gown at The Royal Festival Hall in London.

It's interesting to see Warner Bros. embracing JKR again ... remember, she did not sit for an interview for HBO Max's 20th Anniversary 'Return to Hogwarts' reunion special, which hit the streaming service earlier this year, only appearing in old archival footage.

As you know, J.K. has been in the hot seat for a while ... as a result of transphobic remarks she's made throughout the past year ... comments she's since tried to clean up.

We haven't seen Ezra Miller at the premiere yet, he's in the movie, but he's dealing with legal issues in Hawaii after getting arrested over an incident at a bar.

Will Smith is an adept face-slapper, even teaching youngsters the ropes on how to wind up and deliver.

TMZ has obtained footage shot back in November showing Will and his "King Richard" costar, Aunjanue Ellis, on a junket. There was a Q&A and a little guy named Chris -- yes, that wasn't lost on us -- asked how to fake fight in flicks.

Will decided to show Chris some movie moves, calling the kid up on stage and showing off his slapping skills. Of course, Will didn't strike this Chris ... rather, he repeatedly showed him how to make it appear that someone is slapped, narrowly missing each time.

We've seen Will before when he wasn't acting, and slapping seems to be his go-to when he's angry.

Back in 2012, Will was at the premiere of "Men in Black 3" in Moscow, when a prankster named Vitalii Sediuk tried to kiss Will on the lips. Will unloaded on him with a backhand slap ... not that he wasn't justified, but it shows slapping is in WS's wheelhouse.

Of course, everyone knows by now, Will unloaded on Chris Rock Sunday night. What's interesting ... you see Will walk up to the stage with clear intent, and it seems it was an intent to slap, because there were no hesitations in his moves.

As we reported, the LAPD beelined it for Chris Rock after the incident and asked if he wanted to file a police report, because it was an undeniable assault and battery. Chris declined, so that should be the end of it.