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James Cameron's pissing off animal welfare activists by promoting his ocean-themed epic, "Avatar: The Way of Water," with a dolphin show many see as, at least ironic, and definitely cruel.

The director sat alongside stars Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and others in Japan to promote the much-anticipated sequel -- he kicked off the press conference by saying, "Welcome to Pandora" ... and then the controversial show began.

The dolphins in a tank performed tricks with the help of trainers ... and as the conference continued, Cameron mentioned how much he loved a dolphin's intelligence and sociability ... before joking, "I'm sure everybody asked their permission to be in the show."

That joke did not land with animal activist groups like PETA -- because its spokesperson told Plant Based News, "Why on Earth didn't [Cameron] pause for just five minutes to consider whether he should have allowed himself to be seen as endorsing the cruelty of marine parks?"

Shockingly, Cameron's been an animal advocate for years ... he says he's been a vegan for a decade, and even produced a documentary alongside the director of the 2009 flick, "The Cove," the Oscar-winning animal rights film that exposed the cruelty of dolphin hunting in Japan, of all places.

Even "The Cove" director, Richard O'Barry, is calling out Cameron for his hypocrisy in using captive dolphins to promote a film whose central plot is about conserving ocean resources.

Henry Cavill did a 180 on Wednesday night ... saying he's out as Superman in the film series ... just months after announcing he would be returning as Clark Kent.

The actor shared the shocking news to his 23 million Instagram followers after meeting with newly-minted DC Studios cochairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran, both of whom are producing the next installment of the "Man of Steel."

Cavill said ... "I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that."

He added ... "Superman is still around. Everything he stands for still exists, and the examples he sets for us are still here! It's been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards."

Cavill played the role of Superman in three movies ... "Man of Steel" (2013), 'Batman v. Superman' (2016) and "Justice League" (2017). He also had a recent cameo as Superman in "Black Adam," starring Dwayne Johnson.

Chevy Chase is creeping up on his 80th birthday, but as busy as ever -- that's not necessarily weird for a comedy legend ... but the odd part is he's promoting 'Christmas Vacation' like it just debuted!!!

Darren Prince of Prince Marketing Group tells TMZ ... the holidays really are the most wonderful time of the year for Chevy -- he just wrapped 2 sold-out Q&A screenings of the National Lampoon classic at Foxwoods Resort Casino in CT, and he has a 2-day Comic-Con appearance in Pittsburgh this weekend.

What's more, the actor's got another 'Christmas Vacation' screening booked in Atlantic City next weekend, followed by another in Michigan. Yeah, the guy's gonna need a real vacay come Christmas Day.

We're told his team refers to December as Chevy's Super Bowl month, no doubt because of the massive popularity surrounding the movie 30 years after its release.

Darren says he's seen a resurgence of fans in recent years, making it clear a whole new generation is being introduced to the film.

Patrick Ganino, who runs Chevy's social media and travels with him, tells us Chevy really enjoys all the stories he gets to hear ... and it's now clear to him how the movie helps a lot of people through tough times, especially around the holidays.

As we reported, Chevy teamed up with Raising Cane's at the end of November ... channeling his inner Clark Griswold by lighting up an impressive Christmas display out front of a Chicago location.

Tom Cruise gave Emily Blunt some tough-love advice while on set for their 2014 action flick -- which basically amounted to him telling her to grow a pair ... so says his costar.

The actress dished about the amusing story during an appearance on the "Smartless" podcast, which is cohosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes. They went through highlights of her career, and along the way ... they stopped at "Edge of Tomorrow."

Emily recounted her experience with the massive metal suits that her and Tom's characters wear throughout the movie, which were actually pretty damn heavy and hard to use in real life.

It was so difficult, in fact, that EB says she was freaking out about it -- breaking down on set and even crying at one point because she felt she wouldn't be able to proceed with the shoot ... which she says left Tom at a loss for words, as he didn't really know what to do.

Eventually, the words came to him. She says he bent down and said, "Come on. Stop being such a p***y, okay?" Emily says she laughed at that, and got it together to get the job done.

One of the producers of Will Smith's new movie about a runaway slave is apologizing for bringing a photo of the real inspiration for the character to the film's premiere.

Joey McFarland issued a mea culpa Sunday -- this after there was some apparent outrage over the fact he brought a wallet-size picture to the L.A. premiere of 'Emancipation' Wednesday ... which he flashed to a reporter on the red carpet while discussing it.

McFarland was asked how he came to own the OG photo of "Whipped Peter" from 1863 ... and then he actually brought out and showed it off. His answer boiled down to seeing the importance of history and wanting to curate valuable artifacts like this one so that they can live and be preserved -- and so we can all learn a valuable lesson from the past.

On its face, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with JMF's statement. But, of course, some took issue with his phrasing -- like saying he wanted a "piece of Peter" to be there that night -- and the optics of a white man owning and parading this pic around like a prop.

That's how a handful of folks interpreted his interview here anyway ... and it seems McFarland caught wind of that noise and felt compelled to explain himself.

He writes, "I wholeheartedly apologize to everyone I have offended by bringing a photograph of Peter to the Emancipation premiere. My intent was to honor this remarkable man and to remind the general public that his image is not only brought about change in 1863 but still resonates and promotes change today."

McFarland adds, "After uncovering Peter’s origin story with help from diligent historians, I spent the last few years working with the Emancipation creative time in order to bring his story to life so worldwide audiences would have an opportunity to appreciate his heroism. I hope my actions don’t distract from the film’s message." He says he simply wants to honor the legacy of Peter and others like him, and meant no harm in showing off the photo.

Big Daddy Kane is starring in a theater production of 'New Jack City' -- which he says is touring now ... and which is going to be hosting the director of the cult classic in due time.

We got the rap legend in New York this week ... where our photog chopped it up with BDK about the Je'Caryous Johnson's 'NJC Live on Stage' -- a Broadway-like play that brings the movie to life in front of audiences all these years later.

Check out the clip, 'cause Kane's got some cool insights for us -- including the fact that actor Allen Payne (who played Gee Money in the OG) is reprising his role in this new cast!

Not just that, but Kane says Mario Van Peebles -- who directed 'New Jack City,' and also acted in it as the cop who was out to bring down Wesley Snipes' operation -- will be coming to check out the show when they come to L.A.'s Orpheum Theater in late January.

The reason that's significant -- beyond the fact that it's awesome to host MVP at all -- is 'cause Big Daddy is actually playing his character from the movie ... AKA, Stone. Kane says Mario's swinging by to take it all in, and maybe give him some notes on performance.

Ya gotta wonder if Wesley himself has caught wind of the play and if he's curious to give it a peek. He hasn't said anything about it, from what we can tell, on social media thus far.

The reason there's so many unlikeable female leads is because Hollywood is all in on "Mary Sue" -- so says one writer ... whose hot take is getting blasted as straight-up misogyny.

A fella named Joshua Lisec -- who's ghostwritten a ton of books over the years -- took to Twitter this week to outline a very long argument he firmly believes in ... namely, that the literary "Mary Sue" archetype is alive and thriving in modern-day entertainment, despite the fact people aren't really into these strong fictional heroines who kick ass out of nowhere.

His words ... not ours.

Essentially, this boils down to characters like Rey (Daisy Ridley, 'Star Wars'), Galadriel (Morfydd Clark, "Rings of Power"), Carol Danvers (Brie Larson, "Captain Marvel") and even Bo Peep (Annie Potts, "Toy Story 4") and others who start out in a new plot as bad to the bone ... despite a lack of training/backstory to explain how they came to be so strong.

Now, whether that definition of a typical Mary Sue actually applies to the above-mentioned characters -- and other female leads in action movies in general -- is what's at debate here.

Lisec's thread has gone viral, with a ton of backlash coming his way for what a lot of people claim is a convoluted and long-winded way to say ... he simply doesn't like women, and can't stand the idea of a female character being anything other than a damsel in distress.

There are others poking holes in his theory ... at one point during which he makes comparisons to classic male leads whom he thinks were properly fleshed out (Luke Skywalker, etc.) Some are offering examples of countless traditional male heroes who've emerged with unexplained powers ... noting Mary Sue is a dog whistle to attack women.

As for why this convo is even taking place ... well, it appears there are some, like Lisec, who feel there is, in fact, a push from Hollywood lately for "strong female leads" who emerge as heroes without a bona fide, solid setup. The forthcoming 'Indiana Jones' flick appears to be positioning Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character for exactly that (the "new Indy" post-Ford).

This isn't a sentiment that's super fringe either ... Emily Blunt has denounced the "strong female lead" label -- basically saying it was being done to death, and that she's over it.

Comedian and actor Affion Crockett thinks Will Smith has another Oscar contender on his hands for his work in "Emancipation" ... and says it would be unfair if the "mistake" of slapping Chris Rock leads to award season snubs.

We got Affion Thursday at LAX, where he told us about getting to see Will's slavery-era drama, and he's certain the movie will be in Oscar contention, and ditto for its lead actor.

As you know, Will's 10-year Oscars ban doesn't prevent him from getting nominated or even winning -- a fact Affion thinks Academy voters should keep in mind, because he sees Will's "Emancipation" performance as "masterful."

As for that beyond infamous Oscars slap of Chris ... Affion's genuinely shocked the world's still focusing on it now that it's over 8 months later.

Despite that fact, he thinks there's a shot the Academy could reevaluate that 10-year ban.

FYI, Affion's also dealt with stage stormers before ... as we reported, he was performing in Florida last year when a woman charged onstage to criticize his act.

Actor Frank Vallelonga Jr., famous for his work in the Oscar-winning "Green Book," has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The NYPD tells TMZ ... police responded Monday morning to a 911 call about an unconscious man in the Bronx, and when they got there they found a dead body in the street, which was later identified as Frank.

Cops say the Medical Examiner will determine an official cause of death. Meanwhile, police tell us a suspect has been criminally charged with dumping Frank's corpse. Cops also say the suspect told police Frank overdosed.

Frank's late father is "Sopranos" star Tony Lip, who played New York mob boss Carmine Lupertazzi in the HBO series ... and his brother, Nick Vallelonga, is the co-writer and producer for "Green Book," which won two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.

In fact, "Green Book" is about Frank's father ... Tony worked as a bouncer and was hired to drive and protect pianist Don Shirley during an early 1960s tour through the Jim Crow South. In the movie, Viggo Mortensen portrays Tony and Frank plays his other brother, Rudy Vallelonga.

Cops say the suspect dumped Frank's body from a car owned by Nick -- but Nick told police the suspect did not have permission or authority to drive the car.

Frank was 60.

Will Smith is all smiles again ... he and Jada Pinkett Smith were back doing movie star stuff for the premiere of the new film days after he called his Oscars slap on Chris Rock a burst of anger years in the making.

Will and Jada got all done up Wednesday night in Westwood where they held the "Emancipation" premiere -- they posed for the photogs on their way into the theater and held onto each other tightly.

There was one moment that seemed like a loving callback to the drama of Oscars night -- Will kissed the top of Jada's head as cameras were flashing.

The event was definitely a family affair -- Jaden, Willow, and Trey were all there to support their pops on his return to the Hollywood spotlight.

As we reported, Will broke down what led up to him storming the stage to strike Chris ... telling Trevor Noah on Monday it stemmed from rage going back to his childhood.

He also made a plea to the audience, telling them to be nice to each other ... because you never know what another person's going through, but he noted that didn't justify his behavior.

Chevy Chase is going full Clark Griswold and plugging in to recreate one of the funniest 'Christmas Vacation' scenes for a fast food chain ... and once again, it's a real beaut!!!

The actor teamed up with Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves Tuesday night in the Chicago suburb of Morton Grove, IL for some festive fun -- and Chevy had all the power as they handed him a couple of extension cords to light the hell outta one of their restaurants.

The Cane's location has more than 13,000 lights, a Santa Claus, reindeer and sleigh -- almost as over-the-top as the display Clark juiced up in the 'National Lampoon' holiday classic.

They did not recreate the hilarious power outage and house fire from the movie -- but a crowd of more than 500 showed up to join in on the holiday cheer ... including a bunch of carolers and a whole marching band.

Chevy and Todd drove off in Clark's iconic (and hideous) wood-paneled "Queen Family Truckster" station wagon.

The display's staying up for the holidays, so 'Christmas Vacation' fans can get their grub on and snap a photo op with the elaborate setup.

Clarence Gilyard, the actor who played the wisecracking computer hacker in the film, "Die Hard," has died.

Gilyard passed away after a long battle with an unspecified illness, according to media reports. His death was announced Monday by the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, where he had worked since 2006 as a Fine Arts professor.

His 30-year career in Hollywood landed him major roles in popular TV series, from the '80s and '90s ... notably, "Matlock," and "Walker, Texas Ranger." He worked with stars like Andy Griffith and Chuck Norris. He also scored his first big screen role as Sundown in "Top Gun."

Gilyard's breakout role was playing Theo in the OG "Die Hard." Theo was the sardonic tech wizard who took over a Los Angeles skyscraper with terrorists and hacked into a vault, attempting to steal $640 million in bearer bonds. In one scene, the terrorists bomb an LAPD vehicle and Theo famously cackles, "Oh my god, the quarterback is toast!"

UNLV Dean Nancy J. Uscher remembered Gilyard this way ... "It is with profound sadness that I share this news. His students were deeply inspired by him, as were all who knew him. He had many extraordinary talents and was extremely well-known in the university through his dedication to teaching and his professional accomplishments."

Uscher went on ... "His generosity of spirit was boundless - he was always ready to contribute to projects and performances however possible."

Gilyard was 66.

Disney's newest animated movie -- which features an openly gay character -- got crushed at the box office ... and the LGBTQ crowd is worried this might've been the plan all along.

We're talking about "Strange World," which came out this weekend to abysmal ticket sale numbers -- raking in just $18.6 million over the 5-day weekend, starting Wednesday. That's well behind projections ... where 'SW' was supposed to be coming in between $30-$40 mil.

According to reports, the film is expected to end up in the red long term -- somewhere in the ballpark of at least $100 million, considering the $180M budget and marketing expenses.

It's that same marketing, however, that's got allies upset at the Mouse House ... they feel like there wasn't a peep about this flick pre-release, and that it's no wonder it tanked. In fact, some are going into conspiracy mode -- suggesting Disney was banking on a failure.

Here's the theory ... Disney could use the poor performance as rationale to not include LGBTQ characters going forward -- pointing to this new character, Ethan, as evidence to back the would-be decision. Out there, we know, but that's a legit convo taking place right now.

Of course, there's no evidence to support this ... at least not yet. Still, some are floating it anyway and think Disney was looking for an excuse for less representation on-screen.

Naturally, there's another side of this discussion -- the "Go Woke, Go Broke" faction, who've been thumping their chests about Disney's efforts to include more diversity in its characters of late ... which they think is the real reason for flops like this and 'Lightyear,' among others.

The iconic home from "The Goonies" appears to be changing hands ... TMZ has learned the owner already has a buyer for the property.

Our real estate sources say owner, Sandi Preston, accepted an offer Friday for the Oregon estate ... which went on the market just 5 days ago with a $1,650,000 asking price.

The Victorian-style home is 2,336 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and sweeping views of the Oregon coast.

The house was built way back in 1896 in Astoria and it skyrocketed to fame after being featured in the 1985 Steven Spielberg coming-of-age film. Now, it's a mecca of sorts for movie buffs, with tons of daily visitors flocking to the property.

Sandi lived there for the past 21 years ... but we're told she's ready for the next phase of her life and decided to sell.

Leonardo DiCaprio almost dropped the ball on arguably one of his biggest roles ... according to "Titanic" director James Cameron, who says he almost showed the actor the door when he came to an audition with some serious 'tude.

James spilled it all Tuesday ... saying he asked Leo to come during the audition process to do a chemistry test with Kate Winslet -- who had already landed the part of Rose.

In a GQ interview, James claims LD thought he was just coming in to meet Kate ... but when he found out he'd be reading lines with her, he replied, "You mean I'm Reading? Oh, I don't read."

James wasn't gonna put up with the attitude, and says he told Leo he could either read with Kate or lose out on the role ... telling him, "I'm not gonna f*** it up by making the wrong decision in casting."

He says the actor begrudgingly agreed to do it, keeping things super negative ... right up until James yelled "Action." James claims Leo instantly "turned into Jack," and he knew at that point Leo was the king of the world.

As you know, this was a titular role for the actor -- launching him into a world of successful films soon after. The movie ended up winning 11 Oscars, but Leo never got a nom for his iconic performance.

The two-piece wedding suit Marilyn Monroe wore for her marriage to Joe DiMaggio is hitting the auction block ... and it's expected to fetch seven figures.

Marilyn's 'fit from the January 1954 wedding to the New York Yankees star will be offered to the public through Gotta Have Rock and Roll, and although it's one of her more conservative looks ... folks at the auction house think the winning bid will be spectacular -- somewhere between $1.5 and $2 million!

The historic clothing is a two-piece dark brown Serge wedding suit, with a white fur collar on the jacket.

Marilyn and Joe's wedding was a huge event back in the day ... and there are tons of photos and videos of them kissing while she's in the wedding suit.

And, here's a fun fact: glamorous Marilyn totally went mainstream for her big day!

Gotta Have Rock and Roll says she originally bought the suit at Macy's, and it was later gifted to the mother-in-law of her personal photog, Milton Greene.