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Jamie Foxx's 2016 project about two basketball fanatics has been sitting on a shelf for years ... and the actor thinks cancel culture is why it hasn't seen the light of day.

Jamie stars alongside Jeremy Piven in "All-Star Weekend" -- a flick about two superfans who snag tickets to the NBA event out in Los Angeles ... it was supposed to debut in 2019, but it still hasn't come out, and no official word on the holdup.

Jamie thinks he knows why the movie's been delayed, telling CinemaBlend that the material may simply not be woke enough for the current climate ... "It’s been tough with the lay of the land when it comes to comedy." The buzz ... it has to do with casting a white star to play a Mexican man.

He thinks the film could be a great way to ease the tension, noting "We're trying to break open the sensitive corners where people go back to laughing again."

The cast includes Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler, and Eva Longoria ... as well as Robert Downey Jr. playing a Mexican man.

Jamie, who plays a white racist cop in the film among other roles, thought RDJ was the man for the role after he played a white man in blackface in "Tropic Thunder," but the actor apparently needed some convincing before signing on.

Jamie says he had to tell Robert, "You played the black dude and you killed that s***. We got to be able to do characters."

Anne Heche was trapped in her vehicle as fire quickly spread and onlookers worked desperately to get her out ... and the panic plays out in the 911 call from the scene.

The caller -- who appears to be a neighbor of the home Anne crashed into -- tells the dispatcher Anne's car went through the home "very fast." At first, it doesn't appear the caller is aware of the fact Anne is trapped in the car, but you can hear people yelling in the background making it clear that someone is in trouble.

The call gets much more desperate when smoke starts to surround the vehicle -- and the caller works to get a water hose to the crash scene.

You can start to hear sirens in the background as the caller states the smoke is getting really black and fire breaks out ... and there's more shouting in the background about someone being trapped.

TMZ broke the story, it was August 5 when Anne crashed into the home -- an event that put her in a coma and eventually killed her. Law enforcement sources told us the actress had cocaine and possibly fentanyl in her system at the time of the crash.

Ezra Miller is finally addressing what many have believed were significant mental health issues ... this after months of erratic behavior and run-ins with the law.

The 'Flash' star apologized Monday for their bizarre antics and confirmed they're getting help for some significant problems.

Ezra says, “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment."

Ezra goes on, “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”

Ezra has had a mountain of legal troubles of late ... getting arrested several times in Hawaii and Vermont.

Ezra's latest brush with law enforcement came just last week when they were accused of burglarizing a Stamford, VT, home, from which they allegedly swiped several bottles of booze.

And, back in April 2020 ... Ezra was seen on a viral video CHOKING a woman at a bar in Reykjavik, Iceland ... Ezra was not charged for that incident. Ezra's also been accused of keeping an 18-year-old away from their own family, and bringing them around the country.

Ezra was busted in Hawaii back in March after getting into it with bar patrons, and then with cops during transport to jail.

For the past couple of months, Ezra's team of agents and close friends has been trying to get the actor back on track, but nothing seemed to work.

Warner Bros., the studio producing the $200 million 'Flash' movie scheduled for release next June, has reportedly been encouraging Ezra to get help.

Anne Heche's death came just before the release of her final movie, and the director tells us he's dedicating the film to her.

The film is "Wildfire: The Legend of The Cherokee Ghost Horse" ... director Eric Parkinson tells TMZ he's adding an "In Memoriam" as the movie's final shot, right before the final credits.

Eric tells us Anne was superb in the movie, which started filming back in 2019 before being delayed by the pandemic, and the entire cast and crew are devastated by her death.

Anne plays a rodeo trainer in the film, and Eric says during negotiations to hire her for the role, her agent cautioned she was not an experienced rider, so producers decided they needed a stunt double for some barrel racing scenes.

The plan for those riding scenes, we're told, was for Anne to slowly ride up on the horse and then cut to the stunt double ... but once they were on location in Oklahoma, Anne surprised everyone.

We're told Anne politely asked the stunt double to get off the horse, then climbed in the saddle and told Eric to roll ... and that's when she took off on the horse in a full gallop, executing the barrel turn and racing to the finish in record time.

Shocked, Eric says he went up to Anne and told her what her agent said about her not being an experienced rider ... to which Anne responded, "I'm not ... but my character is a champ!"

Bryce Dallas Howard claims she got the short end of the stick for the 'Jurassic World' trilogy, making far less money than Chris Pratt despite being co-leads ... but that didn't stop him from making sure they got equal pay outside their film contract.

Initial reports back in 2018 showed Chris took home $10M to Bryce's $8M for the sequel, "Fallen Kingdom" ... but Bryce says she was actually paid "so much less," than the reported estimate, in an interview with Insider.

Bryce says she was at a "great disadvantage" back in 2014 when negotiations began for the blockbuster series -- adding, "unfortunately, you have to sign up for three movies and so your deals are set."

Chris, however, was a bigger star than Bryce at the beginning of the trilogy, having already starred in "Guardians of the Galaxy."

But, she claims Chris fought for her outside their 3-movie deal ... telling her he'll handle the negotiation for her when it came to things like spin off games or theme park rides -- making sure they both walked away with equal pay.

Dwayne Johnson has comic nerds confused after suggesting it'd be wrong to include his DC character alongside another hero in the same movie ... without getting his own movie first.

The Rock revealed to Vanity Fair he did a little lobbying with WB to make sure 'Black Adam' would be its own standalone film before any potential blending with 'Shazam!' -- a separate character played by Zachary Levi, who Adam actually faces off with in the source material.

VF writes that Black Adam, played by Dwayne, was actually set to be in the first 'Shazam!' movie in 2019, as he was initially written into the script as the big bad opposite Levi.

The Rock says when he saw this, though, upon first being approached for the project ... he expressed his reservations -- recounting, "When the first draft of the movie came to us, it was a combination of Black Adam and Shazam: Two origin stories in one movie."

He adds, "Now that was the goal -- so it wasn’t a complete surprise. But when I read that, I just knew in my gut, 'We can’t make this movie like this. We would be doing Black Adam an incredible disservice.' It would’ve been fine for Shazam having two origin stories converge in one movie, but not good for Black Adam." Dwayne made some calls, and got his way.

DJ doesn't elaborate on why he thinks it'd be a disservice ... and that's where the DC fandom is kicking in. In their eyes, it makes complete sense to introduce Black Adam in a 'Shazam!' movie -- even from the get-go -- seeing how BA is literally a known nemesis.

That's not what the 'Shazam!' films have done thus far ... in both the OG/forthcoming sequel, there are other bad guys Shazam is fighting, although Black Adam has been teased. Eventually, they'll cross paths ... but critics think it's strange Dwayne insisted on having his outing to kickstart things. Frankly, a Carly Simon song is coming to mind for some over this.

The argument ... The Rock's ego might be showing by admitting he wanted the character to be bigger than WB had, perhaps, initially intended -- especially if he was going to play him.

In Dwayne's defense ... all he did was chirp up on what he thought would be best, and clearly Warner thought that was the right way to go -- seeing how they actually pivoted and did a whole 'Black Adam' flick like DJ suggested, which is coming out later this fall. And besides, it's all headed for a big mashup anyway down the line ... so who cares?

Taylor Swift may be making a run at an EGOT, because she's apparently gunning for an Oscar during this award season ... all over her short film, which qualifies.

The singer's 14-minute video treatment -- which is part music video and film, starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien -- is eligible to be nominated for an Academy Award at the 95th annual ceremony next year ... in the Best Live Action Short, no less, according to THR.

The outlet reports TayTay and co. are actually consulting with a firm to guide the awards campaign -- so yeah, it seems she/the team behind the film do, in fact, want it considered.

There's more though ... THR says the short film might've actually been up for Best Picture, technically, had it come out in 2022 -- but because it was released in late 2021, it misses that window ... although, Best Short is still in play. 'ATW' was screened in an AMC theater in Lincoln Square for a week straight last year, and because of that ... it can get a nod.

Taylor may also be in the running for another Oscar nomination, potentially, because of an original song she did for 'Where the Crawdads Sing' -- but time will tell if it makes it in.

Still, it's just the latest signal that TS is pivoting toward movies. Remember, she did a whole Q&A at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year to talk about 'All Too Well' ... and she's also starring in some serious flicks that are in the works -- stuff where her chops will be tested.

The FBI has concluded that Alec Baldwin must have fired the gun normally on the set of "Rust" -- which took Halyna Hutchins' life ... this according to a new report.

ABC News published a bombshell story Friday, claiming to have obtained a copy of the forensic analysis report recently completed by the Bureau ... which was examining all facets of the fatal accident in a broader investigation to see if criminal charges are warranted.

Per ABC, citing part of the FBI report, the feds found that the revolver in question -- a single-action .45 Colt caliber F.lli Pietta -- could not have been fired without someone pulling the trigger ... a determination they made after conducting accidental discharge testing.

Unclear if they did this testing with the same exact gun Alec used, or a separate but identical one -- but what the FBI notes in their reports is ... that gun, when working properly, will not release a bullet and primer simultaneously by just fiddling with the hammer alone.

That's what Alec said he was doing when the shooting occurred. You'll recall ... in a sit-down interview with ABC, he claimed all he'd done was pull the hammer back and pose it for the camera while Halyna coached him on positioning. When they were done, he released the hammer ... and says it fired without him pulling the trigger. The rest, of course, is history.

Well, that just doesn't make sense to FBI officials. Their report, per ABC, notes they set the hammer at varying angles and positions to see if they could make it fire without pulling the trigger ... but they say they couldn't. The only thing the hammer COULD do when de-cocked and then directly struck on its own (without pulling the trigger) was detonate the primer.

That essentially means it could set off the actual gunshot sound itself, without discharging a bullet, according to the FBI -- but that's obviously not what happened in AB's case.

Now, this conclusion doesn't necessarily mean Alec is in hot water quite yet -- again, we don't know if the testing they did here was with his gun or another ... it's totally possible the revolver he used that day did, in fact, malfunction and that he's telling the truth.

These findings have been sent off to law enforcement officials in New Mexico, who are still conducting their investigation dating back to October. One of the things they're still waiting on, per an official statement from the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office, is phone records from Alec.

Anne Heche has died from injuries she suffered last Friday after driving her car through a Los Angeles home ... her rep tells TMZ Anne is "brain dead" and under California law that is the definition of death.

The rep adds life support machines are keeping Anne's heart beating for the purpose of preserving her organs for donations, however, the rep made it clear ... Anne has no brain function.

The actress died Friday at an L.A.-area hospital ... she was rushed there in a coma, in critical condition and never regained consciousness. We're told she suffered a severe anoxic brain injury -- complete oxygen deprivation to the brain.

Anne had a long and successful career in Hollywood, getting her start playing Vicky Hudson and Marley Love in the soap, "Another World," winning a Daytime Emmy.

When Anne moved over to the big screen, she landed roles in some huge movies ... including "Donnie Brasco," "Volcano," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Six Days Seven Nights," "Return to Paradise," the "Psycho" remake and "Wag the Dog."

Anne also starred in a number of TV shows, like "Men in Trees," "Hung," "Aftermath" and "The Brave" ... and she also did voice work for the animated TV series "The Legend of Korra."

During the first year of the pandemic, Anne was a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."

Anne famously dated Ellen DeGeneres back in the day ... starting in 1997 until their highly-publicized split in August 2000 ... she ended up marrying cameraman Coleman Laffoon, whom she met on Ellen's stand-up comedy tour.

Heche had a child with Laffoon, but their marriage ended in divorce. Her next relationship was with her "Men in Trees" costar, James Tupper, with whom she had her second child. They split in 2018 after 10 years together.

TMZ broke the story ... LAPD sources say Anne was under the influence of cocaine and possibly fentanyl on Aug. 5 when she committed at least 2 hit-and-runs before crashing through a home and causing a fire.

Anne sustained significant injuries in the crash, including severe burns and lung damage.

Anne was 53.

RIP

Naomie Ackie looks like she's enjoying the hell out of playing Whitney Houston for an upcoming biopic on the late singer ... tooling around town in a sportscar during filming.

The British actress couldn't hold back a huge grin as she shot some scenes Thursday in Los Angeles, riding shotgun in a Porsche and eating french fries. Honestly, it sounds hard to do without smiling.

Whitney's fashion sense looks like it will be on full display in "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" ... Naomie's wardrobe is straight out of the late 80s and early 90s ... those animal print shorts sure are something else.

We gotta say, Naomi looks a lot like Whitney ... she's definitely got the singer's trademark hair down.

Naomi's been shooting a bunch of scenes in L.A. this week, with filming locations also taking her down to the marina to film on a boat.

Olivia Newton-John's husband, John Easterling, is reeling from the loss of his wife, but finding strength to post some beautiful words in the wake of her death.

John use Olivia's official Instagram account Wednesday to share a message, "Our love for each other transcends our understanding. Every day we expressed our gratitude for this love that could be so deep, so real, so natural. We never had to ‘work’ on it. We were in awe of this great mystery and accepted the experience of our love as past, present and forever."

He went on to call her a healer and the most courageous woman he's ever known ... "It is only the grace of God that has allowed me to share the depth and passion of her being for so long. In her most difficult times she always had the spirit, the humor, and the will power to move things into the light."

He continued, "Even now as her soul soars, the pain and holes in my heart are healed with the joy of her love and the light that shines forward" ... and thanked folks for their love and support.

As we reported, Olivia died peacefully Monday, surrounded by family and friends at her ranch in Southern California. The star battled breast cancer off and on starting in the 90s ... and a source close to Olivia tells us the cancer was the cause of her death.

Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe Lattanzi left a tearful voicemail of gratitude to an Australian TV reporter who had done a moving tribute to her late mom.

The voicemail was played Wednesday on Australia's "Today" show. Chloe had seen Entertainment Editor Richard Wilkin's tribute and was moved to call.

You hear the pain in Chloe's voice as she tells Richard, "She's free now and out of pain." 36-year-old Chloe, the daughter of Olivia and her first husband Matt Lattanzi, went on to tell Richard how the dogs were running around and the horses were galloping. As you probably know, Olivia loved animals and was a fierce proponent of animal rights for decades.

Olivia and Richard have history ... they were pals for decades.

Chloe also uploaded a clip Tuesday of her and her mom singing "Window In The Wall," saying her mom was her safe space -- calling it an honor to be her baby and her best friend.

Ben Affleck just put his Pacific Palisades mansion on the market -- for a whopping $30 million -- definite proof he and Jennifer Lopez have officially shacked up together.

Affleck, who married J Lo back in June, listed the 7-bed and 9-bathroom home Tuesday for $29.995 million ... he bought it back in 2018 for $19.250 million. It should come as no surprise the house has plenty of space, with a massive pool and spa and 13,500-sq-ft of living space.

The timing of the sale is certainly interesting, we told you a couple months ago it appeared Ben and Jen had moved into a massive mansion, previously owned by billionaire and Mariah Carey's ex, James Packer ... so Ben would need to unload his current crib.

We're told Ben and Jen are currently leasing that home, which Packer bought years ago for $60 million ... so the lease ain't cheap.

As we told you, Ben's been in L.A. while Jen worked overseas following a family trip to Paris, so it's time to get their affairs in order as husband and wife.

Olivia Newton-John, who soared to international stardom as both a singer and movie star has died.

Olivia's husband, John Easterling, says she died peacefully at her ranch in Southern California Monday morning, surrounded by family and friends. Olivia has battled breast cancer for more than 30 years, a specific cause of death was not given, although a source close to Olivia told TMZ, "After a 30-year cancer journey, she lost her battle to metastatic breast cancer."

Olivia hit it big in 1971 with songs like "If Not for You," and in 1973 "Let Me Be There." She followed that up with a monster hit, "Have You Never Been Mellow."

Her huge break came in 1978, when she starred opposite John Travolta in "Grease." Her role as Sandy was iconic, as were several songs from the movie, "You're the One that I Want," "Summer Nights," and "Hopelessly Devoted to You."

The movie propelled Olivia to new heights, and she followed it up with movies like "Xanadu."

Olivia's biggest hit was "Physical" in 1981, which stayed at #1 for 10 weeks, breaking all records in the '80s. She remained an environmental and animal rights activist throughout her career.

Olivia was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, but it went into remission and it came back in 2013. It went back into remission but surfaced again in 2017.

Olivia, who was British but raised in Australia, married Matt Lattanzi back in 1984 ... they met while filming "Xanadu." They had a child, Chloe Rose in 1986. They divorced in 1995.

She married John Easterling in 2008. He's the founder of Amazon Herb Co.

Olivia was 73. RIP

Anne Heche is fighting for her life, currently in a coma and dealing with significant injuries in the wake of driving her car through a home in Los Angeles.

A rep for the actress tells TMZ, "Shortly after the accident, Anne Heche became unconscious, slipping into a coma and is in critical condition. She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention."

TMZ broke the story, cops believe Heche was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol when she committed at least 2 hit-and-runs before barreling through a home, igniting a massive blaze.

Law enforcement sources tell us they were able to get a warrant to obtain a sample of Anne's blood which will help them determine if she was under the influence.

The 'Titanic' has been sunk again ... because Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun: Maverick' just overtook the legendary blockbuster in the list of biggest money-makers in Hollywood history.

The high-flying sequel, which has been on a roll since its release in May, has now claimed the #7 spot in highest box office sales domestically ... clocking in at $662 million in tickets sold, beating out James Cameron's 1997 classic by a good $3 mil or so at $659M.

According to reports, 'TG' raked in $7 million this weekend ... which might sound relatively meager, but considering it's in its 11th week in theaters right now -- that's damn impressive.

While 'Titanic' is in Tom's rearview, he has many other flicks ahead of him that have made far more money big picture -- including, in due time, 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Black Panther,' ... which had total domestic hauls of $678M and $700M, respectively.

Some film reporters and box office analysts think 'Top Gun' actually has a shot to perhaps surmount those two as the year progresses ... but the others ahead of it in line -- 'Avatar,' 'No Way Home,' 'Endgame' and 'Force Awakens' -- are probably safe from being touched.

They've made 200-300M more dollars -- and it doesn't look like 'Maverick's' jet fuel will last that long. Unclear when Paramount will yank it from cineplexes, but even if they kept it there through the end of the year ... 'Top Gun' will like peter out at #5 all-time at best.

Still, it's a helluva achievement for both Tom and Paramount -- and proves there's still most certainly a desire for folks to hit theaters, even today. They're just more selective, is all.