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Taylor Swift now fancies herself a filmmaker, which is why she's at Tribeca talking about her short film music video ... with a little help from the stars, and a lot of love from Swifties.

The pop star touched down in NYC Saturday to a lot of fanfare, where she was scheduled for an event amid the film festival in which she'd discuss her 10-minute visual offering of "All Too Well" ... with Dylan O'Brien and Sadie Sink in the lead roles.

TS wrote, directed and starred in the film (not to mention writing/performing the song) ... and Tribeca honchos apparently invited her to discuss it at length during her own window.

Well, that was a damn good idea ... at least based on how many people showed up to see Taylor with their own two eyes. When she pulled up the entrance, a sea of fans were screaming out and trying to snap photos. It might as well have been a Taylor Swift concert.

Once inside, TayTay got serious and started talking vision, direction and execution of her film. She got into the weeds about what different scenes meant, and how she decided to shoot them ... using very film-y terms like "pan," "steady cam" and "protagonist."

She sounds like a regular Scorsese ... and you can tell a lot of thought went into every shot and frame, with Taylor describing the reasons for everything she showed, or didn't.

Later, DOB and Sadie themselves came onstage to delve in even deeper -- and at one point, Dylan started breaking down the themes he intuited, to which Taylor totally agreed.

It's interesting seeing Taylor explore a new creative side to herself -- and considering how well her short was received ... something tells us we'll be seeing a lot more movie magic from her in the future. She's already been cast in a star-studded movie that's in production.

Elvis Presley is NOT coming through in Austin Butler's portrayal of the late legend -- so says TikTok anyway ... even though the King's own flesh and blood loves the performance.

The official "Elvis" page's TikTok account posted a clip from the film -- which is due out this month -- and it shows AB as Elvis talking to another character behind the Hollywood sign ... discussing how people wanted to take him down when he first splashed on the scene.

Apparently, the "Elvis" team was trying to get some sort of viral challenge going, but instead ... they received a lot of mockery -- specifically over how some perceive Austin's look/voice.

You can take a look at some of the comments yourself ... it's a tough crowd out there. Some say he simply doesn't pass as EP by the eye test, but just as many say his accent is off -- with some (jokingly?) arguing that a Vegas impersonator might've been a better fit.

Yeah, we know ... harsh criticism for sure. But, keep in mind, this is just one snippet of the movie -- and more importantly, Elvis' surviving relatives (including his widow, Priscilla Presley) have been singing Austin's praises these past few months ... saying he nailed it.

She recently said Austin knocked the role out of the park, ditto for their daughter Lisa Marie -- who said AB deserves an Oscar for this one. Even Riley Keough (Elvis' granddaughter) was heaping on kudos ... posting a BTS clip showing Austin singing Elvis tunes himself.

So, it's clear the Presley family has cosigned this flick ... and more importantly, Austin's turn as Ol' Snake Hips himself. And, at the end of the day, that's all that probably matters.

We actually got Austin out in L.A. not too long ago and asked what it meant to have the Presley family get behind the project as fervently as they have ... and while he wasn't as chatty with us as he was on the phone, he did end up saying it meant a great deal to him.

Amber Heard's emerged for the first time since being on the losing end of the Johnny Depp defamation trial ... trading a private jet for a chauffeured car.

The actress popped up Friday at an airfield in Washington, D.C. -- where she climbed down the stairs of her private plane and was ushered into a waiting luxury SUV. Amber's traveling party is at least four deep ... including her sister, Whitney Henriquez.

We're told earlier in the day she'd been in NYC for meetings, but caught a flight from New Jersey to D.C. and then made her way back to Virginia.

It's interesting to see Amber flying private ... remember, she's been ordered to pay Johnny $8.35 million ... and her lawyer, Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, claims Amber can't afford to pay the judgment.

Of course, Amber would probably have a tough time flying commercial these days, even if she was in first class, there are a lot of Depp fans out there.

Chris Evans has a can't miss fundraiser going -- he's giving all of his fans a shot at being his date for his next big Hollywood event, and it's all for a good cause.

Chris has teamed up with Omaze to put together the incredible prize package -- those who donate to the charity will be entered in a drawing to get flown out to the premiere of his upcoming blockbuster, "The Gray Man."

Not only is the flight covered, but the winner and a friend will stay in a 4-star hotel, walk the red carpet and get to snap some pics with Chris!

Of course, they'll also be one of the first to see the film which costars Ana de Armas, Ryan Gosling, and Billy Bob Thornton.

Chris' sweepstakes, which is open until June 26th, is helping raise funds for Christopher’s Haven, Inc., which offers temporary, low-cost housing for pediatric cancer patients and their families while receiving treatments away from their homes at Boston hospitals.

Bradley Cooper is living life through the late Leonard Bernstein's eyes while he shoots a movie about the guy's life -- which translated to a kissing scene with Matt Bomer this week.

The two actors locked lips on set Monday in NYC, where they're shooting this new Netflix biopic about the legendary conductor -- titled "Maestro" -- and it seems the smooching went well ... 'cause BC was all smiles during the scene, as was Matt.

Of course, Bernstein was openly gay -- so it's no surprise/NBD the lead star is making out with a dude for the flick -- if anything, it was 100% expected. Bomer just happened to be the lucky man to land the role of romantic interest ... and fun fact, Matt's gay in real life.

What's been getting way more buzz as it pertains to the film is how unrecognizable Brad looks as Lenny ... it seems he'll be playing the Maestro at different life stages, including in old age, and some of the shots of Brad in costume and makeup have gotten double-takes.

There's also been some controversy ... it's been noted that Brad's using a prosthetic to make his nose look longer than it really is, which many have called anti-Semitic -- as they see this as clear "Jew face," as it's been dubbed by some.

Step into Owen Wilson's shoes for just a moment, and imagine how it feels to walk out of your home to this scene -- your luxurious Tesla, freshly stripped by thieves! 😬

We got this shot of Owen's Tesla gently placed on blocks, after the crooks made off with all 4 tires and rims -- leaving him with no way to even drive his car to get it repaired. And, to make matters worse, it all happened while his car was parked right outside his Santa Monica house.

Luckily, the car didn't appear to have any other damages, but we're told he's gonna have to cough up an estimated $4k for the missing wheels. We're sure his insurance broker appreciates the paperwork.

TMZ broke the story ... Owen had parked his car on the street a few weeks ago, and when he went outside ... boom! Instant bummer.

Cops have opened a grand theft investigation, but so far no word on suspects.

Jared Leto leaning into the 'Morbius' jokes didn't work out so well -- apparently, nobody was actually all that eager to see it again in theaters ... so say the box office numbers.

Sony re-released the comic book flick on the big screen anew this weekend -- this after a horrid domestic run in the spring, with a total haul of just $73 mil -- but it wasn't entirely clear why ... that is, until JL posted this video earlier in the week where he winked at fans.

The video shows Jared reading something that he's trying to hide from the camera person ... but when it's revealed what he's looking at, it turns out to be a script called "Morbius 2: It's Morbin' Time!" The 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' music plays right after ... closing the loop.

Essentially, the running gag over 'Morbius' these past few months was addressed head-on by the man himself -- folks online had been vey enthusiastic about the movie, albeit jokingly ... pegging it as this great film with a legion of supporters, despite how bad it actually was.

There were people sarcastically demanding a sequel be made while throwing out a ton of puns that incorporated the movie's titular character. It would seem Leto and the studio were clued into this ... and thought a re-release could score them a windfall of ticket sales.

Unfortunately for them ... they were wrong. According to Forbes, 'Morbius' only pulled in around $85k on Friday alone. It's unclear what the total weekend gross was -- but probably not much better.

The lesson ... a viral phenomenon over something like 'Morbius' doesn't always translate into actual interest when push comes to shove, and doesn't always have to be touched by the subjects themselves. Sometimes, a joke is just a joke -- and should be left as such.

Johnny Depp still knows how to make his fans laugh ... cracking a joke about his disfigured hand -- the one with that missing chunk -- following his big win in court.

Johnny was signing a bunch of autographs Thursday night in Newcastle, England when he leaned down to one of the kids in the crowd, pointed at their hand, and had a laugh comparing the number of fingers they have.

"You have five, I have four and seven-eighths. Mad."

Of course, he's joking about his own claim, and trial testimony, that Amber Heard sliced off a good chunk of his finger with a vodka bottle while fighting in Australia.

As you know, Johnny's been spending time overseas with pal Jeff Beck as the verdict rolled in, and the support for Johnny has been overwhelming -- with a wall of fans straining Thursday night against barricades, trying to get to Depp.

Pretty ironic, but Johnny Depp's got to be feeling like a conquering hero in England ... where he's been celebrated everywhere he's been since the verdict.

Johnny was waving to cheering crowds Thursday morning outside his hotel in Newcastle, and it looks like security had to shield him from all of the fans as he made his way inside.

Make no mistake, he's feeling like a big winner over his ex-wife Amber Heard -- he even pumped his fist as he turned to walk into the hotel lobby.

This is the kinda public response he's been getting since right after Wednesday's verdict. He was similarly celebrated as he left a pub.

What's interesting about this is less than 2 years ago, Depp suffered a pretty devastating legal loss in England when a judge ruled against him in a libel lawsuit against a U.K. tabloid that called him a "wife-beater."

Cut to today, after an American jury overwhelmingly believed Johnny did NOT physically abuse Amber -- and now he's feeling tons of British love.

Johnny Depp's monumental win was based on the conclusions of 7 jurors ... but BILLIONS of others may have influenced that decision.

Pretty much everyone, including Amber Heard's lawyer, concedes it was impossible for jurors to turn a blind eye to the flurry of activity on TikTok and other social media platforms chronicling the trial.

Now get this ... the #JusticeforJohnny had more than 19 BILLION views on TikTok. By contrast, #JusticeforAmberHeard had a relatively meager 81 million views.

No doubt, jurors did NOT believe Amber Heard and her claims of domestic violence against Johnny, and the social media support for their conclusions undeniably made them feel comfortable about embracing their conclusions.

After the verdict, Johnny and Amber posted their reactions, and again ... it was lopsided. Johnny received more than 16 million likes, while Amber's support was a relative anemic 300,000.

BTW ... Johnny has 22.7M Instagram followers, to Amber's 5M.

Bad news for Amber Heard -- even before the jury's verdict -- millions upon millions of 'Aquaman' fans have already decided they want her cut from the sequel, and they're signing a petition in near-record numbers.

As it stands, the petition has more than 4.4 million signatures ... well on its way to hitting 4.5M signatures, which would make it one of the most signed in Change.org's history.

The online document claims the Johnny Depp vs. Heard trial has exposed her as a domestic abuser, making her unfit to be on screen in the Jason Mamoa-led sequel.

As you know, it was reported Heard's character, Mera, only has about 10 minutes of screen time in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," but it looks like 4.4 million people think that's 10 minutes too much.

Of course, the Change.org petition carries no actual weight -- Amber has a contract, and will almost certainly remain in the film -- but studios might pay attention to the backlash when it comes to future Amber-related casting decisions.

Meanwhile, the jury deciding Amber's legal fate asked the judge Tuesday for guidance on how to handle Johnny's defamation claims -- in particular, the headline of Heard's Washington Post op-ed.

Amber Heard might be a terror behind closed doors -- at least according to Johnny Depp -- but she's an absolute pleasure in her professional life ... so says Dolph Lundgren.

The Swedish actor, famous for playing Drago in "Rocky IV," dished about his experience working with Amber for a second go-round as they filmed 'Aquaman 2' ... with both stars reprising their roles from the OG. That would be King Nereus and Mera, respectively.

During a Memorial Day giveaway for Redline Steel ... Dolph told CEO, Colin Wayne, that Amber was easy to work with and super nice on set. Despite all the public backlash she's faced during the trial, DL had nothing bad to say about Amber.

He even mentioned her new baby, who apparently was around during production ... and charmed the cast and crew.

Of course, the fact AH was nice to Dolph during filming doesn't really negate what's been revealed in this case -- namely, that she's been in some nasty fights with Johnny.

Marylin Monroe has been dead for almost 60 years, but fans are still as desperate to own a piece of her history, a reality for people with deep pockets -- thanks to an upcoming auction.

Wednesday, June 1st, the day that would have marked Monroe's 96th birthday, Julien's and TCM announces to TMZ a Marilyn collection as part of their upcoming Hollywood Legends auction.

Fans will be able to get their hands on everything from Monroe's handwritten notes and famous photographs, to costumes worn during movie roles and moments from her career.

Among the items -- Marilyn's beige heels, gold-tone earrings with crystal beads, and her bedazzled gown with headpiece she wore during the 1954 musical "After You Get What You Want You Don't Want It." The outfit is expected to sell for $80K-100K.

There's also a pair of sequin leotard costumes Marilyn and Jane Russell wore in the 1953 movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" which are expected to fetch $100k.

As for the personal stuff, there's a handwritten note from 1955 about her acting classes that's estimated at $3K-$5K. There's also her personally owned AFTRA card with receipt of overdue payments and penalties.

The items will be available online and in-person, in Beverly Hills ... starting Friday, July 15, and they'll be up for auction the entire weekend.

Ray Liotta's legacy will surely live on in his hometown, where planning is underway to commemorate the late actor's career in Union Township, New Jersey ... cause the city is planning to honor him in a special way.

Ray grew up in Union Township, New Jersey ... he graduated high school there in 1973, and his iconic roles would make him one of the town's favorite sons. Current mayor Manuel Figueiredo tells TMZ, they are looking at a variety of options to honor Ray, but also giving the family time to grieve before making a final decision.

We're told, the city is considering naming one of its baseball fields after him, as a nod to his role in "Field of Dreams." The field they're looking at is used for youth sports in the area.

In case you didn't know, Ray was born in Newark, but raised in Union Township. His family actually has strong ties there -- his mom was the Township clerk, and his dad was a store owner and President of a local Democratic club.

Ray was inducted into the Union High School Hall of Fame in 1993, and that same year, he participated in the Township's Annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony.

As we've reported, Ray died in his sleep last week at the age of 67 ... while in the Dominican Republic filming a movie called "Dangerous Waters."

A huge "Pirates of the Caribbean"-themed ship cruised by the very courthouse where the star of the franchise is waiting to hear his fate.

The "boat" sits atop a flatbed truck and made a splash smack Tuesday in front of the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia.

The vessel has a Captain Jack Sparrow banner hanging off the side, displaying the actor's face for all to see ... it's also got a mannequin pirate in front, manning a cannon while looking out onto the choppy waters/sidewalk.

Johnny was spending time overseas during the holiday weekend -- although he traveled by air -- hitting the stage Monday for the second night in a row with Jeff Beck at the famed Royal Albert Hall in England, playing hits all night long.

Tom Cruise's latest blockbuster offering just goes to show you can teach an old dog new tricks -- and if you do it right ... moviegoers will pay out the nose for what you're selling.

Of course, we're talking about "Top Gun: Maverick" -- which broke box office records this Memorial Day weekend with an estimated $156 million domestic haul over the course of 4 days ... making it the highest-grossing film in that window since 'Pirates 3' in '07.

It's also TC's first $100 million opening in his career. So, lots of milestones were hit here -- this during a time when it's been hard to get asses in seats at the cineplex amid COVID.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the movie has gotten rave reviews from both critics and normies alike -- in fact, 'TGM' is being hailed as even better than the OG from the '80s, which is really saying something ... as you may know, Part 1 is considered a cult classic!

As for what all the hype is about ... a lot of things. For starters, it's about as action-packed as you would want a summer popcorn flick to be. More importantly, a lot of that action is shown via practical effects ... as in, 85% of what you're seeing is real ... AKA, no CGI.

A majority of all the death-defying stunts you see in the air were, in fact, shot from actual fighter jets, with the actors in the real seats (but not really steering). The story's good too.